Not ready to brush the sand off your beach reads quite yet? There’s still plenty of hot weather left to be entertained by books, movies, and shows that are set during the summer months. Here are some of my favorites, new and old. Grab your sunscreen and a glass of iced tea. The sun is still shining!
- Big Little Lies. This 2 season series is on Max. It takes place in Monterey, California so the sun is always shining along with stunning beach scenes. Despite the beautiful setting, it’s a dark drama and story of murder based on the bestselling book by Liane Moriarty. Its incredible cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley. If you haven’t seen it, you should! The series is super entertaining and bingable.
- Charlotte’s Web. I couldn’t resist including one of my favorite childhood chapter books on this list! Much of this book takes place in the countryside during the summer on the Arable and Zuckerman Farms and at the County Fair. Growing up I remember reading this book more than once in front of a fan on a hot summer day. It’s an oldie but a goodie to grab just for fun.
- The Great Gatsby. It’s a great book to read for the first time or to revisit. The setting is in the summer of 1922 in and around New York during the Jazz Age. Who wouldn’t want to be invited to one of Jay Gatsby’s lavish parties under the stars with a pool, the beach, booze, and an orchestra, at his mansion? Count me in. The 2013 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio is also a great follow-up to the book.
- Dirty Dancing. It’s one of my favorite summer flicks! This movie is one that I have to stop and watch if I happen to find it flipping channels. Summer at Kellerman’s Resort, the music, Johnny and Baby…It’s a classic one to reconnect with during the hot weather months.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty. You can catch this series on Amazon Prime Video and or read the trilogy written by Jenny Han. When the second season premiered on July 14, the feedback was positive so I decided to check out season 1. The backdrop is a fictional beach town during the summer with a teenage love triangle between a girl and 2 brothers. It’s definitely not the type of genre I usually gravitate to. However, when I started watching it I got sucked into the adolescent drama, and turns out it was entertaining. Who knew?
- Blueberries For Sal. This picture book by Robert McCloskey was published in 1948. My mom read it to me often. I’m sure that’s why it’s one of my most treasured. She used to take me blueberry picking so it certainly reminds me of summertime. It’s a fun trip down memory lane! You can look and listen to the book by clicking this link if you want to bring back memories of this book.
