Summer Reading List
A completely original, never been done before idea.
I like to consider myself a robust reader.
Some days I’ll opt for something dark—a memoir of someone tortured or whatever latest beautifully haunting novel Ottessa Moshfegh has released, and some days I’ll download a breezy Kindle Unlimited romance.
For the last four-ish years, I’ve always been actively reading at least something. My goal this year is to hit 25 books, last year I believe I did 27. I consider reading not only a great escape during my lunch break or before bed, but also something that serves as great inspiration and research for someone, such as myself, who is an aspiring writer.
Summer is synonymous with reading. From middle school-issued summer reading lists to Obama, everyone is providing their two-cents on what you should be diving into, and I don’t mean bodies of water.
If you read Coffee Order, we probably have similar literary taste (give or take the military exposés or American Psycho). I aimed to provide something for everyone with these ten titles, and if you’re looking for more, you know where to find me.
Let’s get into it.
The Kennedys circled back into our front-page zeitgeist for a few reasons this year—RFK Jr., Love Story, Tatiana Schlossberg’s untimely and tragic death, and her brother, Jack Schlossberg, running for congress.
This is not the Kennedy story that any of us have been told as Americans for nearly a century. The seemingly prince-like boys that were JFK, RFK, and Teddy and their patriarch Joe, the men that built our modern country and their subsequent heirs, had closets full of the skeletons of women they’ve killed, assaulted, or ruined the lives of. Callahan does an intense deep dive and makes sure that each and every victim gets their story told. I’ve given this to two friends at this point and plan to keep it circulating. I would almost call it true crime, sadly.
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors (fiction)
I’ve talked about this one a few times on here already. It is simply one of the most beautiful novels I’ve ever read. If you have a sister, it’s a must.
Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky are three sisters struggling with the loss of their fourth—Nicky—the sale of their childhood apartment, and three very different personal lives. Mellors does an incredible job showcasing just how complex sisters can be, and that although they may share the same roots, their experiences can be polar opposites. It was very enjoyable and had its funny moments despite how harsh that description was!
Gwyneth by Amy Odell (biography)
I know, I know. Can I go one singular week without mentioning my queen GP? This biography was a really fun read, I think I read half and listened to half of the audiobook which I also recommend—I did the same thing with Famesick by Lena Dunham which I will spare you any more discussion of.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a very complex celebrity. She is technically a nepo baby but doesn’t seem to have necessarily been given anything, she’s dated a lot of people in the public eye, and she’s worn many hats. She’s also, to put it plainly, peculiar and privileged and sometimes comes across as off-putting (not to me, of course). This is great for a light vacation or beach scenario that you want a little more deapth and reality for.
Flawless by Elsie Silver (fiction, KindleUnlimited)
Every once in a while, even the most pretentious of readers such as myself need to not take themselves so seriously. Elsie Silver has that pretty much on lock with anything she writes, but particularly the Flawless series.
Enemies to lovers, what more do I need to say. If you love a happy ending, Elsie’s got you. For the grown-up fanfiction girlies, the Hallmark movie moms, and everyone in between, you’ll probably finish this in one day.
The Fran Lebowitz Reader (non-fiction essays)
I debated on putting this on here because I felt like a performative young man sitting outside alone at Clandestino, trying to hook-line-and-sinker a girl such as myself into talking to him. However, I am a product of my environment.
Fran sees the world in such a special way. You will laugh out loud and also find yourself reflecting on some of the most serious moments of your life with a new perspective. While some of the material was written fifty years ago, it still rings true, which gives me a sense of comfort knowing that some things really do just stay the same.
10% Happier by Dan Harris (self help)
This book found me, accidentally, when I needed it most. It is absolutely not the type of content I would normally digest, but I’m very thankful I did, and nearly two years later I still implement practices taught to me by Dan on a daily basis.
Dan Harris shares his journey to mindfulness, meditation, and taking a beat after a series of panic attacks, one on air while he was hosting Good Morning America. Harris candidly shares how he was skeptical of meditation and mindfulness and goes through what it took for him to finally give it a chance, which I could relate to deeply. If you’re interested in getting into something like meditation, this is an amazing book with none of the “woo-woo”.
The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces by Seth Harp (non-fiction, exposé)
I had listened to Seth Harp on the Armchair Expert podcast, which only took about 20 minutes of the conversation to convince me that I needed to read his full book.
Harp dives deep into the underbelly of the beast that is a very elusive, secretive part of our country—misconduct by soldiers at the highest rank and of the most dangerous missions. I could not believe my eyes to what I was reading, it was shocking, disturbing, and left me wondering how nobody is doing anything about this. That led to a deeper question—should anyone do anything about this? Who would replace these guys if we took them down, the people responsible for our freedom? It’s a very strange feeling to have as someone with my views, let alone any views. There are some scary and triggering topics in here, but I do think it’s an important read if you’re into a long-form investigation.
I wanted to give this book a standing ovation upon finishing it, but I feel even more compelled to publicly declare what it was that made me love it so much because there have been a few hit pieces trying to discredit my girl Belle.
Belle Burden was married for twenty years with three children when one night, during the pandemic in their family home on Martha’s Vineyard, she got a call from a man who said his wife was having an affair with her husband. Subsequently, her husband left her in basically the dead of night with no answers, leaving a mess in his wake and a broken partner left to pick up the pieces.
Burden comes from immense wealth and privilege. Her grandmother was socialite Babe Paley, and her mother Amanda Burden, a principle at Bloomberg and successful city planner. A big portion of this book surrounds their pre-nup, to which outlets such as The New Yorker have launched opinion pieces on. The reality is that this story far surpasses the financial aspect, to which the author was immensely transparent about. I’ll shut up and leave you to decide.
Wild Side by Elsie Hill (fiction, KindleUnlimited)
A double feature for Elsie Hill! I have a soft spot for characters named Rhys after A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I had finished not long before I started this.
Another one of those cheesy romances that I discussed above. What else are you supposed to read on the beach?
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (non-fiction, thriller)
I’m sure many of you have read this, but it’s come to my attention that a few people in my life have not, and this also fills the void of the suspenseful, mind-twisting option that this list was acting. What a way to close it out.
Alicia is a famous painter married to an esteemed fashion photographer. One evening, her husband returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, is subsequently held in a medical prison, and remains silent, forever. Her case spreads like wildfire across the country, the price of her art skyrockets, and her therapist becomes enamored with this story, trying to figure out who Alicia is and why she did it. I promise, you will not see the ending coming.
I will leave you with how I wrote this post—crouched in front of my fireplace full of books:
TODAY’S COFFEE ON COFFEE ORDER GOES TO: SETH!
This is immensely appropriate because Seth is one of the most, if not the most, tenacious reader I know with a very individual taste. Thanks for supporting, Seth!