Summer Books and Movies

Swing into summer with these books and movies

Leanna Flexo '24

Content Editor

The last day of school is a month away, and summer is right around the corner. As someone who struggles to have fun amidst the blistering heat of the season, I need something to get me in the summer mood. Here are a few summer-themed books and movies that you can read and watch to get you looking forward to a fun summer ahead!

Movies:

“Mamma Mia!” is a sunny, funny and energetic rom-com musical, filled with iconic ABBA songs that the characters joyfully sing throughout the movie. It centers on Sophie and Donna Sheridan, residents of a picturesque Greek island, Kalokari. Sophie is about to get married to Skye, her beloved boyfriend when she decides to invite three of her possible dads to the wedding, igniting tensions as Sophie seeks to uncover her true biological father.

“The Parent Trap” features two girls who live completely separate lives: Annie James and Hallie Parker, who are identical twins separated at birth after their parents divorced. Both girls coincidentally go to a summer camp and encounter one another, finding that they look exactly alike, yet they absolutely despise each other. Once the girls discover that they are twins, Annie and Hallie switch lives, with a clever plan to trick their parents into getting back together.

“Teen Beach Movie” is a Disney Channel Original movie, which showcases the lives of two surfing lovers, Brady and McKenzie (Mac), who’s relationship is in shambles. One day, an epic wave washes over them, and they find themselves in the iconic beach movie musical, coincidentally Brady’s favorite movie, “Wet Side Story.” The longer they stay there, the more the script begins to change, and the leading roles begin to fall for them instead of for each other. Brady and Mac must get the plot back to normal in order to get back home, otherwise they will be stuck in this surf-crazy wonderland forever.

Books:

“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry features a thrilling summer romance about two perfectly platonic friends–Poppy and Alex–who have absolutely nothing in common. Ever since they were forced to carpool home with one another back in college, they became the best of friends. For years, they embarked on annual vacations, until a falling-out two years prior left their relationship shattered. Now, Poppy feels extremely unhappy in her life, so she decides to reach out to Alex to go on yet another vacation, hopefully to fix their broken friendship and discover a hidden truth that lies beneath the surface.

The setup for a perfect summer reading session

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is a coming-of-age novel with a murder mystery twist. The story revolves around Kya, a young girl who grows up parentless, fending for herself in the marshes of the deep South. In her teenage years, Kya is drawn to two young men, and when one of them is found dead, the blame goes straight to her. Kya must fight to tell her story of what truly happened, despite all the allegations, and ultimately reveal many corrupt secrets about the town itself.

“Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid presents an eventful story in the summertime of the 1980s, all leading up to one fateful night. The novel features the children of a famous actor, Nick Riva: Nina, Kit, Jay and Hud Riva, who all live together on the Malibu coast. A crazy party is thrown at their house every summer, and this party in particular will be a night to remember for all of them, as the Riva family’s loves and secrets unfold into a fiery drama.

Summer may be hot or boring at times, but all of these books and movies perfectly capture the beautiful essence of the season, and you will find yourself itching to get out of school. Dive into these captivating stories and films, whether relaxing by the pool with a book or cozying up in bed for a movie night. Enjoy the essence of summer through these immersive experiences.