Every great adventure comes with detours and challenges along the way. These summer side quests are a chance to go beyond the pages and make the story part of your own adventure. For each book in the summer lineup, choose between a quick detour or a more meandering path, and tag @BookSparks, #SRC2026, and #TheBookOdyssey to be entered to win books and more.
Read by a body of water
Get in the summer state of mind by lounging and reading by water.
Take a trip to the beach
No better place for a beach read than the beach itself.
Read at a local cafe
Set the perfect reading mood for this noir thriller.
Read a classic noir novel
Once you read Shadows on Sidewalks, keep the noir vibes going with another novel in this gritty genre.
Visit a local vineyard
Give yourself a South of France wine experience to pair with this whimsical read.
Rent a cottage for a reading retreat
Come to the cottage to read all weekend long.
Let a friend pick your next read
Put your trust in your friend like JoJo puts her trust in Cooper.
Sing a karaoke duet
Channel your inner Whitney Houston, whether it’s with a partner, crush or just a friend.
Go on a hike
Head to your favorite local trail, or make trip out of it and explore somewhere new.
Explore a national park
Reconnect with your inner Artemis by exploring the beauty and untamed spirit of nature.
Play a detective board game like Clue
Do you have what it takes to be a private investigator like Sonny Rush?
Plan a trip to a coastal town
Experience a piece of what towns like Haven, California, where the book is set, have to offer.
Bake a sweet treat
Get in the Harper Dailey spirit and share your baked goods with your friends or neighbors.
Round up recipes for a loved one
Gather your favorite baking recipes in a box or scrapbook and gift them to a fellow baker.
Read on your front porch
Romanticize reading at home by imagining you’re in a seaside town.
Attend a gala
Get dressed to the nines and celebrate an elegant night with a loved one.
Make a summer potion (cocktail or mocktail)
Break the curse of a boring drink by trying something fun this summer.
Go to a reptile zoo
Try to find the mysterious snakes mentioned in the story.
Binge-watch a reality TV show
Maximize your screen time; there’s nothing better than watching a show from start to finish.
Spend a day on a yacht
Hopefully your yacht experience turns out a lot better than Melanie Hoffman’s.
Plan a FaceTime catch-up
Pour a drink, give your life updates, and romanticize the long-distance friendship catch-up you’ve been overdue for.
Go on a friends' trip to NYC
Get the crew together and explore the Big Apple and all the adventures it has to offer.
Take a painting class
Unleash your inner Muse and find inspiration in legendary stories and timeless beauty.
Reconnect with someone in your past
Whether it’s in person or online, reach out to that person you’ve been meaning to for ages.
Start a journal
Embrace your inner writer: capture observations, chase meaningful stories, and find the truth in everyday moments.
Create a scrapbook filled with your summer adventures.
Get into the mind of Judy Greenberg.
Do a buddy read with your mom
Demeter & Persephone have lots of recommendations on our lineup.
Take a weekend trip with your mom
Be sure to pack plenty of books!
Take in the wonder of Botticelli's Birth Venus
You can find it online, but bonus points for visiting it in Florence.
Check out one of Jennifer Saint's other retellings
She is also the author of Ariadne, Hera, Elektra and Atalanta.
Go stargazing
See if you can find the constellations Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila, Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Hercules.
Learn to use a compass and read a paper map
Tap into the skills of Winifred Starbuck before your sailing adventures.
Pick up your favorite sweet treat
Bring the taste of The Summer Girlfriend‘s Smith’s Sweets to you.
Go on a date to a local bakery
Will this be a real date or a fake date like Jeremiah and Noelle’s?
Read a book that takes place in another country
The easiest way to travel is by book.
Sign up for a genealogy website and research your family tree
See how far back you can go in your family history.
Purchase a physical copy of a gossip magazine
Try to guess which of the rumors are true.
Watch a true crime documentary or docuseries
Bonus points for watching it with your sister.
Enjoy an analog day outdoors
Leave all your screens at home and enjoy the beauty nature has to offer.
Attend an adult summer camp
Or rent a cabin and take a summer camp themed trip with friends
Play an EPIC game of hide and seek
Tell your friends to bring their friends and try not to get lost.
Visit an art museum
Embrace your inner Apollo, the primary Greek god of arts, music, poetry, and prophecy.
Read another novel with LGBTQIA+ characters
Celebrate Pride this June and year round.
Host a gathering with your found family
Bonus points for watching a dystopian book-to-screen adaptation.
Listen to a true crime podcast while on a walk
Get into the Ella Takeda mindset for a good mystery.
Meet up with friends and talk about past dating app disasters
Did you ever suspect you were dating a serial killer?
Visit a farm
Grab your boots and unleash your inner cowboy.
Ride a horse
Channel your inner Poseidon, the primary Greek god of horses.
Make a playlist of summer love songs
Create a soundtrack worthy of Aphrodite, filled with songs of passion, longing, and epic romance.
Take singing or acting lessons
Channel the Muses.
Watch a classic noir film
Step into a shadowy world of doomed heroes and dangerous secrets.
Read about the main character's namesake
Ulises in Spanish, Ulysses in Latin, and Odysseus in ancient Greek.
Read outside during a sunset
Nothing says summer like golden hour and a good book.
Go on a summer sisters' trip
Bonus points if you go somewhere nostalgic to both of you.
Go on a roadtrip
Drive off into the next adventure.
Attend a summer wedding
Celebrate love with all the joy, drama, and destiny of a union worthy of the gods.
Learn how to make the perfect chai latte
Perfect for summer, but this is definitely a skill that will come handy in the fall.
Start a mystery book club
Nothing better than solving fiction mysteries with other book lovers.
Get a fun summer haircut
Switch up your look for the season.
Do an embroidery project
Channel your inner Hestia, goddess of hearth and home.
Make croissants
Bring a piece of Paris to your kitchen.
Learn to speak French
You can use an app like Duolingo.
Create a dating app profile
Jump into the dating scene and spark up the summer with some romance.
Review your friends’ dating app profiles
Get together with your crew and see what each other is looking for.
Make a care package for someone headed to college
Set them up with what they’ll need for this new beginning.
Reach out to your mom friends
Just spend time reconnecting, or see if there’s anything they need help with.
Create a bucket list for the summer
Fill your summer with EPIC adventures.
Go on a day date with an old friend
Spend time reminiscing and reconnecting.
Watch or attend tennis match
Swing into this competitive sport.
Fall madly in love
With a person, a new pet, a new hobby, a new genre… anything counts!
Visit a pier or boardwalk
The perfect place for a summer stroll.
Go on a date
Spark up the summer with some romance.