BOOKS

Welcome back to our Bestie Book Club—a community for book lovers from Girls' Life magazine.

If you're new here, hello and welcome! Here's how this works: Each month, we read, discuss and obsess over a new book. If you haven't already, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Instagram and X for Bestie Book Club updates, fun reading challenges, amaze giveaways and so much more!

Summer is for loungey days by the pool, board game nights with the fam and endless before-bed phone time (iykyk). But after a couple weeks of swimming, Scrabble, scrolling TikTok, repeat, things are bound to feel, well, a little boring.

Enter: Our guide to sprucing up your summer vacay, with inspo from our June Bestie Book Club read, The New Girl. Because if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about new routines, it's Lia.

After moving all the way from Romania to Canada, Lia has to navigate a new school, new friendships and new body changes (ofc, she gets her first period during all this).

Whether you want to pack your days with endless outdoor adventures or settle in for a chillaxing staycation, our Book Besties are sharing their top tips on slaying your summer sched. Grab your copy of The New Girl here and dive right in with us…

Picture this: You, laughing with your new besties at crochet club as you make the most adorable stuffies. You, nailing an epic backhand on the tennis court in front of the crush you met at clinic. You, low-key going viral after posting your first beauty tutorial on YouTube. You get the idea, right?

Trying new hobbies is not only a fabulous boredom buster, but it’ll also give you the opportunity to meet some amazing new friends—just like Lia bonds with her newfound friend (and crush 👀) Julien over music and creating the school magazine. 

IRL

Always wanted to get into acting?  Book Besties Andrea and Selena @andreaselenatwins recommend auditioning for a show at your neighborhood theater. Sports more your thing? Register for the rec softball league. Songwriting kinda your vibe? Book Bestie Liliana @lovelylululana says to sign up for a guitar class (most community colleges offer non-credit summer courses) or stop by a record store to browse with like-minded music lovers. 

Other ideas:
📱 Try geocaching and search for treasure in your neighborhood.
🌻 Get into gardening. Local nurseries often host free skill-building classes on topics like flower arranging and companion planting.
⛰️ Head out on a hike. Bring a bud with you and hit a new trail together.

@geocaching 💛 You and me…geocaching, together? 💛 Tag the person you want to go geocaching with! 👇 #geocaching #geocache #GeoTok #youandme #belongtogether ♬ Belong Together - Mark Ambor

Online

Not to state the obvious, but, hi, hello! Join our virtual Bestie Book Club to get involved in the discussions and geek out with other book nerds. 

Other ideas:
🎨 Learn how to watercolor. These YouTube tutorials will have you mastering the strokes in no time.
✍️ Join Camp National Novel Writing Month and try your hand at writing fiction.
⭐ Download that cute ‘n’ cozy video game you’ve been seeing on your Explore page. Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, perhaps?

Pack the snacks, bc we're going on a road trip! Even if you're not sure where you're headed, you can embrace Lia's resilient attitude and curiosity for all things ~new~. Bc even her little adventures lead to unexpected surprises.

IRL

One word: Rollercoasters. "I love going to a theme park," shares Book Bestie Lorelei (@loreleicheers). "The more rides, the better!" Whether you're hitting up the new waterpark or the state fair, a day full of thrills will definitely shake things up.

Other ideas:
🚗 Plan a road trip with your family. Head to a nearby town and hit up all the boutiques, coffee shops and parks.
📚 Host a bookstore date with your besties. OK, it might not be in a different city, but you can escape to far-off places through books, right?

Online

If your vacay plans are more like traveling from your room to the kitchen, we got you. Plan an at-home getaway by choosing a bucket-list destination (Book Bestie Henley @henley.alexa's dreaming of Australia to see all the cute critters), then curating the perfect Spotify playlist and cooking up a recipe based on that locale's cuisine. 

Other ideas:
📺 Watch a new documentary. Whether you're into history, the great outdoors or celeb stories, Netflix is chock-full of amazing (and informational!) flicks.
🇫🇷 Learn the language of the place that's tops on your travel bucket list. You’ll thank yourself later when asking for directions in Paris, oui? 

@netflix If you were a joey, would you reject hopping into Zac Efron's pouch? 🦘 #DownToEarth #austok #netty ♬ original sound - Netflix

Hey, besties! Describe The New Girl in three words.

"Relatable, cute and heartfelt." — Andrea and Selena
"Fun, teen and drama." — Henley
"Sweet, crushes and cuteness." — Gigi
"Adorable, honest and expressive." — Liliana 
"Friendship, adventure and fun!" — Lorelei

OK, maybe not *moving* moving like Lia (DW, no country change required). We're talking about moving your bod. Because flopping on the couch for weeks on end? That's bound to make you feel a little snoozy.

IRL

"I love having pool parties with my friends! It's the best part of summer," shares Liliana—and Book Bestie Gigi (@giadaonthego) agrees. Host a splash sesh at your neighborhood pool for those cool neighbors you've always wanted to meet—or even your sibs involved with some water balloons in the backyard.

Other ideas:
🌳 Take a walk every morning (dog optional!). Listen to your fave podcast, enjoy the scenery, take some centering breaths. It's basically a mini self-care sesh.
🎾 Meet your crew at the pickleball court. Getting summer crush updates while practicing your drop shot? Yes, pls.
❄️ Beat the heat and head to the indoor ice rink for an open skate afternoon.

Online

If it’s too hot to handle even being outside, we’ve got options for the indoor girlies too. Three words: Workout. Dance. Party. Press play on T-Swift and get grooving along with a guided routine that’ll leave you sweaty *and* shaking it off. 

Other ideas:
🧘‍♀️ Yoga With Adrienne is a staple for five-minute wakeup flows or full-length classes.
🩰 Learn the basics of ballet from home. Your plié will be practically perfect by the time your dance elective starts up this fall.

Want to get involved with our Bestie Book Club? Here’s how…
+ SOLO. Make a bucket list for your must-do's this summer. Don’t forget to add your new activities!
+ ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Connect with us to share your best summer mems (+ any thoughts on this month’s read!) @glbestiebookclub.
+ WITH YOUR SQUAD. Host a book chat (over FaceTime or in-person) to catch up on your fave moments and recent reads.

by GL | 6/12/2024