We recommend these couple-friendly books for your joint summer reading list.
By denise ngo — Written on May 27, 2010
Amidst the outdoor brunches, pondside picnics, and trips to the beach, it's easy to forget that the most romantic summer experiences often occur when there isn't much activity around you. When you feel a little heatstroke coming on, why not pick up a good book and chill out? If there's someone special in your life, we recommend doing a joint summer reading list. You'll keep each other accountable, you'll develop your taste, and nothing says chemistry like bonding over shared love of a book. Here are four to get you started: 4 Summer Beauty Trends Men Love
1. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
Like dryly funny British novels? Nick Hornby has a knack for writing books that are vulnerable, yet unsentimental. Juliet, Naked follows a reclusive 80s rockstar and a lonely Englishwoman who meet online; that is, through fan forum that the woman's ex-boyfriend happens to moderate. Although Juliet, Naked is by no means a fluffy romance novel, it's a funny, light read, thanks to its improbable plotline and eccentric characters. As a bonus, the book takes place during summer and on the coast, albeit of the dreary English version. You can probably finish the novel in a day or two, but you'll have a lot to talk about afterward. 10 Sexy Movies To Beat The Summer Heat
2. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
If there's one author who has a perfectly even male/female fanbase, it's Neil Gaiman. Sure, you might have seen the film version of this novel, but do give the original a shot, as it's quite a bit more bewitching in written form. The plotline is pure romance: after seeing a falling star one summer evening, a young man pledges to find and return it to the love of his life. The star, however, is not all that he expected it to be. The entire thing has a sort of Lord of the Rings meets A Midsummer Night's Dream feel. Classic, Romantic Summer Reads
3. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
OK, OK, this novel isn't the lightest fare on the menu, but it's so evocative and atmospheric that we had to include Murakami's beautifully-written tale of young love, as we all know that there is nothing more evocative and atmospheric than a little romance during summer afternoons. The novel takes place during 1960s Tokyo, where a college student struggles to choose between his first love and the girl he realizes is his true love. Read if you and your guy are into intense, heartbreaking literature.
4. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
If your guy likes Ender's Game, and you like fairy tales, both of you will love Orson Scott Card's adventurous novel about a graduate student who finds himself stuck in the tale of Sleeping Beauty after he accidentally wanders into an enchanted Russian forest. Once there, he meets a Russian princess, who in turn gets stuck in the modern world after the student unsticks himself from hers. If it sounds anything like Disney's Enchanted, worry not, Orson Scott Card's novel takes a much darker, more adult approach to the same concept. Perfect for a summer night!
Readers, what romantic summer reads for couples do you recommend?
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