Notes from the Shelf

Why I Made This Summer Reading Challenge

My TBR is a short bookcase with a whopping 136 books! This year I set a goal to read one fiction and one nonfiction a month to my TBR, but it’s just not cutting it with how many I have also added this year. My shelves are overflowing!

I had to put a few on the ground so you can see them all…

So, I thought it would be motivational to make my own reading challenge, and since today is the first day of summer, I thought it would be cool to make summer themed prompts to knock out some of my physical TBR pile. I’m challenging myself to read 10 books and to not add any more to the pile! (Except one BOTM book a month, of course. But maybe I’ll skip them too, who knows!)

Whether it’s to also get your TBR pile in check or you just love reading challenges, join me in my summer TBR reading challenge! Here are the prompts below.

10 Summer TBR Prompts

1. Set at the beach or near the ocean
2. Has “sun” or “water” in the title or on the cover
3. Features a summer romance or fling
4. A book with a yellow, gold, or orange cover
5. Set during a summer camp, road trip, or festival
6. A book you’d describe as “dreamy”
7. A book you’d pack for a weekend getaway
8. A backlist title by a favorite author
9. A juicy thriller or mystery meant to be read poolside
10. A book under 300 pages

My Book Picks

I picked out my 10 books already from my TBR shelf to fulfill each prompt, but I am a big mood reader, so they might change by the end of summer.

Set at the beach or near the ocean:
The Wedding People by Alison Espach

I’m giving The Wedding People by Alison Espach another try. I DNF’d it last year, but hopefully I can finish it this time to get it off my TBR.

Has “sun” or “water” in the title or on the cover:
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

I had so many options for this, but I went with Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao. I’ve been meaning to read this anyway, and this will motivate me to read it sooner.

Features a summer romance or fling:
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I didn’t have many options for this one as I don’t typically hold onto romances on my physical TBR, so I chose Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Also, my mom needs to read this for her book club in September, so maybe we can read it together.

A book with a yellow, gold, or orange cover:
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

I again had quite a few options for this, but I want to read A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson. I just got this book recently and I don’t want it lingering on my shelf too long.

Set during a summer camp, road trip, or festival:
Tantric Coconuts by Greg Kincaid

I literally only have one book on my physical TBR for this and that’s Tantric Coconuts by Greg Kincaid. I’ve had this for so long on my shelves, it’ll be good to finally read it.

A book you’d describe as “dreamy”:
Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves

I’m going off vibes for “dreamy” here, basing it purely on the cover, so I chose Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves. I bought this book just because of the cover as well, so I’m interested to see what it’s about.

A book you’d pack for a weekend getaway:
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

I would bring almost anything on a weekend getaway, so this one might change, but for now I’m feeling The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner. What’s more summery than a curse and hidden treasure on the high seas?

A backlist title by a favorite author:
The Tournament by Matthew Reilly

I picked The Tournament by Matthew Reilly. I bought this book so long ago now, and Matthew Reilly is one of my favorite authors of all time, but this book is a bit different from his others as it’s a historical fiction about a chess tournament, so I’ve just been putting it off.

A juicy thriller or mystery meant to be read poolside:
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

I’ve been meaning to read The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak. I was so excited for this release, but then it just sat on my shelf.

A book under 300 pages:
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

I don’t have a lot of options for this one either, so I went with Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman. As I get older, it becomes harder to stay up to date with friends, so maybe this will give me some pointers or inspiration.

Join the Challenge

Those are the books I’ve chosen, but of course they might change before summer is over! Are you in? Drop your picks in the comments or tag me on socials @notesfromtheshelf.

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