What are the Best Books for Independence Day?

What are the best books to get you into the right head space to celebrate the Fourth of July? Especially in a year when America is more polarized than ever, with fierce debates raging over healthcare, the economy and racial and social justice? Here at Dandelion Chandelier, our editorial team had a lively debate. And agreed that perhaps what all Americans need this July 4th is a breezy, escapist novel. Maybe even a love story. Maybe even a love story starring a woman of color! All the challenges will still be with us on July 5th – for now, let’s unify around the eternal appeal of a great beach read. If you’re in on that, our correspondent Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of summer books to address the pressing issue of what to read this Independence Day 2020.

What are the Best Books for Independence Day?

When we first started work on a list of recommended reads for the July 4th holiday, we naturally thought about books about American history. Biographies of Presidents. Patriotic odes to the spirit of America. You know what we mean.

However, somehow that just didn’t feel right this year.

You may be feeling a little bit strange about the 4^th of July this year, too. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting staggering number of lost jobs, and the conversations and protests about the legacy of police brutality and racism in the US, it may feel discomfiting to celebrate America in a superficial display of the red, white and blue this year.

On the other hand, after spending nearly half of 2020 to date in lockdown, you may be in need of an escape. Some time off duty. The chance to get out in nature, perhaps even a trip to the beach (safely, of course). Maybe the luxury (COVID-19 permitting) of spending some time with close family and friends. Imagine how liberating that would feel.

In year where all the old rules are being thrown out, and the new normal often feels like living in a whirlwind, who says the July 4th holiday has to be all stars and stripes this year?

Who says that Independence Day has to be only about America? Why can’t it also be about personal independence, freedom and joy? A day spent with the people you love, enjoying barbecue and time together, even it’s only on a screen.

If that’s the kind of Independence Day you have in mind this year, here are ten books that capture everything we love about the July 4^th holiday. The pinnacle of summer – and a celebration of adventure, wildness and unions of all kinds.

1.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. There’s something about the Fourth of July fireworks that makes us want to read about a different kind of spark: the kind that happens when two people fall in love. In this pitch-perfect YA romance, Dimple and Rishi are two recent grads who are sent to the same summer program – the first step in their arranged marriage. This is one of those rare reads that stays laugh-out-loud funny through the whole ride, capturing that feeling of carefree summer bliss (and romance) that we all need a little of right now.

2.

Boracay Vows by Maida Malby. Another romance, for those looking to spend their Independence Day living vicariously through someone else’s big love story. The first book in the “Carpe Diem” series encourages doing exactly that: one week before her 30^th birthday, Krista Lopez must fulfill a promise to herself that she will change her life. But what happens when that change comes in the form of a clandestine affair with her boss, who just happens to be vacationing in the same spot? If you’re thinking about all the ways you wish you could wave a magic wand right now, this is a healthy dose of surf-side escapism.   

3.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub. Straub’s novels are all absorbing enough to qualify as the perfect July 4^th weekend read, but this one is actually set on a vacation, which of course is where we all wish we were right now. But the vacation, intended to celebrate their 35^th wedding anniversary, ends up being anything but ideal. Anyone who has been craving a break from their own lives will love this novel full of drama and truths coming to light.

4.

The Dragonfly Sea by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor. Also set at the beach, this novel is the exact sort of sprawling tale that can sweep you away this Independence Day. Ayaana lives with her mother on an island off the coast of Kenya, but as she grows older and the world around her begins to change, she leaves her home, not knowing that the trip will change her life forever.  This is the rare and magical book that creates a completely transportive experience for the reader, through its beautiful prose and fully realized characters.  

5.

The Education of Margot Sánchez by Lilliam Rivera. Margot is in trouble. After she steals her father’s credit card, she is forced to spend her summer working at her family’s grocery store in order to pay off her debt. But all Margot wants is to attend the most exclusive beach party of the summer, and she won’t let anyone get in her way. This is a fast summer read that packs a punch, taking a close and empathetic look at the difficulties of the high school experience from every angle. If you’ve ever had a big summer party you couldn’t wait to go to (remember parties?), you’ll find Margot’s story entirely relatable.

6. 

Night Music by Jenn Marie Thorne. Ruby is a pianist and the daughter of a famous composer, and Oscar is a music prodigy – a match made in heaven. Even if you’re not typically a fan of romances, you will definitely appreciate these two characters, who are complex and three-dimensional. And the story, which takes a hard look at the inequalities of the classical music world. For a taste of summer in New York that is thoughtful and memorable, pick this one up.   

7.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. From the acclaimed author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, this is the first book in an irresistible summer-themed trilogy. Belly waits all year long for summer to arrive – don’t we all? – because that’s the time she spends at her beach house, with Jeremiah and Conrad. They’re the boys she has known almost all her life, and they are starting to mean something more. If you want an Independence Day book about the moment in a person’s life where everything changes, this delightful beachy read fits the bill.

8.

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead. Benji, one of the only Black students at his elite prep school, waits excitedly all year to escape to Sag Harbor, a place where he and his friends are able to spend three perfect months together, away from the expectations of their parents. Set in 1985, this is the perfect summer coming-of-age novel, funny and tender in all of the right ways.

9.

The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe. Technically, this is literally a beach book. And though it may not be the exact form of escapism you were imagining, it is as captivating as we need our 4^th of July weekend reads to be. A man find himself stuck by the seashore, and seeks refuge at the bottom of a sand pit. But when he wakes the next morning, he finds the people of the village holding him captive. This is a story of existential despair that will transfix you, and you will never, ever forget it.

10.

The Summer Set by Aimee Agresti. A washed-up Hollywood actress finds a role at a summer Shakespeare festival, which just so happens to be run by a man who she once dated. You can expect a little All About Eve and a lot of juicy, immersive summer drama, making this just-released novel the ideal companion for this Independence Day weekend.

11.

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory. In the latest from the best-selling romance author, the theme is love and politics. What could be more topical for a July 4th read? Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe’s mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is hotshot junior senator Max Powell. When he turns out to be different than the privileged white politician she assumed him to be, she ends up in the spotlight as the black girlfriend of a rising white political star. What could possibly go wrong?

12.

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs. We end our list with a charming new novel set in a bookstore. Natalie inherits her mother’s bookshop in San Francisco, and also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather. Her plan was to sell the shop, but he’s not having it. So she moves into the apartment above the store, and hires a (handsome, charming) contractor to do some repairs. The contractor’s young daughter also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together. Life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations. It’s a sweet bon-bon of a book, perfect for a lazy holiday weekend.

What are the Best Books for Independence Day?

Those are the dozen books that we suggest for your July 4th reading list this year. What’s on your list?

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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.

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