Every Valentine’s Day at the Campus Library, our wonderful Student Circulation employees put together a display called “Blind Date With a Book.” Each book is wrapped up so that patrons cannot see the title; this way, everyone must choose a book based only on the blurb written on the front.
The sun is hot, school is out (for many of us), and there’s nothing…to…do…uh-oh.
If you need a cure for summer boredom, an interesting book is a good place to start. Take a look at these hot summer reads and find a cool place to read them (puns intended)!
Tourist Season
by Carl Hiassen
What it’s about: “Brian Keyes, reporter turned private eye, must move from muckraking to rooting out murder…in a caper that will mix football players, politicians, and police with a group of anti-development fanatics and a very, hungry crocodile.” – Goodreads
Where to read it: On a train
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
What it’s about: “On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks out over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat.” – Goodreads
Where to read it: An Italian Bistro
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
What it’s about: “What seems like an ordinary two-week family trip to Mallorca turns into something far more dramatic when dark secrets, unexpected flings, and disappointments all crash the summer getaway.” – Refinery29
Where to read it: A sandy beach
In the Country: Stories by Mia Alvar
What it’s about: “Through stories set all over the globe, newcomer Mia Alvar imagines the lives of the Filipino diaspora. Her sprawling collection digs into the Philippines’ complicated history during the ’70s and ’80s.” – Refinery29
Where to read it: On a road trip
Abroad: A novel by Katie Crouch
What it’s about: “A college semester abroad results in new friends, glamorous parties, and a grizzly crime…Inspired by the real-life events of the Amanda Knox story.” – Refinery29
Where to read it: The plane ride to a foreign country
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
What it’s about: “In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall…Are the inhabitants haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life?” – Goodreads
Where to read it: A haunted hotel 
The Rocks by Peter Nichols
What it’s about: “In 1948, two honeymooners suddenly fell out of love with each other. Generations later, the same thing occurs again. Feel free to think of this as the anti-romance novel. It’s definitely not your typical love story.” – Refinery29
Where to read it: On an island