Top 5 Tuesday #5: Fantasy Books for Summer

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm.

This week’s topic:

top 5 summer time reads

Since it’s #WyrdandWonder month — i.e. a month-long celebration of all things fantasy, — I’m making this a fantasy-themed post, so all novels mentioned will be from the fantasy genre.

The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dmitri (transl.)

I had to kick off the list with this book. I read it last year and loved it because I loved the prose and the setting. It’s a fantasy novel (that I often think of as magical realism) about four friends who made a pact after high school to reunite at the same place in their home town every year. But this time, one of the friends doesn’t show. The others search for him and find themselves on a bizarre quest while doing so.

The Book of Hidden Things is perfect for summer because the heat and relaxed atmosphere of summer will help to bring the setting to life; not that the author needs help immersing the reader in the setting of this book. Dmitri’s prose is so beautiful and descriptive and the story is so atmospheric that you’ll feel transported while reading it. I suggest you give it a try this summer! 🙂

Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Wild Magic is the first novel in Pierce’s Immortals Quartet, a YA fantasy series about a girl who can communicate with animals. I always think these books are set in summer though various seasons pass within them. However, I do think they are great reads for summer. The story is engaging, and the books are quick reads that are perfect for slow, lazy days when you want to feel as if you’ve accomplished something. 😉

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief is the first novel in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, a set of middle-grade fantasy books about a boy who learns that he’s the descendant of Greek gods. Like Pierce’s books, these are fun, quick reads filled with exciting adventures that are sure to perk up any dull summer day. I also enjoy reading these books in the summer because the adventures often take place during the summer — after Percy gets kicked out of another school.

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

I love this book! 🙂 It’s a magical realism novel about the Waverley sisters who’ve been estranged for about a decade. The Waverleys live in a small town where they are known for their garden in which grow plants that can affect people’s emotions. There is also an apple tree in the garden that bears fruit that can foretell a person’s future once eaten.

I think of summer when I think of this book because that’s when I read it last year. I also believe the story begins in the summer. Either way, it’s a perfect summer read: immersive, relaxing, and quick.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Equal Rites is one of the many novels in Pratchett’s Discworld series. It’s about a girl who becomes Discworld’s first female wizard. So far, it’s the only Discworld novel I’ve read, but I intend to read more. It’s light, quick, and quite funny. I enjoyed reading it and since I read it in the summer, I consider it a good read for the season.

So, have you read any of these books?

What book would you recommend for the summer?

#WyrdandWonder

Wyrd and Wonder is a month-long celebration in May of all things fantasy. To celebrate, I’ll only publish fantasy-related posts, like this one! 😊 I’m also hosting a GIVEAWAY for W&W. Click here to enter.