Full disclosure: Summer is my least favorite of seasons. It’s usually just the months I endure to get back to Fall.
But I do have some great summer recommendations for books, films and tv. That I think very much fit the summer vibe we all like: beaches, fun, frolicking, sharks and hot drama pirates. All good for vacations or just enjoying yourself anywhere.
Television
Black Sails
I will recommend Black Sails any time of the year but there’s something about the turn of seasons into summer and the change in weather that makes me want to jump back onto the ships with my all time favorite drama pirates. I admit the first season is a little bumpy but still wildly entertaining.
It’s definitely an adult show. Flint (Toby Stephens) is still all time great character for me. Interestingly these are the same people that are doing the upcoming Percy Jackson show which should make it worth a watch.
Harley Quinn
I’ve talked about my love of this show enough. But the half hour raunchy comedy is a total summer fling. It’s fast, funny, gives good relationships and is the wildest take on Gotham I’ve seen in a while (in a fun way!)
I think I’m saying fun a lot but it’s a good one! Perfect to watch on a trip and the Valentine’s Day special is so underrated. Although you probably would have to put in head phones and be careful who you are watching it around.
Daisy Jones and the Six
Yes, more heavy on the drama elements but the cast is good and it’s a music show. Nothing says summer to me like concerts and music festivals. I love Riley Keough but every one is likable enough. The 70’s costumes made me so jealous at times plus is perfect for summer if you can actually find the stuff.
Plus weirdly to me the music sounded a lot better in the show than it did on the album!
*Also good pics for summer: The Great & Bridgerton
Books
Inspired by Princess Bride and written for his wife this is a perfect, lovely summer book. About a young girl in a world with strange seas (and it’s an A+ for that and world building) who takes off on a pirate adventure in order to rescue the love of her life from a witch who lives in the dangerous sea.
Starts of a little slow and those spore seas will really freak you out. But it gets going and it’s a great adventure with a ton of appealing characters not the least of which is Tress herself.
This one should be ripe for an adaptation but no, keep doing the same old stuff Hollywood!
Finlay Donovan is a three part (so far) series about a down on her luck broke single mother trying to finish her book who gets mistaken for an assassin. And things wildly unravel from there.
And it does get wild. Plus while everyone is likable there’s Finlay’s ex who is less appealing than the murderous mobsters she gets caught up with. Finlay Donovan very much reminds me of the bounty hunting Stephanie Plum books that I used to love but went on so long they got repetitive and I couldn’t keep up…
But that’s beside the point.
Particular a good choice for a long journey or a perfect beach/poolside read! You’ll have a good time with her!
There’s actually two books in the series about famous Mary’s and 3 about famous Janes. In which the authors rewrite their histories. (My Salty Mary is slated for summer of 2024 so there’s time to catch up on that one!) It gets kind of wild as the series goes on. Like there’s a lot of magic in some.
But they are all fun and quick reads. It’s an interesting take on the stories and all the books have super striking covers.
Plus there’s a lot of travel in them!
Movies
The Shallows is my favorite killer shark movie. Also my favorite Blake Lively movie… (well A Simple Plan was really good too) but this one has this beach!It’s pretty to the point, no frills. Lively goes and finds a private local beach and so does a shark and then she gets stuck on a rock in the water realizing she’s going to have to rescue herself.
Also while I appreciate they do mess her up in this her hair is always (and this is superficial) on point. So the beach, the shark, the beach hair it’s all golden 🙂
Also check out Jaws 1-3. Yes, I know 3 is kind of campy but I still love it.
There’s a bunch of 90’s summer action movies you could put in a summer recommendations list and have a great time. But The Rock is and always will be my favorite and one of the tops. Probably because of the stellar cast including Sean Connery, Nic Cage and Ed Harris.I particularly love the back and forth between Connery’s old spy and Cage’s out of his depth scientist.
It’s a good story and plot to for this type of movie. All in all just a completely good time. (Though probably not for the hostages at Alcatraz.)
Also good for summer Bad Boys and pretty much any 90’s action flick ever!
Eurovision kicks off summer and this movie was is a fun send up that’s on Netflix. I enjoyed it far more than I thought although I will always deeply believe it would have been 100% better if Will Ferrell and Dan Stevens had switched roles!
And while this might be a cheat I’m going to add Barbie to the list…
The trailer just gives off such campy summer fun I’m already enjoying it. Plus the beach! The pink and I would wear absolutely everything she wears in the trailer!
Hopefully the movie is as much fun as Ryan Gosling seems to be having in the trailer!