The approaching end of the spring semester typically means one thing is on my mind: summer vacation. Not only does it mean no more time spent in long classes, doing homework and studying for finals – it means free time spent watching movies, listening to music and reading books (of my choice).
Summer vacation is the time for any pop culture junkies who are stuck in school eight months of the year to fully immerse themselves in what they love. Here is a guide of what I’ll be keeping an eye on and checking out this summer.
May
Book: “What I Leave Behind” by Alison McGhee
After his dad commits suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him, including Superman, the homeless guy he passes on his way to work; the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home; and Playa, his childhood friend. Release date: May 15.
Movie: “Book Club”
Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen. Comedy. PG-13. Release date: May 18.
Movie: “Deadpool 2”
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin and Bill Skarsgård. Action, comedy. R. Release date: May 18.
Movie: “Solo: A Star Wars Movie”
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke and Thandie Newton. Sci-Fi, fantasy, action. PG-13. Release date: May 25.
Album: “Shawn Mendes” by Shawn Mendes
Release date: May 25.
Book: “They Come in All Colors” by Malcolm Hansen
Malcolm Hansen’s debut follows a biracial teenage boy in the 1960s and early ’70s who finds his new life in the big city disrupted by childhood memories of the summer when racial tensions in his hometown reached a tipping point. Release date: May 29.
June
Movie: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
Starring Joanne Rogers and Fred Rogers (archive footage). Documentary, biography. NR. Release date: June 8.
Movie: “Incredibles 2”
Starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L. Jackson. Animation, kids and family. NR. Release date: June 15.
Book: “The Lost for Words Bookshop” by Stephanie Butland
Loveday Cardew prefers books to people. If you look carefully, you might glimpse the first lines of the novels she loves most tattooed on her skin. But there are some things Loveday will never, ever show you. Release date: June 19.
Movie: “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jeff Goldblum. Action, adventure. PG-13. Release date: June 22.
Album: “Pray for the Wicked” by Panic! at the Disco
Release date: June 22.
Book: “The Museum of Us” by Tara Wilson Redd
Sadie loves her boyfriend Henry and her best friend Lucie, but when something goes wrong and Sadie is taken to the hospital calling out for “George,” her hidden life may be exposed. Release date: June 26.
July
Movie: “The First Purge”
Starring Y’lan Noel, Lex Scott Davis and Joivan Wade. Horror. NR. Release date: July 4.
Movie: “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”
Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Cher and Lily James. Musical, comedy. PG-13.Release date: July 20.
Movie: “The Equalizer 2”
Starring Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Bill Pullman. Action, thriller. NR. Release date: July 20.
Album: “Sweetener” by Ariana Grande
Release date: July 20.
Book: “Contagion” by Erin Bowman
After receiving a distress call from a drill team on a distant planet, a crew is sent into deep space to perform a standard search-and-rescue mission. Release date: July 24.
Book: “Charlotte Walsh Likes To Win” by Jo Piazza
A novel about what happens when a woman wants it all””political power, a happy marriage and happiness — but isn’t sure just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Release date: July 24.
August
Movie: “Christopher Robin”
Starring Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi and Hayley Atwell. Drama, adventure. G. Release date: Aug. 3.
Movie: “The Darkest Minds”
Starring Amandla Stenberg, Mandy Moore and Harris Dickinson. Sci-fi, action. NR. Release date: Aug. 3
Book: “The Last Best Story” by Maggie Lehrman
A fresh romantic comedy about two high-schools seniors who can’t quite admit they are in love. Includes a toga-wearing prom crasher, an emergency lockdown, a secret stalker and a wild after-party to bring our main characters together for one last story for the school paper. Release date: Aug. 7.
Movie: “Crazy Rich Asians”
Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan. Comedy. PG-13. Release date: Aug. 17.
Book: “We Regret to Inform You” by A.E. Kaplan
When a high achiever is rejected by every Ivy League college and her safety school, her life is turned upside down in this novel that puts college admissions in perspective. Release date: Aug. 21.
