Warm weather is upon us, which means it’s time for road trips, road trips and more road trips. It’s true that the best road trips aren’t about the destination but the journey, but even the best journeys have their slow moments. To pass the long hours in the plane, train or automobile, bring along one (or all) of these bingworthy books.
This list was curated by Amazon’s senior editor, Chris Schluep. See his profile on Amazon’s Omnivoracious blog.
‘A Hundred Thousand Worlds’
A Hundred Thousand Worlds by Bob Proehl
Valerie Torrey fled Los Angeles with her son, Alex, six years ago, leaving behind her husband and her role on a cult sci-fi TV show. Now she and 9-year-old Alex must take a road trip back from New York to reunite with her estranged husband and Alex’s estranged father, while reliving the days of monsters, time travelers and robots along the way.
‘The Girls’
The Girls by Emma Cline
Evie Boyd gets caught up in the excitement of a group of free, careless and dangerous girls; the hidden, erie ranch they call home; and the charismatic man who runs it, moving further away from normalcy and toward the soon-to-be infamous cult of the violent late-1960’s. Sound familiar?
‘Before the Fall’
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
A private jet with 11 passengers departs from Martha’s Vineyard toward New York, only to crash in the ocean almost immediately. The only survivors are a down-on-his-luck painter and a 4-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely powerful media mogul’s family. What seems like a tragic accidents quickly becomes speculation, as flashbacks interwoven with the aftermath of the crash reveal a dark conspiracy.
‘Rich and Pretty’
Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam
We’ve all promised a high school best friend that we’d be friends forever because not even time could change us, right? Rich and Pretty follows two best friends making the big leap from coming-of-age to real life adult in New York City, and how their relationship changes throughout it all.
‘June’
June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
You dream that you’ve woken up one morning to discover you’re the sole heir of the fortune of a famous film star, but you don’t know why. For Cassie Danvers, this dream becomes a reality, all while she mourns the loss of June, her beloved grandmother and the woman who raised her, and the woman who holds the secrets to Cassie’s family history.
‘Enchanted Islands’
Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Frances Krankowski never thought she’d lead an exciting life, yet here she is. Frances, a secretary for the Office of Naval Intelligence, is introduced to Ainslie Conway, an intelligence operator and soon-to-be-wedded spouse as the two are shipped off to the Galapagos Islands for a mission filled with secrets, excitement and plenty of volcanos.
‘The Nest’
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
A zany reality TV show in book form, Melanie, Beatrice and Jack Plumb confront their just-out-of-rehab brother Leo after his drunken antics have endangered their trust fund, aka “The Nest.” What their deceased father meant as a modest mid-life supplement has grown into a mass fortune that Melanie, Beatrice and Jack are all now counting on to solve a number of problems of their own doing.
‘I’m Glad About You’
I’m Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck
Allison and Kyle are soul mates, high school sweethearts and meant to be together — except Allison becomes a rising New York TV star, and Kyle a small-town Ohio pediatrician married to the wrong woman. When they eventually cross paths, they’ll have to decide whether they’re happily ever or happily never after.
‘Modern Lovers’
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth, Andrew and Zoe watched each other grow from teen bandmates to 50-year-old parents with spouses, businesses and families. That all came easily, until they realized their kids are now the teenagers, and they’ll have to pass on the torch to them and watch their adult lives unravel as they do.
‘The Girls in the Garden’
The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
Preteen Pip thought she had the picturesquely normal life, living in a communal garden square in London, free to roam safely from house to house, never in danger — until Pip discovers her 13-year-old sister Grace unconscious and bloody, hidden in a rose garden. How well did Pip’s family really know their neighbors, and who did this to Grace?
‘Sweetbitter’
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Twenty-two-year-old Tess is off to New York City to escape her small, mundane upbringing for the excitement of the big city. Follow along as she grows from small girl in a big city to big city expert maneuvering an unexpectedly glamorous restaurant job and the love triangle that ensues from it.
‘Here’s To Us’
Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand
Girl meets boy. Girl and boy become roommates and friends, and nothing else. Until girl has a one night stand. Flash forward 10 years and girl’s best friend is married to boy, and they haven’t spoken to girl in years. Lee is the girl, Andy the boy, and Viv Lee is the best friend who’s in for a surprise when Lee shows up looking for a favor.
‘The Sun In Your Eyes’
The Sun in Your Eyes by Deborah Shapiro
Laurel, Belinda and Scarlett share only two things in common: a love for a man they all married, Deacon Thorpe, and a passionate hatred for one another. When Deacon tragically dies in his small summer cottage, the three woman are forced to join together to give Deacon one last goodbye and confront all of their demons.
(Psst… this was a bonus addition from the SheKnows team!)
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