The hot summer sun calls for more leisure time. If you’re lucky enough to live by some water, there’s no better way to spend a summer day than lounging outside with a good book (and plenty of SPF). My boyfriend and I are working on recreating our outdoor space for the warmer season. My only request: a nice shady area to read and work!

How to Cook That: Crazy Sweet Creations by Ann Reardon: I can’t resist a good cookbook. I love the focus on deserts, the one area of cooking I barely participate in. I’ve never been much of a baker, but man, when my boyfriend made us delicious homemade pies for the holidays, I knew we needed more dessert inspiration for our sweet tooth.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston: I think we could all use more rom-com adventures in our lives. Plus, the leading character is a cynical 20-something trying to make it in New York City; thanks for filling the Carrie Bradshaw hole in my heart, Casey McQuiston.
We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto by Alice Waters: We’ve spoken so much about slow living here in GG, so when the Slow Food Manifesto was announced, we pounced. It really is a field guide into the role that food and where we get it from plays in our world, and how we can do better.
Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia by Mariana Velásquez: Look no further for a refreshing array of summer-friendly recipes inspired by the beauty of Colombia and its intriguing history.
An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi: The novel takes place in 2003 after the U.S. officially declared war on Iraq. The Muslim community is being targeted and Shadi does her best to grin and bear all of the changes. As she navigates her own sorrow and loss during a tumultuous time in the world, she finds herself drowning in the thick of it all. She battles her demons and woes in silence.
Anne of Manhattan: A Novel by Brina Starler: A playful and romantic take on Anne of Green Gables; budding writer Anne, and her best friend, Diane are on a journey of self-discovery in the wild city of New York. Things seem to be going well, until her archrival Gilbert shows up at college and turns the world as she’s known it upside down.
A Room of Her Own: Inside the Homes and Lives of Creative Women by Robyn Lea: This book offers a glimpse into the private homes of creative personalities all over the world. You’ll find solace in their personal journeys and beautiful tastes.
The Other Black Girl: A Novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris: Highly anticipated by Time, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Parade, Goodreads, Fortune and BBC, Harris’s debut is very impressive. Nella Rogers is an editorial assistant that has to navigate isolation and microaggressions at the office where she is the only Black employee until Hazel comes along, but she is not the fresh breathe of air that Nella was expecting.
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo: We follow Jordan Baker, a queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee in the 1920s as she comes of age while being treated as an exotic attraction by those around her.