As the end of the school year approaches, your favorite reader recommends that you continue reading over the summer. Before you start rolling your eyes and complaining about reading outside of school, remember that not all novels are for an educational purpose, some are simply just meant for fun. So, here are some books I suggest!

For the ultimate reading experience of romance novels during summertime, it is an unspoken rule to pick novels with plots based in the summer.

Starting off strong with It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey. This 4-star-rated-book is a cute, sappy romance with the trope everyone seems to eat up: grumpy, reclusive, small-town guy who knows how to handle a dramatic, bratty, city-girl. However, the twist in this plot is that Piper, the female lead, is sent away to the small town to be humbled for her irresponsible behavior. Upon arriving, Piper learns that Brendan-the male lead- is going to make her goal of focusing on proving everyone wrong hard. This story follows both characters as they learn the ins and outs of each other, while Piper attempts to mature as a person. Their love story is obvious to everyone but them, making it refreshing for the reader to watch them get together!

Next up on the list of summer romance novels, we have the queer novel Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake. This novel is set in the midst of summer where Delilah comes back to her hometown to photograph her sister’s wedding. The alluring part of this novel is the forming relationship between Delilah and one of the bridesmaids, Claire. With the wedding scenery and activities, you would expect love to be in the air. Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Because the bride and groom aren’t on the best of terms and everyone is attempting to stop the wedding, the atmosphere is full of everything but love. Despite this, Delilah and Claire manage to find themselves falling in love. Delilah, with her fear of falling and being emotionally open, clashes well with Claire’s ability to see through all of Delilah’s tricks. This novel contains the perfect amount of sappiness, while also including enough angst to keep you reading!

Another given of the unspoken “reading during the summer” rules is that you must read at least one classic novel. Without the stress of schoolwork and all the annoying deadlines, you can take the time to read and fully understand the complex language used.

Coming in strong as my favorite queer-coded classic novel is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. As a staple of the late 19th century, it’s crucial that everyone reads this book. Following Dorian, this novel depicts how deep rooted the effects of the desire to be loved can run. Something crucial that many don’t realize about this book is just how realistic the novel truly is. While this novel is perfect for those who enjoy philosophy with a twist of gothic horror, the topics and philosophies discussed are true to the real world. Dorian represents a character of vain and beauty, alluding to the current nature of our modern society. If you are looking for a novel that will educate you on social concepts, open your eyes to new ideas while also breaking your heart, this is the perfect summer read!