sun & fun | my 2024 summertime entertainment picks

Okay, okay, I know we’re only just slightly into the summer, but here in the DMV the sizzling sun has shown up a tad early this year, so I’m calling it full-on summertime right now, whether it’s “official” or not!! And, of course, with the new season comes a new opportunity to take inspiration for what entertainment you want to indulge in. Summer means longer days and, for some, time off from school or reduced hours at work, so it’s the perfect time to do something fun! And—lucky you!—I have a few suggestions when it comes to summertime entertainment! So let’s dive in and check it out!

RESOURCES TO HELP CHANGE THE WORLD

Before anything: FREE PALESTINE!!! 🍉 For over half a century now, the Israeli government has been enacting a genocide against the Palestinian people. This is more than something that started on October 7, 2023. It’s not complicated. It’s genocide. And it’s important that we witness, raise our voices, protest, and fight against it in any way possible. Below are a list of resources to help educate yourself on Palestine, as well as to donate to aid the Palestinian people. In addition, I’ve added some Palestinian influencers and journalists you can follow to learn more from and who keep track of what’s going on. Peace to all and keep fighting the good fight!

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

• Decolonize Palestine
• Free Palestine Carrd
• Help Palestine Carrd

AID AND ASSISTANCE DONATION RESOURCES

• Medical Aid for Palestinians
• Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund
• Ceasefire Today!

JOURNALISTS & INFLUENCERS

• Motaz (journalist)
• Bisan / Her Backup Account (journalist)
• Plestia (journalist)
• Subhi (influencer)

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE ✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼

books

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

Summer kicks off with Pride Month, so why not start off my list of book recommendations with bisexual, Cuban ICON, the one and only…Evelyn Hugo! Is she fictional? Yes. Is she still a certified STAR?! Hell yes!! Besides, there’s nothing hotter than a Hollywood romance—so that makes The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo just the perfect addition to your summertime TBRs!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo recounts the life and love of a fictional 1950s starlet named Evelyn Hugo—and divulges all of the sacrifices Evelyn made to live life on her own terms. I have a soft spot in my heart for this book as Evelyn Hugo reminds me of many of the women in my family (in a good way), but trust me when I say: you do not want to miss out on this story!

the reappearance of rachel price by holly jackson

Summertime means it’s time to dip our toes back into a good ol’ mystery/thriller novel, and—just our luck!—Holly Jackson (author of the much-loved YA thriller series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) just released a new standalone book in that category! As I mentioned previously, Hollywood screams “summertime!” to me, as do mystery/thrillers, and Jackson’s latest work, The Reappearance of Rachel Price just so happens to mix both of those elements! Sounds perfect, right?!

The Reappearance of Rachel Price is about teenager Bel Price, whose family is involved in a documentary that’s all about the disappearance of Bel’s mother, Rachel Price. The twist? Mid filming, Rachel reappears—with no real clues as to how she went missing in the first place. Bel must work to untangle to the mysteries surrounding her mother’s disappearance—and reappearance—before it’s too late!

dragonfruit by makiia lucier

What’s more “fun in the sun” than an island fantasy? Nothing, my friends, nothing! And this one even happens to be a Polynesian-inspired one written by a Polynesian author which involves dragons! This book is honestly so fun and adventurous while simultaneously being slightly more “laid back” than many other YA fantasies, and it was a pleasant surprise! Dragonfruit is for sure a summery fantasy that you don’t want to miss out on!

Dragonfruit is about Hanalei, a young noble in exile who returns to her island home to find that her childhood best friend, Prince Sam, is searching for another one of the thing that saved Hanalei’s life as a child: a magical, wish-granting dragon egg (the “dragonfruit” that the title refers to). But things may not be a simple as they appear, as the magical wishes that the dragonfruit grant come with a heafty price…

movies

the princess diaries

Don’t ask me why, but something about summer awakens withinn me a deep desire to watch early 2000s era “chick flicks.” We’re gonna just pretend like it makes sense, okay? But regardless, this year my choice goes to The Princess Diaries. Listen. It’s cute. It’s feminist. It’s fun. It’s got a surprising amount of heart. What more could you ask for? Hint: the answer to that question is “nothing.”

I don’t know who t this point doesn’t know the basics of the film version of The Princess Diaries, but just in case…This film is about Mia Thermopolous-Renaldi, who discovers when her grandmother comes to town that she (Mia, not the grandmother) is the princess of a fictional nation called Genovia. It’s a sweet yet hilarious, royal coming-of-age story, and if you’ve yet to see it—or are just overdue for a rewatch—ya gotta fix that ASAP!

kiki’s delivery service

Maybe it’s because it’s mainly set in a seaside town, but Kiki’s Delivery Service strikes me as the most summery of the Ghibli movies I’ve watched. It’s also not only my favorite Ghibli movie, but one of my all-time favorite movies in general too! It’s an adorable movie about the power of rest, trying again, and the magic of friendship, and it’s so worth a watch or a rewatch this summer!

This classic Ghibli film follows a young witch, Kiki, who setsout on her own to carve her way in the world. She settles in a town by the ocean where she starts a delivery service business and makes some new friends. But when something happens and Kiki loses her magic, she must discover how to get it back.

ever after

Ever After is a certifiable CLASSIC and I will not be hearing any arguments at any point, thank you very much! Admittedly, I might have my “nostalgia goggles” on since this Cinderella retelling has been one of my favorite films since I was four years old. But, regardless, Ever After is still pretty amazing and it’s summery, Renaissance-era French countryside setting makes it a solid summer movie choice.

