One of our favourite things about summer is getting to curl up with a good book, either on the beach, dockside, or even just underneath a big tree in the park! While fluffy chick lit stories and pulpy thrillers are popular go-to picks in the summer, we wanted to give you some different options this year, so we’ve rounded up some of our favourite novels that are set in the summertime! Read on for our picks, and happy summer reading!

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby: “I love New York on summer afternoons when everyone’s away. There’s something very sensuous about it – overripe, as if all sorts of funny fruits were going to fall into your hands.” Fitzgerald’s classic novel captures 1920s New York City in the summer like none other. We wish we could spend the season at Gatsby’s big summer bashes, too!

Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: Four best friends + their first summer apart + a magical pair of jeans = a fun young adult novel that’s a perfect summer read for anyone who’s young at heart. If you really get sucked into the sisterhood, there are four sequels you can dig into, as well.

William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Shakespeare’s classic tale of love, mistaken identities, and fairies channels the beautiful mysticism of summer. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is also one of our favourite plays to see live outdoors – try to find a Shakespeare in the Park performance of it near you!

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird: This classic coming-of-age novel set in the 1930s in the Deep South opens on a seemingly innocent summer. But when young Scout and her brother Jem first learn about their shadowy neighbour Boo Radley, the children have to reassess their own beliefs of right and wrong. If you haven’t read this novel since high school, you’re definitely due for a re-read.

Judy Blume, Summer Sisters: Judy Blume may have gained her popularity through her young adult fare like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., but this novel is strongly aimed at an adult audience, due to its heavier sexual content. This coming-of-age story about two teenaged girls who spend every summer together chronicles their complicated friendship.

Ian McEwan, Atonement: This British family saga spans more than 60 years, but the crux of the drama begins in the blistering hot summer of 1935 in the English countryside, when young Briony’s innocent mistake ends up ruining the lives of her sister and her sister’s lover. If you like to dig your teeth into a meaty novel in the summertime, try this epic read.

Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook: Arguably Nicholas Sparks’ most famous novel (mostly due to the Ryan Gosling/Rachel McAdams film adapation), this romance tells the story of Noah and Allie and their young summer romance that was cut short because of their class differences. Even non-romance readers will likely find themselves caught up in this touching love story of long-lost summer flings.

Peter Benchley, Jaws: You’ve probably seen the movie, but have you read the book? The 1974 novel tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town, and was inspired by several real-life shark attacks along the Jersey Shore in 1916. If you’re the squeamish type, you might not want to read this book while you’re visiting the ocean though!

Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley: The gorgeous Italian coast provides the summer setting for this twisted psychological thriller, that later became a hit movie starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Although the film stands alone, the 1955 novel has four sequels, so you can dive even deeper into Tom Ripley’s creepy mind.

Jeanne Birdsall, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy: Channel your inner child with this 2005 children’s novel that has drawn comparisons to Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. This National Book Award-winning book will instantly transport you to the sisters’ cottage in the idyllic Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.

Do you have a favourite book (or movie!) that’s set in the summer? Share your fave summertime picks in the comments below!