{"id":1682,"date":"2025-08-29T12:38:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T11:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1682"},"modified":"2025-09-16T15:41:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T14:41:43","slug":"the-summer-i-fought-brain-rot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/the-summer-i-fought-brain-rot\/","title":{"rendered":"The summer I fought brain rot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A few shows and films have absolutely been dominating our brains and social media this summer so to give you a break from the screens, here\u2019s which books to read based on your binge-watching obsession! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you loved The Summer I Turned Pretty<\/em>, you\u2019ll love… <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunburn<\/em><\/strong> by Chloe Michelle Howarth<\/a>: \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lucy is stuck making an incomprehensible choice: do what is expected of her or be with the person she loves. With lots of longing and an unfortunate amount of self-denial (similar to our fave lover girl Belly Conklin), Lucy must choose her person before she loses them both. A coming-of-age love story between two childhood best friends, Sunburn <\/em>is the perfect read for those of you who need more of Conrad\u2019s yearning and complicated love triangles \u2013 but make it gay! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Small Words<\/a><\/em> by Caleb Azumah Nelson<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wishing Belly could figure out who she is outside of the Fisher boys and the Cousins beach house? Intrigued by her complex relationship with Laurel? Well, Small Worlds <\/em>perfectly delves into these topics. Luring you in with the promise of romance between Stephen and his longtime friend\/crush Del, Nelson then expands the novel and makes it a story of self-discovery and cultural reflections, paving the gap between Stephen and his parents.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you loved The Summer Hikaru Died<\/em>, you\u2019ll love… <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Annihilation<\/em> by Jeff Vandermeer<\/a>: \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An inexplicable entity combined with horrors unknown to this world. Vandermeer creates a trippy, reality-bending universe where four unnamed women are sent to analyse and explore Area X, which has been cut off from the rest of the world for years. This perfectly encapsulates the eerie, isolated feeling in The Summer Hikaru Died <\/em>and the knowledge that there is a dangerous presence among you that cannot be stopped.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deliver Me <\/em>by Elle Nash<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deliver Me<\/em> incorporates the body horror aspects of The Summer Hikaru Died<\/em>, paired with the queer undertones. Set in the claustrophobic deep American South, Dee-Dee, similarly to Yoshiki, has repressed sexual desires for her same-sex friend Sloane but instead of exploring these feelings in healthy ways, she submits to her male partner\u2019s sadistic fetish of incorporating insects into their sex life. This is a story of how a repressed, isolated individual can be pushed into violence and destruction \u2013 sound familiar? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you loved Love Island USA<\/em>, you\u2019ll love<\/strong>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dirty Version<\/em>\u00a0by Turner Gable Kahn<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sexy singles in the sun? Count me in! The Dirty Version<\/em> is a fun and flirty romcom, but don\u2019t let the Love Island <\/em>comparison fool you, it has lots of important and deep themes to dive into. If you, like me, are watching Love Island<\/em> not as a viewer but as a societal scholar, then TDV will scratch that intellectual itch. Looking at male and female power dynamics in a post-MeToo world and how to fall in love with men when being a practising misandrist, this book is a necessary read for any realistic lover girls out there.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made for You <\/em>by Jenna Satterthwaite<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More sexy singles trying to find love, but this time with a sci-fi twist. Julia is a synth, an AI humanoid created to win a dating show. When she wins and gets her fairy-tale ending, what happens after the cameras stop rolling? Don\u2019t you wonder about the real lives of the LI contestants? Well, author Jenna Satterthwaite wrote Made for You <\/em>just for that purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you loved Love Is Blind<\/em>, you\u2019ll love…  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything\u2019s Fine<\/em> by Cecilia Rabess<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An \u2018enemies-to-lovers\u2019 romcom set in New York amidst Trump’s first presidential campaign, Everything’s Fine<\/em> tackles interracial