Looking for the perfect book to read on the beach or by the pool this summer? I have a list of over 20 amazing books broken down by genre just for you! Hopefully you find something to add to your summer reading list!

Whether you’re beach bound or poolside, a great summer book is one of those things that just makes life better. Because, if you’re reading and soaking up the sun, it means you’re not doing other things, such as chasing a toddler, laundry or getting a cavity filled. Sounds pretty amazing to me.

My favorite summertime books are books you can’t put down, maybe not super dark and depressing and filled with easy to follow dialogue. I’ve come up with a list from all different genres so you’re bound to find an idea you love too. I tried to keep this list narrowed down to more current books, most released in the past year. If you’re looking for even more ideas, I’ve posted a couple of summer reading lists in the past. You can find them here and here!

Summer is also a great time to read from a genre you’ve never read from! Don’t be afraid to pick up a sci-fi or non-fiction even if they’re not your normal go-to!

Also, my local library has an amazing summer reading program for kids and adults both. I highly suggest looking into one at your library! It’s something fun to do with the kiddos over summer break, and usually there’s prizes involved, which can help motivate the kiddos to step away from the screens and into reading a book. Now, let’s get into the list!

Fiction

1. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I love Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. If you haven’t read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Reid, get both!!  
2. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert – Beloved author Elizabeth Gilbert returns to fiction with a unique love story set in the New York City theater world during the 1940s. I’m hoping I will love this one as much as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!
3. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner – I will read any and everything from Jennifer Weiner. Her style of writing is a favorite of mine and I can’t wait to pick this one up.
4. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – You guys. If you haven’t read this one, stop everything and get this book and read it. See you after you binge it all in one sitting!

Non-fiction

1. The Five – The Untold Lives of Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold – a good one for all true crime junkies.
2. Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-to Guide by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark – this is “the highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!” These girls are HILARIOUS and I can’t wait to read it.
3. Naturally Tan by Tan France – I, like most humans, love Netflix’s Queer Eye revival and can’t wait to read Tan’s memoir!
4. Educated by Tara Westover – this book is a smash hit for a reason. It’s so well written and really draws you in.

Romance

1. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang – I read The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and LOOOVED it. I ordered this one through Book of the Month and I’ve been saving it for my road trip to Destin next month!
2. The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez – I’m a sucker for rom-com chick lit, especially for summer!
3. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – the bright, cheerful cover drew me in first and then all the positive reviews sealed the deal for me that this one definitely belongs on my summer reading list!
4. 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne – The Hating Game by Sally Thorne was so hyped and I’ve still yet to read it. 99 Percent Mine is Sally Thorne’s latest and I’m dying to read both.

YA

1. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo – I love books focused on food and cooking (obviously) so this YA novel was right up my alley. It’s about a young teen mom with a lot of responsibilities trying to make her dreams come true.
2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – I LOVED The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, and I’ve been dying to read this one too. It’s definitely a must read this summer!
3. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon – this is an older book, but with the movie coming out, I added it to my list. I loved Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon and I’m sure I’ll love this one too.
4. Wilder Girls by Rory Power – the beautiful cover really drew me in on this one. The book is described as “a feminist Lord of the Flies” and sounds really, really interesting.

Mystery/Thriller

1. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing – when I read the description of this book, I added it to my to-be-read list immediately! “Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…”
2. I’ll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie – Family drama meets murder mystery. I’m so on board for that.
3. Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson – this one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but I wanted to add it to the list to remind myself to pick it up asap!
4. Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok – this is one of the most hyped thrillers of summer of 2019 and I can’t WAIT to get my hands on it! Another family drama/mystery but this one ties in the difficulties an immigrant family in America faces. Can’t wait to read this one.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – Even if you’re not usually into faerie-based fantasy novels, this one will suck you in and not let you go until you’ve finished the whole series. Go ahead and buy all the books in the series, you won’t regret it!
2. Recursion by Blake Crouch – I’m not normally a techno sci-fi reader, but this one sounds like it crosses a lot of genres and could be a real page turner.
3. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – yes, another fairy book. But it’s so good!
4. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – this one is for all your Game of Thrones lovers!

