For many, summer is the most free time a person will have in a year. School semesters have come to a close and many college students find themselves with a lot of time to kill. Sometimes the school year can be hectic and kill motivation to catch-up on new releases, so the summer is the perfect time to unwind with literature. This list of books can be something for students to occupy their mind with.

 The following books were released earlier in the year: 

• ‘I Don’t Wish You Well’ by Jumata Emill (Thriller/Mystery) – The author of ‘The Black Queen’ gives readers a new page-turning experience taking place in the small town of Moss Pointe, Louisiana. After the murder of four high school football players, the murderer has been convicted, but aspiring journalist Pryce Cummings stumbles upon evidence that leads into a deeper examination of the crime.
• ‘Sundown Girls’ by L.S. Stratton (Thriller/Mystery/Paranormal) – A nice family vacation to Sparksburg, Virginia takes a dark turn when sixteen-year-old Naomi Stoakes learns of the town’s racist past, including its origins as a Sundown Town. Naomi is then haunted by the ghost of a girl, and she learns of the tale of two girls who recently went missing in Sparksburg. She plans to unravel the mystery herself in this thrilling novel by L.S Stratton.
• ‘It Lurks in the Night’ by Sarah Dass (Horror/Mythology) – The story follows Maya Woods and her three friends as they plan a boat trip around the Caribbean before their high school graduation. But they make an emergency landing in the island Annatto, famous for its rumors of monsters. The trust between the friend group is tested as they learn to deal with the supernatural environment in this Caribbean mythological thriller by the author of ‘It Waits in the Forest’.
• ‘Until the Clock Strikes Midnight’ by Alechia Dow (Fantasy/Romance) – Switching to a more lighthearted tone, ‘Until the Clock Strikes Midnight’ is a cozy romantasy oozing with Cinderella parallels. Darling and Calamity are two people who are given the chance at winning the Mortal Outcome Council mentorship. They are tasked with helping Lucy Addlesberg, a girl who is the constant victim of misfortune. Darling and Calamity form a small alliance despite their hatred for each other, but those feelings seem to progress into something like love.
• ‘This Ain’t Our First Rodeo’ by Liara Tamani (Contemporary/Romance) – Josie and Shawn are two Texans with their own history; Josie helps her family with their restaurants with the expectation that she will take over the family business one day, and Shawn lives in the shadow of his rodeo-champion stepfather with high expectations. Josie and Shawn are brought back together after three years since their first date, hoping that there is a chance to rekindle their love.
• ‘Hearts Gambit’ by JD Myall (Fantasy/Romance) – This fantasy debut from  Myall follows the Baldwins and Davenports, two families with generations of rivalry. Years ago, two enslaved kids ran away, but were caught by the powerful witch Sabine. They make a deal with the witch, she gives the families power to time travel, but every generation, one member of each family must battle to the death to feed Sabine’s immortality. Now the burden has fallen to Emma Baldwin and Malcolm Davenport, but the pair have sparked an unbreakable bond. Now it is up to them to end the feud between the families while also breaking Sabrine’s curse.
• ‘The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay’ by Ryan Douglass (Historical Fiction/LGBT Romance) – The new story by the author of ‘The Taking of Jake Livingston’gives readers a thrilling reimagining of ‘The Great Gatsby’ with queer Black boys as the lead. Nick Carrington gets accepted into West Egg Academy, a private all-boys school far from his home in Oklahoma. In this school, he meets Jay Gatsby Jr., the son of the school’s founder, and his feelings only grow from there. Nick exposes the controversial truths of this prestigious academy, and he and Jay must learn how to deal with the trouble that comes with it.

Up next are the young adult novels that will be released throughout the summer:

• June 2: ‘Goldenborn’ by Ama Ofosua Lieb (Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi) – In this Young Adult novel with Ghanaian mythology inspirations, Akoma Addo makes a deal with Anansi, the god of stories, in an effort to bring back her father. Akoma unlocks secrets of her magical ancestry, and her journey is accompanied by a new guy in town named Xander. Together, the pair embark on a journey of mystery, legacy, and romance.
• June 2: ‘The Heirs’ by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (Fantasy/Thriller) – The five prodigal children of billionaire Leontes Button are stuck trying to unravel a mystery taking place at the annual Prodigy Ball. Leontes is murdered and what follows is a series of secrets getting revealed, by the guests at the ball, and by Leontes Button’s own children. The author of ‘Ace of Spades” brings us a story of mystery and secrecy.
• June 23: ‘Doe’ by Rebecca Borrow (Fantasy/Horror) – Maris Larsen is the beloved cheer captain at West Eaton High School. Until a new girl, Genevieve Ray, suddenly becomes the new favorite, and the two begin a bitter rivalry. Meanwhile, Maris is visited by a decaying deer named “Doe” in her dreams; she wants to be free of her dying state, and it seems that Maris has the power to free her.
• June 23: ‘The Lovers, the Liars, and Me’ by DeAndra Davis (Contemporary/LGBT Romance) – In this coming-of-age novel, Jaliya Powell visits family in Jamaica to learn more about her absent mother. Along with the complications of her family’s past, she suddenly gets tangled up in a love triangle with her childhood crush, and a new friend named India.
• July 7: ‘Hallie’s Rules for a Recovering Romantic’ by Jessica Lewis (Contemporary/Romance) – For fans of cozy sapphic romcoms, Lewis tells us a story about Hallie, a romantic girl who has had six disastrous relationships. As she attends an academic summer camp, she plans to reinvent herself and let go of her obsessive romantic personality. That all gets tested when she meets Julia, and Hallie tries her best to not fall into her old habits.
• August 11: ‘Death Card’ by Jasmine Smith (Fantasy/LGBT Romance) – Wrapping up this summer reading list is another romantasy novel coming from an author born and raised in North Carolina. Mikaela Broussard does her typical tarot reading on a customer and gets a vision of the customer stabbing her. Mikaela keeps her close to determine her intentions and what follows is a complicated romance between Mikaela and her soon-to-be murderer, Joelle. Meanwhile Mikaela also has to worry about the mystery surrounding the witches in town getting their magic stolen.  If you are a fan of fantasy with romantic storytelling, then this book is the perfect way to end the summer.