Beach season is coming up ASAP. We're a month away from Memorial Day so it's time to start shopping. No, not for cute bikinis. I'm talking about the perfect books to bring along for your beach days. A ton of awesome new books have been published recently, so we're breaking down which ones you simply must read this summer. From moving memoirs to Gone-Girl-esque mysteries, we have something for everybody. Here are 7 books you won't be able to put down this summer.
1) The Rules Do Not Apply - Ariel Levy
Ariel Levy, a staff writer at the New Yorker, seemed to have it all. She left New York City for a reporting trip to Mongolia when she was five months pregnant, married, and overall pretty in 2012. During the course of her trip, however, her life would change forever. After giving birth and quickly losing her premature son alone in her hotel room, Levy's life quickly unraveled. The New York Times calls Levy's memoir "deeply human and deeply moving," however, it ultimately ends up being deeply inspiring and optimistic. This story of resilience is unforgettable and you simply won't be able to put it down.
2) All The Lives I Want - Alanna Massey
This book is for anybody who has ever dreamed up their dream celebrity girl gang. Do you think you'd get along perfectly with Emma Stone and Jennifer Lawrence? Ever fantasized about dating Harry Styles and sitting back stage at his shows? Then this is the book for you. This incredibly smart and entertaining book examines why our society is obsessed with raising up and then tearing down famous women. (Ahem Anne Hathaway, anybody?) You'll cruise through this compulsively readable book while getting your sun tan on.
3) All Grown Up - Jami Attenberg
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg is perfect for a day at the beach. It's fairly short, so you could definitely knock this out in one sun filled day. The story follows a 40-year-old woman named Andrea who is finally coming to terms with this whole "adulting" thing. She's nowhere close to having it all figured out, but she has a big heart and loves hard. You'll be so caught up in Andrea's world by the end of the novel that you won't want to say goodbye.
4) The Amateurs - Sara Shepard
The author of Pretty Little Liars is back with another addictive young adult read. This story follows 19-year-old Seneca as she travels to Connecticut to investigate a cold case murder. Helena Kelly disappeared when she was a senior in high school and five years later the crime still hasn't been solved. Seneca teams up with Helena's little sister to figure out exactly what happened to her. Everything is not what it seems, though, when Seneca arrives. In true Sara Shepard fashion, this book ends on a cliffhanger that will have you begging for more.
5) Sweetbitter - Stephanie Danler
This coming of age story follows 22-year-old Tess as she moves to New York City after graduating college. Tess gets pulled into the chaotic world of five star New York dining and her life is forever changed. If you don't read this one for the sexy love triangle Tess finds herself in, you should pick it up for the mouthwatering ways Stephanie Danler writes about food.
6)All The Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
This is the book for you if you loved Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train. This book follows a 29-year-old woman who returns to her small hometown after 10 years. She tells everyone she's back to care for her ailing father, however, she believes he knows something about what happened when her best friend went missing years ago. After she returns home, another young girl goes missing setting off a chain of events that will have you turning the pages of this book faster than you can believe.
7) How To Murder Your Life - Cat Marnell
Cat Marnell tells the story of how she juggled a prestigious career in fashion journalism with an ever worsening drug problem in this memoir. Marnell tells her story with wit, humor, and a unique voice. You'll be obsessed with Marnell when it's done.