Turn of the Season | Goodbye, Summer • Fave Summer Reads

I cannot tell you guys how thrilled I am to collaborate with my friend Kristin of Super Space Chick to bring you Turn of the Season, an event that celebrates our love of our two favorite seasons - summer and autumn. We'll be looking back at the summer that's passed, as well as looking ahead at the autumn to come, and we hope you enjoy coming along for the ride!

To kick things off, we decided today would be all about our favorite reads from this summer. The books featured in this post are the ones I've read and loved during the months of June, July and August. While I do have a few on the list that are already out, there are a couple that are actually going to be out in the next couple of months. Without further ado, here are my favorite 2017 summer reads!

A series ender that was sweet and swoony | Always and Forever, Lara Jean

I have been a big fan of this series from the very beginning (see my glowing reviews for To All the Boys I've Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You), and I was very much looking forward to seeing what Jenny Han had in store for Lara Jean, her family, her friends and her romance. I'm so pleased to say that, once again, Han has written a story that meant something to me on a very personal level. Her portrayal of Lara Jean's ups and downs in this new part of her life is so well-done!

A series starter that was magical and terrifying in turn | The Cruel Prince

I hadn't planned on reading this until the end of the year, but Kristin convinced me I needed to move it up my TBR once she had finished it. And I'm glad I listened to her! I'm not normally a fan of stories about fae but I loved this book so, so much. It's brutal; it's magical; it's clever; it's twisty; it's immersive as all heck, and I was glued to the pages from the very start. I cannot wait till everyone can get their hands on this story!

A story of magic, science and friendship that brought me to tears | The Someday Suitcase

I don't tend to gravitate towards middle grade reads unless 1) Macky recommends them to me, 2) they're series I've already started before or old favorites or 3) they are by authors who I love. Corey Ann Haydu falls into the latter category! After reading and loving Rules for Stealing Stars last year, I was convinced I needed to read any middle grade she writes. This new one from her is a heartwarming story of friendship that moved me to tears by the end.

A time travel tale featuring a motley (yet beloved) crew of friends | Invictus

When I first heard the pitch (Doctor Who meets Firefly meets Guardians of the Galaxy), I knew I was going to need this one immediately. It makes me extremely happy to report that it lived up to my (very high) expectations! I loved the members of the Invictus crew a whole lot, with a special soft spot in my heart for Imogen. And I was enthralled by this story from start to finish, with all the clever twists and turns it took as everything unfolded with each new chapter. I'd highly recommend it!

Another time travel tale featuring magic and mayhem in New York | The Last Magician

I didn't register much more than a striking cover, the New York setting and the promise of magic before I cracked open this book. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this story was immersive, bringing me into the world of gangs struggling to survive, as well as magic and the way it was fought over by those who had it, those who didn't and those who wanted it. It definitely helped that I enjoyed all the characters who narrated the story too!

A compelling contemporary and a love letter to fan fic | Eliza and Her Monsters

Oh man, I'm so happy that I ended up reading this book this summer! It's one of my favorite reads of the year, and it was totally one that would have flown under the radar for me if Macky hadn't picked it out of my TBR pile and if I hadn't seen it popping up on Instagram. It's a wonderful story about a girl who is dealing with a lot of emotional ups and downs... and said girl just happens to be the creator of an insanely popular webcomic with a huge following. So good, y'all.

A magical realism tale of women gifted with incredible magic | Wicked Like a Wildfire

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I really liked this book. It definitely starts off very slow, and kind of meanders for a little while until it finds its footing. But once the story takes off, I was hooked. I needed to see how the magic flourished, and how the sisters would find their way out of the mess they were in, and how this world (and all the lore) worked together to create said situation. It was very vivid, very intriguing and very unique, and I'm glad I wound up enjoying it as much as I did.

A middle grade fantasy that was whimsical & wonderful | Whichwood

I adored Furthermore when I read it last year, and I'm pleased to report that this companion novel was even better than its predecessor! It tackles the story of Laylee, a mordeshoor who is no longer revered by her village but still struggles to keep up with her duties. It's about her life is changed forever when two strangers (to her, but perhaps not to the reader) show up in town, and I loved every second of it. It was wildly inventive, fun and moving and I would definitely recommend it!

A story that reveals another side to the "evil queen" | Forest of A Thousand Lanterns

I was really excited to get to this one, particularly after Kristin loved it, and I'm so happy that I felt the same way. It's such a beautifully imagined take (with an Asian spin) on the idea of the evil queen in Snow White, and I loved it all (even when the main character was terrifying me with her questionable choices). I truly think it's a story that allows readers to imagine what it might have been like before the evil queen becomes just that, and I cannot wait for you guys to get to read it too.

A book that reads like a Korean drama | Rebel Seoul

I honestly would not have heard of this one were it not for Twitter, and that would have been a damn shame. It was one of the most entertaining, action-packed books I had the chance to read this year, and I adored it! It admittedly took me a good long while to feel any sort of connection to the main character but the plot and the the world definitely had me hooked from start to end. I really hope you guys try and get your hands on this one, and I also am secretly wishing for a sequel!

A modern-day Cinderella story with a fandom and convention spin | Geekerella

Oh my goodness, I'm so glad that Kristin chose this one for me to read off of my TBR. It was absolutely wonderful! I was so charmed by the story, which plays out almost exactly like you'd expect except all the elements were so wonderfully incorporated into a modern day setting. And I absolutely adored the two main characters, and shipped them together, which was a major bonus! It was delightful, it made me cry and I would highly recommend it.

A book that left me feeling empowered to make the world better | Moxie

It has been a very long time since I read something that, upon finishing, made me want to do all the things I could to do my part in making our world a better place. It starts with a girl who is inspired by the Riot Grrrl movement and the way girls are treated at her school to create an anonymous zine and it snowballs from there magnificently. The care that went into a fully realized portrayal of this experience -good and bad - was so great. 10/10, and I would highly recommend it.

There you have it, friends! Those are my twelve favorite reads from this summer (and I'm so lucky to have had an amazing reading month in August, which is why it's so many). I hope you found something to add to your TBR, or that you've read and loved these titles as much as I did! What was your favorite summer read?