Good morning and happy Tuesday! It’s actually Tuesday while I’m writing this, so I’m already ahead of the game from the last two weeks 😉

I don’t have many bookish things to discuss today. I’m still organizing my thoughts and working on my review for The Last Star. I ended up being sleepy last night so I went to bed without starting It Ends With Us. And there aren’t any books releasing today that I just have to get. So, what am I even doing here, you ask? Well, I thought since I’m just hanging around snacking and the lovely sun is shinning, I would share with you guys some of my essential summer items that are not books. But may have to do with books. Okay, and some of them might be books. 😉 Basically, things you need on a hot day in the sun/on the beach/by the river/in your backyard/or even maybe indoors if you burn easily like I do. Or maybe you shy away from the light because you’re a vampire. This is a judgement-free zone.

• Sunscreen! This one is a gimme. But really, don’t underestimate the power and necessity of sunscreen. Even if you’re already tan or have naturally dark skin, it’s still important to protect your skin and keep that skin cancer and premature aging away.
• A cute sun hat! I’m a pale person. And I burn on my face so easily! So I need a good hat that will protect my cheeks from turning red like Santa Clause 😉 You don’t have to break the bank here either. I got a lot of my hats at Target and Forever 21. And don’t be afraid to try them on! One style might work better for your face shape than another. When I’m in a store I try on all the hats just for fun. Selfie time, anyone?
• A refreshing summer drink. I love iced tea with lemonade mixed in during the summer. If you’ve ever gotten an Iced Passiom Tea Lemonade from Starbucks, it’s like that. You can make your own lemonade at home and steep a bag of fruity tea, then mix it with cool water and add ice! Water is also good too, to keep hydrated! I like adding lemon juice to mine. And maybe some watermelon juice if you have some around.
• Snackage! You’ll need a yummy snack to keep you going during those long hours of intense reading. One of my favorite summer snacks is super easy. All you need is half a cucumber and half an advacao. Just slice the cucumber into fourths (slice in half and then slice those slices in half and dice), get the advacao out of the peel and slice it however you like, mix them together in a bowl and add a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. A little lemons juice on top is an option too. I love this because it’s easy and so healthy, plus it’s so refreshing! Tastes like summer.

Now for the book portion of the event! Here are some books that I recommend for the summer. A few are contemporary reads that make sense in the summer, and a few I just recommend because I love them 😉 Click the title to visit the Goodreads page.

• Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
• The Distance Between Us by Kasie West 
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake – A little horror with your summer. I read this in August a few years ago 😉
• Smash Into You by Shelly Crane
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi – One of my first reviews on this blog was for this book. It’s the first in a trilogy and you should read all of them. Right now.
• The Iron King by Julia Kegawa – this series doesn’t get enough press. I loved it. This is the first of four. There is also a companion series.
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

And there you have it! Some things I always need on a summer day. Hope you enjoyed this little slightly non-bookish post.

Share with me your summer essentials! ☀️

Cheers! 🍹