Hello everyone! Happy May! How are you? How was April for you? Mine was SO good (despite the state of the world of course…). I’m now officially old but April really kicked some ass! Got a brand new flat and I’m so excited to decorate!! If anyone’s got any inspiration and/or advice, please I’m all ears!
I’m back on the blog today bringing you all the summer vibes! Lately I’ve been noticing that A LOT of YA books (all kind of books really when I think about it) take place during the summer season. Did you notice? And I asked myself: why is that? I must have read 10 books with a beach setting compared to… maybe one book set in the mountains in the middle of winter. Is summer more inspiring for authors? More attractive to readers? Is summer a great selling point? Here’s what I think…
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🌪 Summer is synonymous with adventure
Summer is a time when all rules changes. You’re not in school or at work anymore, you’re enjoying some time off and even some holidays in a cute little seaside town or in a big city at the other end of the world. You’re traveling, meeting new faces, trying new things. There is no familiar routine anymore, you’re getting a bit out of your comfort zone and time is almost suspended. Summer is synonymous with love, adventure and self-discovery!
So yeah… summer is actually a perfect setting for crafting amazing new stories. I guess for authors summer is like a gigantic playing field. Characters are going to camp, traveling to Europe, doing their first internship… the possibilities are unlimited! And since the setting is a bit different than usual, characters are destined to meet new people, new friends, new crushes. They discover themselves in a brand new light and it’s both scary and exciting!
🌪 Summer provides an idyllic setting
Deep blue sky, sun set high, nature in full bloom, summer provides an amazing background for stories. The landscapes are alive and gorgeous but days are also longer and you have plenty of outdoors activities at your disposal (camping, snorkeling, picnic, outdoor concert…).
For authors, I think summer is really inspiring. As for readers…god, it’s like being transported to a magical world. I don’t know about you but I LOVE summer and reading about late nights out, ice cream on the beach and hiking through lush forests…well, it’s dreamy! Summer nights are perfect for new adventures, nothing wild is going to happen when it’s cold outside and you’re just chilling in front of the TV…
🌪 Summer is about escape
Summer is like a little happy bubble (I’m so sorry for all the winter fans out there…). It’s a time when you can get through a LOT of books (at least for me). You’ve got time on your hands, you’re a bit more relaxed, no homework to think about, no work meeting to prep. Summer is made for escape and reading is the perfect way to do just that.
I think that most books take place during summertime because I don’t think you’d want to read about hot cocoa and winter sports while you’re longing by the pool. You’re also more in the mood to read something light and cute and summer rom-coms (or whatever floats your boat) are perfect for that. So yeah, there is A LOT of summer books out there but I’m not complaining AT ALL.
🌪 5 unmissable summer-themed YA books
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS ☂️ A classic! It’s about four very different friends who come upon a well-worn pair of soft jeans that fit them all perfectly and decide to circulate the pants amongst themselves throughout their vacation. A story that captures the spirit of friendship in the most charming way possible.
Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY ☂️ Belly spends all of her summers at the beach house with Jeremiah and Conrad, two boys she’s known since her very first summer there. But everything is about to change… This book is about summer and romance, but also family, self, and loss. It’s sweet, light and it will definitely make you swoon!
Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
PEACHES ☂️ Leeda, Murphy and Birdie have nothing in common but the troubles that have gotten them sentenced to a summer of peach picking at a Georgia orchard. A super sweet story about friendship and finding independence, with a lush and captivating setting!
Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
GIRL OUT OF WATER ☂️ Anise is forced to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves and her friends and fly to Nebraska for the entire summer to take care of her aunt and her three younger cousins. It’s a story about young love, flawed relationships, loss, abandonment, adversity and change. A pure gem!
Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
ALEX, APPROXIMATELY ☂️ Two coasts separate Baily and “Alex”, her online crush. That is until she moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town. There, she meets Porter, an irritatingly hot museum security guard, who turns out to be…”Alex”! Delightful and charming, this story will make you smile from the very first page.
Find the book on: Book Depository – Bookshop – Blackwell’s
You might also be interested in: 10 of my Favorite Romances in YA Books
📌 Pin Why YA book are always set in summer? on Pinterest!
What do you think? Do you agree with me? Are YOU more attracted to summer-themed books? Do you think the other seasons are a bit left out?
Can you recommend great stories taking place during summertime?
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So true! Summer is the best time of the year. There’s time to read tons of books and ice cream. The authors can’t exactly write about the characters just grovelling in assignments and studies. No one would read that. God knows I wouldn’t read it- there’s enough assignments in real life as it is. Books are a source escape from real life. Assignments shouldn’t taint our reading. One of my favourite summer reads is The Accidental TV star by Emily Evans.
