Summer Beach Reads Reading List

Summer Beach Reads Reading List | Cobalt Chronicles | Washington, DC Style BloggerI’ve always loved to read.  Heck, that’s one reason why I do what I do – I love to read and write!  I used to be great at reading for fun, and I really enjoyed it too.  However, when I began working as a legal editor five years ago, I spent all day at work reading.  So the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was read.  But once I quit my 9-5 job in April, I made it a point to start diving back into pleasure reading.  I love fiction books as they’re always a nice escape at the end of the day and a great way to unwind.  My Instagram fam has been loving my summer book recs, and I love hearing from you all on Stories about what you thought of the books that you’ve read too!  So today I thought it would be fun to share my summer beach reads reading list!

I’m easing back into reading for fun, so I’m only on my third book of the summer, but I’m excited to share my list with you!

Summer Beach Reads

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Before heading on my first trip this summer (Destin, Florida), I popped in Kramer Books, a local DC bookstore.  I asked the front desk staff for a summer beach read recommendation.  Two girls recommended this book by Gail Honeyman.  It follows Eleanor Oliphant through a few months of her life.  It’s an intriguing story that has an amazing twist at the very end.  Eleanor has a quirky personality as a result of her not-so-ideal childhood upbringing.  She says exactly what she thinks even when it might not be socially or politically correct.  I really enjoyed this story and was invested in pulling for Eleanor throughout the book.  It had a touch of comedy, a touch of seriousness, and was overall a great, easy summer beach read.

Would I recommend it?  Yes!  It’s an easy read for anytime of the year.

When Life Gives You Lululemons

I saw this book in Kramer Books when I first visited the bookstore and was intrigued, but also felt pretty basic buying it.  I skipped over it, but then saw SO many people recommending it on Instagram Stories!  So I decided to give it a whirl.  It’s an extension of The Devil Wears Prada.  If you read the book or saw the movie, you’ll recognize one of the main characters, Emily Charlton.  And Miranda Priestly even makes a cameo appearance.  This book is a mix of fun socialite drama and stereotypical suburban living.  I loved it because of the fun characters and their antics.  I also loved the DC tie in as one of the characters is married to a sitting senator who lives in Bethesda (a DC suburb).  It’s a super fun, easy, and girly read.

Would I recommend it?  Absolutely.  I was invested in all of the characters’ lives.  The story lines were both relatable and ridiculous all at once.  A true beach read!

All We Every Wanted

I saw Emily Giffin’s newest book, All We Ever Wanted, all over my friends’ Instagram Stories this summer.  She’s one of my favorite go-to authors for a fun read.  I’ve read a few of her books, including Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, and Love the One You’re With.  So I was excited to see she came out with a new book this summer.  I’m in the middle of this read as I’m writing this post, but I’m loving it so far.  When I posted it on my Stories, I received so many responses from friends saying that they loved it, so I’m excited to see how it progresses!  The story is set in Nashville and follows the story of a few high school kids and their parents as they all try to navigate their way through a tricky incident that resulted from one of the kids sending a not-so-kosher Snapchat photo (and caption) that spread like wildfire.

Would I recommend it?  So far, yes!  If it’s anything like Emily Giffin’s other novels, I’m sure I’ll love it.

 

From the Corner of the Oval

Katie is a big reader!  I love her What’s On My Nightstand posts, and when she recommended From the Corner of the Oval, I knew I had to grab it!  It’s a memoir.  Beck Dorey-Stein was one of Barack Obama’s official stenographers.  This book chronicles her journey leading up to that position and follows her path navigating through her time at the White House.  I’m excited to dive into this one!

Would I recommend it?  I’ll let you know as soon as I finish this one!

Have you read any of these books?!  Or have another summer beach read recommendation?  Leave a comment below to share!