What I’m Reading This Summer As A Girl Who Can’t Pick A Genre

Summer is my favourite time of year for reading because it is often when I explore the most across genres. This summer is proving to be no different. No theme, no agenda, simply just a mashup of books I’ve been waiting to read. 

I’ll be honest, normally by June I’d have already read 10-20 books in a year, but with all the life changes I’ve undertaken, my reading time has been hacked into nothing. Pair that with a handful of DNF (did not finish) books, and I can honestly say, things are turning around now. No more bookmarks staying on the same chapter for months. 

The list has everything: philosophy, fantasy, gothic fiction, and a Japanese mystery. No particular theme connecting them, except that each one felt like something I genuinely wanted to read, not something I felt like I should. Here's what's on my bookshelf: 

Meditations for Mortals — Oliver Burkeman

Genre: self-help meets philosophy 

Published: 2024 

This is a short, four-week philosophical guide to making peace with your limitations as a finite human being. At roughly 200 pages, this is a quick read. 

This book is meant to be read daily for a four-week period, but I have been spacing it out over the last few weeks as I was travelling. I picked it up because I felt overwhelmed by all the ‘things’ I want to do; with the struggle of feeling like you have so much time and none at all. I wanted a guidebook that wasn’t too “woo-woo” or blindly optimistic (because as a pessimistic realist, that doesn’t resonate with me). 

 If you've ever felt quietly overwhelmed by a self-inflicted to-do list, this one is for you.

Six of Crows — Leigh Bardugo

Genre: fantasy 

Published: 2015 

I’m currently on book 1 of this series, and I can’t put it down. I have been yearning for a new fantasy series to read post ACOTAR and TOG. A personal loose rule is to STOP reading incomplete series this year, but with so many ongoing series in the fantasy genre, my options felt slim. Finding this duology has saved me. 

Though technically a young adult fantasy series, it reads like a more adult fantasy without the explicit violence or intimacy elements. The ensemble cast here features backstories actually worth caring about, morally grey characters and a richly built world. Through following this cast in what seems to be an impossible heist, and a city rich in complex details, this book feels more like a live action movie where the pages turn themselves. 

Crescent City — Sarah J. Maas

Genre: adult fantasy romance 

Published: 2020 

Remember how I said I wouldn’t read incomplete series? Maas is an exception. Having read all other works by this author, it was only a matter of time before I sat down to read these tremendously long books. 

Starting with the House of Earth and Blood, this world is ancient with both fae and human beings, but unlike most fantasy stories, it’s set in a modern world with city phones, guns, skyscrapers, and more. We follow the half-fae, half-human narrator post the death of her best friend. The protagonist gets caught up in a conspiracy and investigation alongside a fallen angel, and the unlikely pair are set to uncover the darkness shrouding their world.   

Rebecca — Daphne du Maurier

Genre: gothic mystery 

Published: 1938

A good friend and I have a remarkable two-person book club where we read the books for the first time together. This classic was our first summer pick. 

This classic follows the story of a naive young woman who marries a rich widower who can’t get over his deceased wife, Rebecca. Living in Rebecca’s shadow, this protagonist struggled in her new life and realized too late the devastating effects Rebecca would have on her life. 

I always like to read a few classics in a year – Wuthering Heights was the last one I read because of the movie – and though reading this novel has been slower than usual, I think the payoff will be worth it. 

Strange Buildings — Uketsu 

Genre: Japanese mystery and thriller

Published: 2023 (English translation)

If you like mysteries and you haven’t read anything by Uketsu, then you’re missing out. I’ve already read three books by this author, and I can never put these mysteries down. With fabulous visual elements, eerie atmospheres and shocking revelations, Uketsu’s writing is something I can’t pass up this summer. 

One of the longer books by this author, around 380 pages, this book follows the story of an unnamed investigative writer who gets tips about strange houses with eerie details that come together for one larger, unsettling story.  

Adding more lore to these mystery stories, the identity of Uketsu is unknown as well. All we know is that he is a Japanese author and YouTuber. He appears in public in a white papier-mâché mask, a black bodysuit, and a voice changer:that tells you everything you need to know about the kind of reading experience you're in for.

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A good reading list is really just proof that you're looking forward to something, and though longer days and sunshine are things I am undoubtedly ready for, I am also looking forward to more late nights spent reading too. 

If you want to follow along on my reading journey this summer, I track my readings with Goodreads! On my account, I often leave spoiler-free reviews of books, too! Click here to follow my account! 

Here’s to a summer well-read!