I hope this list gives you lots of summer reading ideas! What books are you planning on reading this summer? I would love to hear your list, so leave them in a comment below or on my Instagram over at @cookbookqueen!

These Mini Jello Aquariums are the perfect treat to put together with your kiddos! They would be so fun as a summer activity or a Shark Week celebration!

**THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN AUGUST OF 2011. I HAVE UPDATED THE PHOTOS AND TWEAKED THE RECIPE A BIT. ENJOY!!**

 So today is the day where we talk about my baby Jon David starting first grade this morning and I cry and you give me lots of hugs and candy.

Or money. That would probably help a little.

For some crazy reason, I thought that Kindergarten would be the worst. I mean, I stayed home with my son for 6 years.  And when you are with someone all day every day, it’s more like dog years.

So what I’m saying is, I stayed home with my son for like 38 years (maybe?? I’m not sure how dog years work, so this is just an estimate) before the “government” ripped him away from me for an “education” **sob** FINE!! I let him go learn stuff. I got used to it. But then this Summer I realized something–over the course of that school year, my sweet, snuggly, chubby baby turned into a tall, skinny man-child.

He insists on using Axe shampoo and body wash. Instead of SpongeBob, he watches Man Vs. Wild and Dual Survival. He asks me to take him to the sporting goods store to LOOK AT KNIVES. Sharp ones, too. Not those cute little butter knives you use at tea parties.

Also I have noticed that when other men are around, he talks with this weird deep voice that isn’t his normal voice.

If Kindergarten did this to him, I shudder to think of what is going to happen in First Grade. He will probably come home with chest hairs and a six pack of beer or something.

Also, I just remembered that I forgot to tell you the very worst thing of all:  Recently, he has been asking for HIS DAD to do stuff for him INSTEAD OF ME. It’s like I’m living on a whole other planet that’s made of sadness and broken hearts and unfulfilled wishes.

So, I’m hoping that these cute treats this week will reel him back into the land of cozy hugs and storybook snuggles and hand holding.  And Johnson’s Baby Wash.  The End.

Mini Jello Aquariums Tips and Tricks

When I originally had the idea for these Mini Jello Aquariums, I thought I’d hit snack jackpot!! But a quick Google search informed me that Martha had a very similar idea. But hers was bigger and didn’t have candy aquarium rocks.

NO CANDY AQUARIUM ROCKS?! But then I discovered why — pouring liquid Jell-O over candy makes the candy squishy and gross as the Jello sets. No good. Squishy candy rocks are NO GOOD FOR ANYONE!

BUT THEN IT CAME TO ME IN A DREAM. (not really, I was awake) If I let the Jell-O set up in the jars (like a mold) and then loosened it and dropped it in another jar with candy in the bottom, it wouldn’t get soggy.

So I did. And it worked.  Easy!!

Try not to put these together until you’re ready to serve them.  Although the candy doesn’t get totally soggy and gross, the moisture from the Jell-O will compromise the quality of the Nerds candy after a period of time.

How to Put Together Mini Jello Aquariums

1. First up, you need 4 mason jars or clear, plastic cups. Make your Jello, and before it sets up, pour it into two of the jars and place it into the fridge to set.
2. In your two empty jars, evenly divide your Nerds. You can also use candy rocks, but they don’t taste as good as Nerds, IMO.
3. Once your Jello has set up, loosen the sides of the Jello with a butter knife. Tip it over the jar of Nerds and gently tap until it slides out of the jar into the other.
4. Cut slits into your Jello and push in the Swedish Fish. Easy peasy!

Need more fun snacks for the kiddos? Try these!

1. Rice Krispie Treat Pops
2. Cookie Monster Cupcakes
3. Homemade Brownies with Funfetti Frosting
4. Ladybug Oreos
5. Minecraft Cupcakes

I hope your little ones enjoy these!! If you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram, @cookbookqueen and hashtag it #cookbookqueen. I’d love to see!