Sweet Summertime Reads 2016: Alexa's Recommendations

Hi friends! Back again with another edition of Sweet Summertime Reads.  This week, Alexa from Alexa Loves Books is here to share her reading recs.  I've known Alexa for quite awhile in this community and we finally got a chance to meet face to face this past January.  She is a great asset to the blogging community and I know I can always count on her for a good recommendation.  Please welcome Alexa to the blog, but first, a few things...

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Hi everyone! I’m Alexa, the blogger behind Alexa Loves Books, and I’m thrilled to be here on Ginger’s blog to talk about my reading recommendations for Sweet Summertime Reads. In case you don’t know who I am, here’s a brief rundown for you – I’m 26, I’m married to the love of my life, I live in Queens and consider New York City my playground, I love reading, I hope to one day be a published author, I love travel and I’ve always had a major sweet tooth. If you want to chat about anything or get to know me better, you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube (where I’m @alexalovesbooks) and Snapchat (where I’m @the-lexicon).

Ahem, anyway… Summer is just getting started, and I am loving everything about that – the warmer weather, the easygoing vibe I’m getting from the people around me and just the promise of all the possibilities (like road trips and out of town trips and picnics and barbecues and pool days and beach days) that lie ahead. I’m a little biased because I’m a total summer baby (literally – my birthday is in August), but man, summer is the best.

As a fan of summer and a fan of series binges, I thought I’d combine the two and share some series that I think would make for great summer binge reads – whether you’re stuck working, off to the beach or the mountains or enjoying a little staycation or weekend trip. Without further ado, here are the series that I think would make for some great summer reading! (The best part? I’m featuring (mostly) finished series so that you don’t have to wait for another book to come out.)

1) Nantucket Blue + Nantucket Red by Leila Howland

Honestly, just thinking about these books immediately makes me feel quite summery! Set against the backdrop of Nantucket (which sounds like a fabulous summer destination, and one I would not mind visiting for myself one day), each novel chronicles a life-changing summer in Cricket’s life.

2) Just One Day + Just One Year by Gayle Forman

I couldn’t make this list without including this duo! Not only do these stories take you to foreign locales aplenty, they also are about two characters who are forever changed by their brief time together. I am particularly in love with Just One Day, which is a book that left a lifelong impression on my heart.

3) Catching Jordan, Stealing Parker, Things I Can’t Forget, Racing Savannah, Breathe Annie Breathe, Jesse’s Girl + Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally*

Technically, this isn’t a “finished” series. But these are companion novels, each centered around different characters! Kenneally has a gift for writing teens who feel like real people. Each story involves a challenging event that forces the main character to grow up – and there are some swoony romances too!

4) Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of Blood and Starlight + Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

One of my series recommendations for fellow fantasy readers has to be this incredible trilogy from Laini Taylor. It’s got lush writing that paints a vivid portrait of the world, the characters and the story, and readers will find themselves completely immersed for hours on end.

5) Unspoken, Untold + Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

If you’re looking for a read that has hints of magic and whimsy, but still finds itself grounded on some solid characters, then the Lynburn Legacy trilogy would be the right choice for you! It’s funny (particularly because main character Kami has a lot of sass), smart and very creative – and you’ll fly through the pages.

6) Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress + Warrior Witch by Danielle L. Jensen

This series is a new favorite that I discovered earlier this year! It mostly just surprised me to learn that I could get invested in a story about trolls (which I didn’t think possible). The combination of smart storytelling, a strong female lead and a pretty sweet romance sealed the deal in the end.

7) Incarnate, Asunder + Infinite by Jodi Meadows

I’ve talked about this series countless times on various social media sites, but I will never stop because it is so good! If you’re in the mood for something very different to read, might I recommend this sci-fi/fantasy blend? It’s centered on the concept of reincarnation, and what that means for the characters.

8) Make It Count, Make It Right + Make It Last by Megan Erickson

The Bowler University series is a new adult series, just so we’re clear. But these books are smart, and they’re funny, and they’re fun. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s all too easy to fall in love with these characters and root for their romances. I definitely enjoyed all three of these books!

9) Last Will and Testament, Right of First Refusal + Out on Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler

If you’re looking for some smart, well-written new adult books to binge, definitely pick up the three novels in the Radleigh University series! I love that the main character for each companion novel is a different gal in a group of three friends, and that their stories are so different. It made me laugh and made me swoon and was just really fun (and really quick) to read!

10) The Deal, The Mistake, The Score + The Goal by Elle Kennedy*

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a new adult novel that made me laugh and cry and swoon as much as this series has. Seriously, the Off-Campus series is my favorite new adult series ever, and I think many readers will feel similarly if they gave it a shot! (P.S. Was also kind of cheating with this one, since the last one is technically out in September… But they’re companion novels so… it works out.)

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Thank you, Alexa, for sharing your Sweet Summertime Reads with us!  I highly recommend the Nantucket Blue/Red novels too -- such summery goodness with great character growth!  What an awesome round-up of books to add to your summer TBR, reader friends!!