Yeees, totally! That’s exactly it!
Oh, I need to check that one out 😁
Thank you so much for stopping by 😘😘
I never really thought about this but you have a point! I have noticed that it’s mostly contemporary and romance that’s set in the summer, which incidentally I only really read in the summer. Interesting post!
Yeees, totally!
Thank you so much, I’m happy you liked it 😘😘
My theory is that it’s all about the long summer holiday, which is something you lose as soon as you finish school or uni.
Yees!
Ugh, tell me about it! It was the good times, haha 😉
Thanks for stopping by! 😘😘
Yeah, I miss those holidays. 🙂
Same here 😥😥
It’s funny I never really thought about it until you pointed it out! 😂 But I agree with your reasons, summer just has that feel to it that really makes the perfect setting!
Congrats on your new flat! 💕😊
Yees, the perfect setting that’s exactly it 😊
Thank you so so much! 😘😘
This was such an interesting post! I will admit this is something I’ve never noticed but will be noticing from now
Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Great post! This is so true, so many YA novels – particularly contemporary YA – are set during the summer. Tbh I think that’s also partly because summer can work in the same way that boarding schools often work in fantasy books–it gets YA protagonists away from their parents. Like you said, summer is a time when you no longer have school and, if you don’t work, it’s essentially 6 weeks where you’re able to go out, meet your friends and run wild while your parents go to work, and that can be so much more fun to read about that characters going to school and answering to their parents!
Thank you! 😊
YEEES, that’s exactly it!
Great post, summer is definitely a great time for contemporary books to take place as there is just so much more that the author can do with the story.
Congratulations on your new flat 💜
Thank you! 😊
Yeees, totally!!
Thank you so much ☺️☺️
You’re welcome 💜💜
💞✨
Ah congrats on getting a flat! I love decorating spaces, I’d say get on Pinterest if you haven’t already and gather images that you like for whatever reason. It helps to have an visual reference I find of how you want the room/s to look. It can also help you make the flat itself be cohesive if that’s what you want 🙂
Definitely agree with all the points you made about Summer, there’s something about the Summer months even after you finish school I think that makes you yearn to go on a road trip. To just go away to somewhere new and explore. Or you know sit at home and live vicariously through all the summer themed books haha.
Thank you so much! ☺️ Yeees, I’m spending ages on Pinterest! I get SO inspired 😍😍
YEEES, totally!!
Thanks for stopping by, happy reading 😁
Contemporary books and summer are connected in my mind anyways, no matter if they’re actually set in summer. I just feel like those things belong together, probably because so many really take place during summer?
But I wholly agree with your reasons as well!
YEEES, 100% agree 😁
Thanks for stopping by 😘😘
I noticed! Summer is vacation time, so there’s a lot of opportunities to write the characters in various situations. I’m more of a Spring person, though, and I don’t disdain Fall and Winter. 🙂 It would be cool to read YA books set in the colder season, too.
By the way, interesting post! I might add a few of those books you mentioned to my wishlist.
Yes, totally!
I’m not a winter person at all but I still think authors should set more books during this season! It would be a nice change 😊
Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Happy reading 😘😘
I think you’re right that summer symbolizes freedom and escape. It makes sense, especially in YA because summer means no school!
Yeees, exactly!
Thanks for stopping by, happy reading! 😘😘
I LOVE this post (sorry for being late to the party!). It is interesting that a LOT of books, mostly YA, take place in the summer. Many of my own books do as well, though not all. The ones that take place in the summer allow for the main character(s) to decompress during those two or three months, often stumbling into situations found only in between spring and fall. It is a time of growth, sometimes literally (I grew three inches between 10th and 11th grade) and figuratively (had my first real kiss with an actual carnie). There is something sultry and perhaps even a little sexy about summer time. We generally wear less clothing, hang out with our friends sans teachers and parents, go swimming, take long walks while having long talks, get invited to cookouts and picnics. An abundance of wonderful moments strung together while being carefree for a while. Summer time is a time for making memories. And even though my new book, Rules of Falling (fall, 2021) takes place from October to December, my other YA’s do occur in the summer. Now I want to go out of my way to read books that don’t! Thanks for the post. Love reading them!
Thank you so much, that makes me so happy 🥰
YES, YES, YES, 100% agree with everything!
Haha, same here! I’m going to try to read more “wintery” books 🙈
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 😘😘