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7 Summery Books to Help You Shake the Winter Blues

With spring and summer somehow right around the corner, it’s a good time to get those warm-weather vibes rolling. We’ve compiled some of the all-time favorite summery books for your reading pleasure. Whether they’re set in a tropical location or simply evoke the heat of a sunny day, these novels are guaranteed to ease you out of your winter funk and transport you to a land that’s bright and breezy.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Wild is the kind of adventure memoir that’ll shake you up and shake you out of your winter blues. The story follows author Cheryl Strayed as she picks her way along the Pacific Crest Trail, which stretches from the Mojave Desert all the way to the Bridge of the Gods in Washington. Though it occasionally dips into cliche (I mean, it is a “finding oneself in nature” narrative after all), I still found it to be deeply engaging and moving. Not only does Strayed do a fantastic job of detailing her personal thoughts and experiences, but she also renders the untamed environment in vivid hues. You’re with her every step of the way, whether marveling at soaring sequoias or feeling the scorching sun on your bare skin.

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The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac

The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac 

If you’re looking for a summery read that’ll inspire a heavy dose of nirvana, look no further than The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. Though many of his novels deal with similar themes (transcendental Buddhism, 1950s counterculture, the wonders of the natural world), this one, at least in my opinion, is his best. It centers on the lives of fictional characters Ray Smith and Japhy Rider as they explore the American West, using richly detailed prose to describe climbs up Matterhorn Peak and summers spent in North Cascades National Park. A must-read for folks who like considering nature through both a physical and metaphysical lens.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 

Set in the Everglades at the turn of the century, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a gorgeous, sultry read from Zora Neale Hurston. Undoubtedly a classic, the language here is so sublime that it’ll knock you right off your feet. Fair warning, the story of Janie Crawford is a challenging one (dealing as it does with sexual abuse, gender inequality, racial injustice, and toxic masculinity), but one that springs forth with grace and power. And unlike any other novel I’ve ever read, it uses place to great effect, drawing on the lush, tropical setting to inform and bolster Crawford’s character arc.

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami 

If you’re in the market for a sweet, sentimental novel, Strange Weather in Tokyo may be the one for you. In some ways, it’s an old-fashioned romance, tracking as it does the burgeoning relationship between two loners: 30-something Tsukiko and her former Japanese teacher, identified as “Sensei,” a 60-something widow. Though the narrative isn’t super complicated, author Hiromi Kawakami writes it beautifully, crafting paragraphs like stunning paintings. As a reader, all five of your senses will be activated at all times, whether following the pair to a hillside hot spring or watching them sip sake under a blooming cherry blossom tree.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

For those in need of a long read, I recommend sinking your teeth into One Hundred Years of Solitude, which tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, who founded and live in the fictional city of Macondo, Colombia. Bursting with tropical fauna, potent aromas, steamy romances, and colorful language, the novel is a feast from start to finish. And, in typical Marquez style, it’s wrought with plenty of magical realistic elements, which really make the narrative come alive. A definite must-read for folks who like their plots dense, their family trees complicated, and their sense of place firmly cemented.

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury 

I absolutely love Dandelion Wine. Though written by sci-fi master Ray Bradbury, the book is surprisingly devoid of fantastical elements, focusing instead on a single summer in a sleepy Illinois town. The main character is 12-year-old Douglas Spaulding (said to be loosely based on Bradbury), but the story itself unfolds in a series of quasi-connected vignettes. More than anything, it’s a nostalgic reflection on the ephemeral magic of summer, both in how quickly it breezes in and how quickly it breezes out. Poetic, charming, and great for readers of all ages.

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Intense doesn’t even begin to describe Salvage the Bones. Set in the twelve days before Hurricane Katrina hit, the novel centers on a working-class African-American family as they prepare for a storm whose magnitude they’ve yet to comprehend. The prose here is sharp and direct, leaving no detail unobserved and no character undeveloped. While the premise is clearly tragic, writer Jesmyn Ward brings humor and beauty to every scene, whether describing a dangerous dog fight, a sweaty game of outdoor basketball, or the gentle way a lone pine bends over a muddy pond.

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Parking lot Pride party

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One of the best ways to absorb and respect a movement is by taking in its historical arc. We've come a long way, but the journey has really just begun. A great way to refuel the momentum of progress is by taking in how much evolution has already taken place. Like so many important pushes for freedom by unfairly marginalized communities in this country — the Black community, the AAPI community, the disabled community, women, and more — the fight for LGBTQ+ rights has involved key figures, moments, and triumphs. That Pride history guides the next steps of the movement and is imperative to understand going forward.

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‘Ms. Marvel’ – The MCU’s Biggest Hit on Disney Plus Yet
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Rated now with a 96% critical rating on the Tomatometer (and 82% audience score), the show is the highest scoring entry to Disney’s MCU Universe, just edging out Loki. After two episodes, does Ms. Marvel live up to its hype? Let’s dig in to find out.

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the original cover for Book One of writer/artist Frank Miller's iconic 1986 series The Dark Knight Returns.

The economy might be hurting, but vintage comic book art is still booming. Case in point, Frank Miller’s black, shadowed image of Gotham’s protector is going to bring its owner a hell of a payday.

Offered for sale on June 16, New York's Heritage Auctions estimates a $2 million windfall for DC Comics’ super rare Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 original art cover. Poised to possibly break the record for the most expensive American comic cover ever sold, Miller's 1986 graphic novel redefined the depth, tone, and range of storytelling possibilities for the Bat, and, subsequently, the entire superhero genre. In the process, Miller’s deeper, more adult narrative paved for the comic cinematic universe that has taken over worldwide popular culture.

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