and cross-class relationships, as new graduates Jess and Josh question whether their feelings for each other can outweigh their fundamental differences. It\u2019s sharp, satirical and sensitive \u2013 you\u2019ll be rooting for Jess and Josh\u2019s relationship from the very start, even while anticipating it\u2019s crash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nearly Departed <\/em>by Lucas Oakeley<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Almost three years after his girlfriend Beth\u2019s sudden death, Joel is preparing to re-enter the dating world. However, just when Joel might have found a new connection, he starts to be (literally) haunted by Beth, throwing all his plans off course. A \u2018love story with ghosts\u2019, Nearly Departed <\/em>is a funny and poignant examination of the baggage \u2013 and ghosts \u2013 that accompany everyone in the modern dating world.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you loved The Assassin<\/em> you\u2019ll love…  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Solve Murders<\/em> by Richard Osman<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Private bodyguard Amy\u2019s posting on a remote island is thrust into danger after she is framed for murder and a killer sets their sights on Amy, rather than her high-profile client. Amy turns to the one person she can trust \u2013 her father-in-law, Steve, a retired cop now moonlighting as a reluctant PI. The pair jet off on a race around the world to clear Amy\u2019s name and stay one step ahead of their enemies. A fast-paced and action-packed read with as many twists and turns as The Assassin<\/em> \u2013 and a lovable but unconventional family duo at its centre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Nude<\/em> by C Michelle Lindley<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Craving a book that transports you to a luscious Mediterranean setting \u2013 without quite so many bullets as The Assassin<\/em>? Look no further than The Nude<\/em>. When art historian Elizabeth journeys to a Greek island in pursuit of a found sculpture, she soon finds herself immersed in a cultural tug-of-war and a complicated love affair. It\u2019s dark, dream-like and mysterious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you loved Destination X<\/em> you\u2019ll love…  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope You Are Satisfied<\/em> by Tania Malik<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s 1990 and twenty-five-year-old Riya works for a luxury tour guide company in Dubai, scraping to make ends meet. As political tensions run high, international arms dealers, CIA agents, corrupt bosses and wayward vacationers all compete for Riya\u2019s attention. Will a favour from Dubai’s most notorious fixer offer Riya the chance to fulfil her financial obligations and escape to the United States? Or is it all an elaborate trap? Combining international travel with the thrill of high-stakes espionage, Hope You Are Satisfied <\/em>is perfect for fans of Destination X<\/em>\u2019s deception and smart gameplay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Murder on the Orient Express<\/em> by Agatha Christie<\/a>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of Agatha Christie\u2019s most iconic novels, Murder on the Orient Express<\/em> is a locked-room mystery that sees Hercule Poirot race to identify the murderer on board the train \u2013 before another passenger is killed. While Christie\u2019s Orient Express lacks the mod-cons of Rob Brydon\u2019s X Bus, it\u2019s luxurious and packed full of passengers trying to cover up secrets of their own. You can\u2019t go wrong with this crime classic! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few shows and films have absolutely been dominating our brains and social media this summer so to give you a break from the screens, here\u2019s which books to read based on your binge-watching obsession!  If you loved The Summer I Turned Pretty, you\u2019ll love…  Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth: \u00a0 Lucy is stuck making […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[236,237,20,235,29,66,232,231,230,16,18,14,90,234,229,228,62,233],"class_list":["post-1682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-agatha-christie","tag-brain-rot","tag-chloe-michelle-howarth","tag-destination-x","tag-lgbtqia-reads","tag-literary-fiction","tag-love-is-blind","tag-love-island-uk","tag-love-island-usa","tag-queer-fiction","tag-reading-recommendations","tag-sapphic-reads","tag-sunburn-novel","tag-the-assassin","tag-the-summer-hikaru-died","tag-the-summer-i-turned-pretty","tag-verve-books","tag-we-solve-murders"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":false,"total_views":0,"today_views":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1682"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1699,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1682\/revisions\/1699"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vervebooks.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}