the ultimate summer checklist – books, movies, and music

The season of ice cream, relaxation, and unbearable heat is finally here!

One of the best seasons (second only to spring) has begun! Even though I live near the equator and it’s extremely hot here all year round, summer is still something that’s pretty special to me. Perhaps because it’s one of the only times when I’m not buried underneath a pile of school work… or perhaps it’s because of the surplus amount of ice cream I consume during this time.

Yea, it’s definitely the ice cream…

Summer is also the season of boredom. Sorry guys, but there’s only so much one can do before ultimately resorting to the confines of their bedroom never to see the light of the day again. (i’m “someone” by the way) anyways, here’s my ULTIMATE list of summer themed media to consume for the next one-to-two months. Whether you’re planning to spend it cooped up inside your room (like me) or actually step out into the real world (unlike me) Enjoy!

Now, I personally choose to believe that summer is the time for long fantasy series or cute, short YA contemporaries. Unfortunately, as I don’t have the mental capacity to do both at the same time, I usually resort to the latter. However, today I shall be providing you with some of the books I most thoroughly associate with the season.

1. All My Rage– One of my favourite Sabaa Tahir books of all time- a heart-wrenching story, one that’s deeply personal in many ways. It’s a book that’s severely underrated and one I’d recommend to anyone and everyone. The writing is exquisite and the characters are so deeply developed, and their culture really shines through in this book.

2.I Kissed Shara Wheeler– I buddy read this with Anoushka a while back and ABSOLUTELY fell in love . This is academic rivals to lovers done right, there’s the perfect amount of intrigue and angst, not to mention that it’s sapphic too??? One of the best books to read during summer!

3.Malibu Rising– In my opinion Malibu Rising is the epitome of summer. It’s also one of the best TJR books out there so what’s there not to love?? We follow the lives of the Riva siblings and the build-up to their end-of-summer party. It’s a fast-paced and engaging read and there’s never a dull moment. I loved how each character had such a eccentric personality, and the ending just wraps up excellently.

4.Dry– Dry is a book that has had a very profound impact on me. It’s the story of a dystopian society in which all the water eventually starts to run out. It’s a startlingly realistic of a future that could be ours and really makes you think about the challenges our society could face. It’s unlike any dystopian novel I’ve read before purely because of the fact of how probable it is to happen in our life as well. Also my mom read this and considers this her favourite Young Adult novel (she’s read a grand total of 7 YA books) so that’s all the convincing you should need.

5.Elektra– Perhaps not the first book that comes to mind when you think of summer but I just had to include a greek myth retelling in this list. If you’re looking for your new summer hyper-fixation, well look no further because I have the PERFECT book for you. Elektra follows three different women from different perspectives of the Trojan war and how all their stories eventually become intertwined. The foreshadowing in this is absolutely shocking and the prose is so stunning. For all the Percy Jackson fans, this one is for you!

Summer is also the quintessential time to consume an exuberantly large amount of media all in one go. So, here are some of my favourite movies and TV shows to binge during the next few months!

1. Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse– Arguably the movie of this summer(well at least until Barbie and Oppenheimer come out) this movie is phenomenal in every possible way. The animation made me internally scream a million times (especially Gwen’s universe) and all the new characters have such engaging personalities. Pavitr is all I’ve ever needed in a Spiderman, though I’d argue that he deserved more than 10 minutes of screen-time. The magnitude of possibilities with the theory of a multiverse was explored so thoroughly in this movie, definitely one worth mentioning in the history books.

2. Mamma Mia! – One of the best movie soundtracks to ever exist and such a fun plot, it’s THE movie for summer. Also singing along to all of the songs really unlocks your inner musical side.

3.Diary of a Wimpy Kid– Feelings of nostalgia are riding high with this one, but who doesn’t like a good ol’ Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie to rewatch during summer? Dog Days and Rodrick Rules are some of my favourites ( the alliteration gives it extra points ) Unfortunately I do still think that these are the height of cinema, so that really tells you how much my taste has matured over the years.

4.The Edge of Seventeen– I watched this recently and related to the main character a bit too much. It’s a coming of age story that portrays every teen’s inner angst impeccably. One of the summer essentials for sure.

5.Ponyo– Probably the best Studio Ghibli move out there purely based on the animation. The vivid colourisation and flawless transitions simply makes your brain combust and the plot is so adorable as well!

1. Avatar the Last Airbender– At this point everyone is well aware of my ardent love for this TV show but I suppose it deserves a mention here once again. With such a complex plot filled with intricate world-building and the most idiosyncratic characters, this a show that symbolises what good television should consist of. Also it may lead you into an unescapable loophole of doing buzzfeed quizzes to find out what type of a bender you are, but don’t worry- it’s a fundamental coming of age moment.

2.Brooklyn Nine-Nine– I’ve been watching this sitcom 24/7 with my brother and I’ve really grown to adore the characters. The humour doesn’t get old, even after 8 seasons, though the plot does gets a bit repetitive from time-to-time, it’s still a great way to escape reality.

3.Daisy Jones and the Six– I was completely obsessed with this show for the past two months (I still kind of am) I’ve seen a lot of mixed opinions for this show, and I’m probably in the minority with my opinion of the show, but I did genuinely enjoy it. I loved how the show played out and I’m glad that some characters got more screen-time in the show! However the erasure of Karen’s personality did irk me a bit, but overall I’d say it’s worth the watch!

4.Never Have I Ever- With the last season out, there’s no better time to watch it. It’s not a masterpiece by all means, but it’s still a great show with diverse representation. All in all a very solid show to watch especially if you don’t want anything too serious!

My music for summer usually includes a lot of Lana Del Rey, Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan, and a weird amalgamation of nostalgic songs. Here’s my very lengthy playlist for the summer!

What are you looking forward to this summer? Do you have any summer book recs? How have you been recently ? 🙂

That’s it for this post, thank you all for reading!! Since I finally have some free time on my hands I hope I won’t be posting seasonally anymore lmao 🤞 Anyways until next time!