Summer is all about good books, refreshing bevvys and fun treats. Our team’s passion for telling a compelling story is fueled by conspicuous consumption of good books, magazines and newspaper articles. Because we love to reveal our favorite everything, we’re sharing the seven books to read this summer if you want to be enlightened, enthralled or entertained.

Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems – Almost all of our team has read (or is currently reading) Kevin Kwan’s fun and entertaining series about the lavish lifestyle of Asia’s elite. We can’t get enough of these books and if you haven’t already guessed, we are EXTREMELY excited for the movie coming out in August. If you’re looking for a fun beach read, pick up one of Kwan’s undeniably addicting and lovable books.

Scaachi Koul, who you may know as a culture writer for Buzzfeed, touches on everything from xenophobia to racism to sexism to body image in One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter. This is a collection of honest, hilarious and thought-provoking essays about growing up as the daughter of Indian immigrants in Western culture.

Aiming to up our understanding about the critical connection between food and brain health we picked up Genius Foods. It’s a great read for anyone who isn’t very science savvy but wants to understand how food affects our cognitive function. Max Lugavere reveals how our lifestyle and dietary choices impact how we learn, focus, create and grow.

Salt, Nayyirah Waheed’s collection of thought-provoking poems, tackles pain, healing, womanhood, race and love. In a few, raw and real words, Waheed awakens you by igniting an inner spark, transforming your mindset and opening your heart. Her compelling words sit with you well beyond the pages within her book.

Who hasn’t spent hours questioning the hidden messages behind emojis, how many exclamation points to send or whether it’s okay to double text someone? We all have! In his hilariously relatable book, Modern Romance, comedian Aziz Ansari discusses and analyzes the love culture in this day and age that is continuously flooded with technology. Ansari worked with sociologist Eric Klinenberg to conduct research and surveys to further understand why human behavior and attitudes have changed towards romance.

From the same author as the popular Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty tells the story of three women whose lives surprisingly interconnect due to a shocking secret in her page-turner, The Husband’s Secret. One letter that was opened too soon changes the world of Cecilia, Tess and Felicity. Moriarty unravels the secrets of the characters and how these women deal with the unforeseen truth.

Anthony Shadid, former foreign correspondent for The New York Times and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, takes us on his journey of leaving Oklahoma to reconstruct his great-grandfather’s home, destroyed by war, in Marjayoun, Lebanon in House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East. Shadid weaves together past and present, family and culture, and politics and identity on his journey home.

What are you reading this summer? Tell us on Facebook and Instagram or find us lakeside in Madison Park, lounging in the grass at Greenlake or beachfront in Golden Gardens.