7 Summer Paperback Books to Throw In Your Beach Bag
Summer is the perfect time to grab a paperback because who wants to lug around a heavy hardcover when you're sweating buckets already? Okay, is that just us? Well, paperbacks are super portable and light so they're easy to toss into your bag! Grab some sunscreen (this is very important) and one of these 7 paperbacks for your beach read. Or anywhere, really.
Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse
Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.
Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their combined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s ball in Tokyo.
Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele’s twin brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.
But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray
She’s a soldier — Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel.
He’s a machine — Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel’s advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination.
Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
When Suzette returns to Los Angeles from the boarding school where she was forced to spend the past semester, she's uncertain of whether she wants to return to Massachusetts or stay in California. CA is where her friends and family are (as well as her crush, Emil); and her step-brother Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.
When Suzette and Lionel begin to fall in love with the same girl, however, Lionel's disorder takes a turn for the worse and spirals out of control, forcing Suzette to confront her own demons. Having betrayed a secret girlfriend in her boarding school, allowing her to take the brunt of homophobic bullying, Suzette must face her own past mistakes, come to terms with her bisexuality, and find a way to help her brother, before he hurts himself--or worse.
Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer
Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television show Wiz Kids. Everyone wishes they could be him…or at the very least, get close enough for a selfie.
When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked when he actually accepts their invitation. Getting a taste of the spotlight, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of narrow escapes from photographers, not-so-glamorous mishaps, and surprise turns. But along the way they discover that the star they love isn’t the picture-perfect person they’ve seen on TV.
Frostblood by Elly Blake
Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a Fireblood who has concealed her powers of heat and flame from the cruel Frostblood ruling class her entire life. But when her mother is killed trying to protect her, and rebel Frostbloods demand her help to overthrow their bloodthirsty king, she agrees to come out of hiding, desperate to have her revenge.
Despite her unpredictable abilities, Ruby trains with the rebels and the infuriating—yet irresistible—Arcus, who seems to think of her as nothing more than a weapon. But before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to compete in the king’s tournaments that pit Fireblood prisoners against Frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her–and from the icy young man she has come to love.
The Revolution Handbook by Alice Skinner
Seen the news? Hate it? Don't know what to do next? Start a revolution with artist and activist Alice Skinner's smash-the-patriarchy guided journal—perfect for anyone who dreams of a better world, and wants to help make it a reality.
With dozens of prompts that are both snarky and practical, the Revolution Handbook will get you to stop yelling helplessly at your news feed and start planning your resistance. Fill the interior pages to track the movements you admire and want to join. Plan your arguments on paper BEFORE you get tongue-tied at the dinner table. Log your scripts for calling representatives, make time for self-care, catalog the heroes you want to remember, and even sew Trump's mouth shut.
So what are you waiting for? It's time to grab a pen and start your revolution. Get all your thoughts and emotions out-and get ready to change the world!