The Sticky Summer Reading List
It’s peak sticky summer reading season at Spread the Jelly. Whether you’re poolside, couch-bound or sneaking in pages during nap time, we’ve curated the reads that stick. Every pick is read, adored, and approved by members of the STJ community. Bookmark this for long family car rides or perhaps a solo kid-free trip (please take us with you).
PHOEBE LOVATT
In the summer I like to give myself a break from nonfiction or anything very intellectually strenuous and dive into richly-layered fiction instead – I just started Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan which was a smash hit in the UK last summer. I'm excited to see what the hype is about.
Everybody Thought We Were Crazy
Vivid biographies/autobiographies are also a great fit for the summer months–Mark Rizzo's ‘Everybody Thought We Were Crazy’ is a depiction of Brook Hayward and Dennis Hopper’s marriage in the vibrant cultural landscape of Los Angeles in the 1960s. It's perfect for reading in the sun.
ANJA TYSON
I am reading Catherine Lacey's new book, Mobius Book. I love her writing and her last book, Biography of X, was one of the best I've read in my life. I am bringing both with me for the plane and the beach next week.
My first read of the summer was This Is Your Mother, by Erika J. Simpson, and it was an absolutely devastating read. I read an excerpt of it in Roxane Gay's emerging writers newsletter last year and waited for it for months on preorder.
THEN, when I get home from Italy I am diving full force into Apartamento's Campania book, to help soften the blow of leaving the region.
LAUREN LEVINGER
The end of this book had me in tears on the subway. A forbidden romance meets historical mystery set in postwar Netherlands. While the first half is predominantly anchored in a tense & sexually charged affair between the two main characters, the second half was what really unfolded beautifully to me. The story became so rich and emotional with a twist you can't anticipate.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
This book so beautifully weaves together a story of love, friendship, loss & adventure through the lens of a creative partnership that spans 30 years. I couldn't put it down and haven't been this invested in a set of characters in a long time. Never thought I would be recommending a book about gamers, but here we are!!
KARINA MUSLIMOVA
Palestinian American writer Hala Alyan traces her surrogate pregnancy alongside the generational wounds of displacement, searching for a home within herself while carrying the weight of those who came before. I’m reading this seasonally unconventional book as an act of resistance against summertime oblivion—choosing instead to sit with memory, loss, reflection, and the enduring presence of injustice. -
Keith McNally’s memoir is an incredible summer read for anyone who feels oddly nostalgic for a time they never actually lived through. It speaks to those plagued by overthinking and overanalyzing—or perhaps gifted with the rare ability to pause, take in the moment, smell the roses… or burn the whole garden down in a single impulsive breath.
KIRSTY GODSO
Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself
I love Joe Dispenza and this book is a really good one if you need a micro intervention into the way you think. Our thoughts are the silent architects of our life and this book teaches you the power (good and bad) of how you can live out what you think.
This is great if you want some romantasy but not excessive smut. I loved the surprise plots, tension between characters and adventure. This is great if you want to switch off and destress from real life. There’s a lot of books in this series so buckle up!
AMRIT TIETZ
I am in such awe of Celine and the work she has done in the spirit of collective liberation and radical healing. This book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the collective responsibility that is all of ours, to shape a better future for ourselves, our ancestors and our future generation. To put it in her words “Everything is political” – in addition to being a spectacular and entertaining read, this book provides the reader with a definitive framework for how to be “joyfully defiant” and make the everyday change to unlearn the fascist and colonial mindset that capitalism has engrained in all of us.
Wealth, family politics, greed, power... what more could you ask for in a summer read? This book felt as if White Lotus and Succession had a baby with a little spice. Rich people behaving badly, sign me up.
RENA KAREFA JOHNSON
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Nothing says summer like an anarchist utopian sci-fi novel written in 1975. but this book absolutely rocked my thinking about capitalism, community and what a new world order might actually look like. if you're an octavia butler stan who has read 'parable of the sower' one too many times, try this next.
ALYSSA COSCARELI
The Book Of Alchemy: A Creative Practice For An Inspired Life
I’m committing to restarting my daily journaling practice and this book has been the perfect guide. The prompts actually expand your mind and inspire you to write, rather than it feeling like homework. I try to knock one out each time I’m on a flight or enjoying morning matcha on summer travels.”
MARGO MORRIS
Vivian Gornick’s memoir is filled with bits and pieces of walks through New York City, chance encounters, takes on romance, and her ever-evolving friendship with a man named Leonnard. Very helpful for a 22 year old navigating life after school.