10 Essential Summer Reads

Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum: This award-winning book focuses on a group of teenagers living in an institution for disabled youth. There’s the usual stories here of love and friendship that make this a good summer read, but the importance of the novel’s setting gives Good Kings Bad Kings a heaviness that will stay with the reader well beyond its conclusion. If you want to learn more about the author and her inspiration for this work, you can check out this Q&A we did with Nussbaum!

Purchase Good Kings Bad Kings on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, paperback, or hardcover.

The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg: Not unlike the friendships, competitions, and drama on Glee, this book immerses you in its characters and plot. After a car accident that results in impairments, Mrs. Olinski, teacher and coach of an Academic Bowl team, turns to her students for support. With their help, she finds the confidence needed to empower herself. The View From Saturday is told from the perspective of the four students on the bowl team; it’s a charming read that has you rooting for the characters throughout. 

Purchase The View from Saturday on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, paperback, and hardcover.

The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto: Chihiro moves to Tokyo to pursue graphic design, and to heal from the tragedy of losing her mother. She spends a lot of time daydreaming by her apartment window, and noticed the neighbor across the way doing the same. When the two finally meet, there is an instant connection - maybe even love - but Chihiro suspects something dark is hidden beneath Nakajima's shy personality. After visiting a few of his friends that live on a beautiful lake, Chihiro begins to unravel the mystery of her boyfriend's emotional trauma. The two must figure out, together, how to move beyond their pain and support one another. Yoshimoto has many successful novels (Kitchen, Goodbye Tsugumi, Asleep), but The Lake stands out as one of her best.  

Purchase The Lake on Amazon.com: Kindle, hardcover, and paperback.

The Giver quartet by Lois Lowry: This series reminds us why it is important to understand and maintain our humanity, our differences, and our flaws – despite every effort to make us “perfect.” The Giver quartet includes: the title book, Gathering Blue, The Messenger, and Son. It follows the lives of Jonas and Kira, two characters who exist in a dystopian future - one that disregards anything considered “faulty.” Kira, introduced in Gathering Blue, is disabled; her story is engaging and relatable. While Gathering Blue can be read as a stand-alone novel, it works best framed within the other books. The Giver quartet is perfect for those who want to get completely lost in an engaging, new world.     

Purchase The Giver on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, paperback, and hardcover.

A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen: If you were looking for a non-fiction read this summer, then give this book a try. A Disability History of the United States delivers exactly what the title says; it starts at the treatment of disabled individuals in pre-colonial America, and works its way through slavery, institutionalization, the Civil War, the World Wars, and the disability-rights movement. The writing in this book is not at all academic - it's accessible, thought-provoking, and much needed.

Purchase A Disability History of the United States on Amazon.com: Kindle, paperback, or hardcover.

Accidents of Nature by Harriet McBryde Johnson: In this semi-autobiographical novel, Johnson introduces us to Jean, a senior in high school with cerebral palsy who doesn’t want to associate herself with disability. When she attends Camp Courage – a camp devoted to students with different disabilities – Jean struggles to fit in among her peers. It’s not until she gets to know Sara, a fellow camper who is proud and vocal about her disabled identity, that she discovers a sense of pride within herself. Brutally honest, charming, and laugh-until-you-cry funny, Accidents of Nature is a great read for those of us who have struggled, or are still struggling, with accepting ourselves and finding our place in the community.

Purchase Accidents of Nature on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, paperback, or hardcover.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Ifemelu is a Nigerian woman living and working as a blogger in the United States; she recently split from her long-term boyfriend, and struggles with remembrances of her childhood sweetheart, Obinze. He moved to the UK after their affair at university – and currently lives as an undocumented citizen. Shifting between flashbacks and present day, Adichie seamlessly weaves together a story about race, nationality, and the relationships that exist within those identities. This novel is a long one, but its beautiful prose will keep you enchanted as the stories of Ifemelu and Obinze unfold.

Purchase Americanah on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, hardcover, or paperback.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler: Elyse is a songstress from Tobago, slowly on her way to fame. After losing her voice in a boating accident, she goes on holiday with a friend to escape it all. On her trip, she meets the handsome Christian Kane – and that’s when things start getting complicated. Does she put up her guard, or let her heart guide her? In this modern retelling of The Little Mermaid, we tag along on Elyse’s journey toward self-love, romantic love, and empowerment.

Purchase The Summer of Chasing Mermaids on Amazon.com: Kindle or hardcover.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: Audrey has an anxiety disorder that keeps her at home most days with her two brothers and parents. Seeing Dr. Sarah helps, but she still deals with the effects of her mental illness every day. When her brother’s gaming partner, Linus, visits their home, there is an instant connection between Audrey and him. She feels she can tell him anything, and their connection only grows stronger as time goes on. On the surface, this is a light romantic comedy; but at its heart, it is a story about the debilitating effects of bullying, mental illness, and finding one’s path toward healing.

Purchase Finding Audrey on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, paperback, or hardcover.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler: This book is set in southern California in the year 2025, and told in diary format from the perspective of Lauren Olamina - a young woman with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her experience other people's physical pain. In this dystopain future, violence, poverty, and racism have her family living in constant fear. Lauren's father is a minister and preaches every week in their home; but Lauren doesn't always agree with his sermons - that's when she begins crafting her own gospel called "Earthseed." After a devastating loss in the community, Lauren sets out on a northward journey to find hope amidst the chaos, and to spread the teachings of Earthseed. This is an engaging read that is emotionally heavy and, at times, graphic in its depictions of violence. Butler's writing style and story may appeal to fans of The Hunger Games; like so many other dystopian novels set in the future, there is a frighteningly spot-on connection to our present day.

Purchase Parable of the Sower on Amazon.com: Kindle, audio book, or paperback.

What books are you reading this summer? Let us know on our Facebook page!