BOOK CLUB
THE GREENGAGE SUMMER
4/5
BY RUMER GODDEN
THE STORY
The mother of 13-year-old Cecil Grey thinks she is teaching her children a lesson when she takes them on a trip to the battlefields of France. But their supposed punishment of a family vacation turns into an eye-opening escape from the ordinary, especially for the eldest daughter Joss, a blossoming 16-yearold who begins an affair with a married guest at their hotel.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
This richly imagined coming of age story is timeless and engaging. With a fully realized setting, it immerses you in a beautiful and mysterious world full of provocative characters who aren’t always who they seem and captures the poignancy of adolescent romance with all its heartache and none of the sugary clichés.
BEST FOR: ENJOYING ALONGSIDE A MOUNTAIN OF MACARONS
TWENTY BOY SUMMER BY SARAH OCKLER
3.5 / 5
THE STORY
Though they seem like complete opposites, best friends Frankie and Anna are almost inseparable. Frankie wants Anna to have her first full-fledged summer romance, so she suggests a game; meet one boy for each one of the twenty days they spend in Zanzibar Bay. What Frankie doesn’t know is that Anna has already been in love: a secret relationship with Frankie’s older brother, who tragically passed away just one year earlier.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
This story of teenage love and loss will make you appreciate that life is short and unpredictable, and inspire you to make good use of every available moment. It portrays all the heightened emotions that come with first loves along with the relatable frustrations inherent in best friendships.
BEST FOR: A GOOD CRY WHILE WORKING ON THE PERFECT TAN framework
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