Tbh this movie is a pretty straightforward retelling of Cinderella with some minor twists and a cameo from, of all historical figures, Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s the story of Danielle, a book loving noble girl whose father remarries a wicked stepmother (who happens to have two daughters) before perishing and leaving Danielle in the care of her stepmother, who forces Danielle to become a servant to the family. One day, in the woods, Danielle runs into a prince named Henri, and they bond over their love of books and philosophy. The fairy tale takes off from there and it really is an enchanting time that you must watch!

tv

the summer i turned pretty

I think we all know that the most quintessential summer show that’s recently been released is undeniably Amazon’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. I mean it literally has the word “summer” in its title and takes place during the summer! Plus, it’s a contemporary romance, which is a subgenre that most people consider to be supremely summery. So it’s a great pick for the season!

The Summer I Turn Pretty tells the story of Belly, a teen girl who becomes embroiled in a love triangle involving the two sons of mother’s best friend. It takes place in summer and is set at the mom’s best friend’s summer beach house. So, I assume I don’t need to make any more arguments for why this show is basically holding a flashing sign reading “THIS IS SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT!!!”

nancy drew

As I mentioned previously, nothing screams “summer!” like a mystery/thriller story (pun 100% intended, lol). And there’s no better place to start with mystery thriller than the most famous girl detective herself: Nancy Drew! The CW recently made a modern-era adaptation of Nancy Drew and, lemme tell ya, it stands up!

The CW’s Nancy Drew is an adaptation of the classic girl detective series by Carolyn Keene. The CW variation is set in the modern day and features Nancy and her friends George, Bess, Ned, and Ace solving all kinds of spooky mysteries in their seaside town. It’s got plenty of spooks and thrills and drama to boot, so Nancy Drew is definitely a great watch if you’re seeking another summertime mystery TV series!

outer banks

I feel like I’m probably preaching to the choir here given that Outer Banks is the other TV series that most people consider a quintessential summer show, but it bears repeating. This series has it all: adventure, drama, romance, treasure hunting! And it’s set in the summer in The Outer Banks region of North Carolina!

Outer Banks is about a goup of friends who get caught up in a dangerous tresure hunt adventure in The Outer Banks, NC. The series kicks off after one of the friends’s—John B’s—father goes missing and is presumed dead. When John B and his friends also find a mysterious boat wreck shrouded in mystery, they find themselves in some deadly danger. This series is so adventurous and fun and summery, and definitely should have a place on everyone’s summer watchlist!

music

guts (spilled) by olivia rodrigo

I honestly don’t know why, but to me there’s something very summery to me about Olivia Rodrigo’s music? Maybe it’s the colors that appear in the visuals for her music videos, maybe it’s the upbeat yet angry, 90’s rock-tinged sound of her music, but it’s just very “summertime” to me. Plus, I’m pretty sure her albums released in summer? Or maybe I’m just misremembering… Anyhoo, if you’re a fan of angry, feminist pop rock with immaculate vocals, then Rodrigo’s music is for you.

deira by saint levant

If you’ve yet to listen to Palestinian-French artist Saint Levant, then I’m gonna need you to fix that as quickly as possible! Mixing traditional Levantine musical sounds with Western pop/rap, Saint Levant provides a perfect sound for a seaside summer. His music will instantly sweep you away to a Levantine villa right on Mediterranean Sea and have you wishing for more! There’s also the bonus that he uses his music and his star-power to advocate for Palestinian liberation, which is incredible! Definitely give his latest album, Deira, a listen and let me know what you think!

love and compromise by mahalia

Summer is the perfect time for a sizzling R&B album, and Mahalia’s Love and Compromise fits that role perfectly (there’s even a song off the album entitled “Simmer,” which is very summer if you ask me haha)! Not only does Mahalia have a great sound and increible vocals, but her music also has some great lyrics and themes. She’s a very quintessential “I’m in my 20s” artist, but I love her music all the more for it. Her songs talk a lot about love and the woes that come with it, and it’s very relatable. If you’ve yet to listen to Mahalia or Love and Compromise, definitely give both a listen!

activities

have an arts and crafts picnic

This is something my friends and I have planned where we all bring food and different kinds of art supplies that we can find at home and then we have a picnic where we do arts and crafts during or after eating! We’ve actually done this in the winter, where we brought our supplies to a cafe restaurant and it was so much fun, but taking it outdoors while the weather is nice would definitely be as much—if not more—fun!

visit a botanical garden

I live right outside Washington, D.C. and, including the National Botanic Gardens, there are at least two major botanical gardens that I know of in my area. The National Botanic Gardens are both indoor and outdoor, but most botanical gardens I’ve come across are outdoor, and they’re absolutely lovely to visit in the summertime! In case you’ve never heard of or visited one—a botanical garden is a large, sprawling garden full of lots of different flower and plant species! They’re very beautiful and peaceful places and they’re great places for a picnic or a stroll or even for studying in a peaceful environment.

get food from the local farmers market

Fun fact: did you know that in the U.S., all farmers markets accept food stamps? I came across this fact in my college required Health course, and, as someone who uses food stamps myself, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about it! Regardless, farmers markets are a great way to combat food deserts, support your local economy, and be environmentally friendly! Plus, there’s nothing like grilling farm grown food in the summer for an outdoor dinner with friends and/or family!

Well, friends, that’s that on that for today! I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe found a good recommendation for something to enjoy this summer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a glass of iced coffee and a good book calling my name! Until next time, dear friends…

spill the beans, friends!

• What are some books, movies, and/or TV series that you feel are quintessential summer picks?
• What are some of your favorite summer activities?