Summer Should Be Fun
Close encounters with Bravo celebs, a pro-August stance, and recent reads.
I don’t like to be a pessimist, but I’m already sad that summer is nearly over. For those of us who survived a long, chilly winter, it doesn’t seem right that Labor Day is only a month away.
But then again, it’s not over yet! If anything, now that August is officially here, I’ve decided that it is actually underrated. Yes I know the weather can be particularly sticky and uncomfortable this time of year, but it also has its merits too.
On a personal level, it starts with my third novel The Other Lata, which my dear friend Sailu spotted on the shelves of the Obama Presidential Library. It’s such a thrill to see it there! And while it didn’t make President Obama’s summer reading list (though I think Michelle Obama might like it?), maybe one of the local patrons will check it out, and that would make me very happy too.
And for what it’s worth: I was recently shown a Reddit post comparing The Other Lata to The Wedding People—which happens to be the first book I read in 2026—and that’s actually a good comparison, since both feature mistaken identities and crashing wealthy people’s parties. Plus, my novel actually begins during the first weekend of August; making it a particularly timely right now.
All that to say, may I suggest that The Other Lata should be…
Close encounters of the Bravo kind
My relationship with Bravo has had its ups and downs, but one thing I’ve consistently enjoyed is Summer House. As someone who grew up on MTV’s The Real World, Summer House has a similar premise that makes it highly watchable: a group of 20 and 30-something friends share a house in the Hamptons every weekend. This means they have to see each other not just when they’re glammed up and partying, but also the morning after with bedhead and hangovers. I really got into the show during the pandemic, and it’s been one of my go-to comfort watches ever since.
What I didn’t expect is that I’d have two Summer House encounters in the span of a week, one online and the other IRL. First, I tagged the show’s OG Lindsay Hubbard, truly the hardest working woman in reality television, in an Instagram story after realizing how much she had in common with the protagonist from my debut novel. And she made my day by re-sharing it with her fans.
A few days later, I met another Summer House OG, Kyle Cooke, at a Yahoo! party announcing he is their weather app’s new “Weatherboy.” (Fans of the show know why this is both funny and apt.) Julia Bartz and I chatted him up, talking about his show, our books, and how he has been approached to write one too.
Kyle’s iconic catchphrase from the show is “Summer should be fun!” And it should be. I’m going to try my best to squeeze as much summer out of August as I can. The month has its detractors, and I used to be one of them. More recently I’ve developed a fondness for this month, because August reminds me to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of sunshine, blue skies, good books and equally good company. (Even Summer House is on the pro-August train, thanks to Ciara, who produced an August-specific meme that makes me laugh each time I see it.)
To paraphrase the third OG Carl, “More summer!” (Okay fine, he actually said “More life!” But I’m sure he’d agree with me too.)
And now for my late spring/early summer reading list:
The book that fulfilled my curiosity about peeking at strangers’ group chats: Clutch, Emily Nemens
The book that made me feel just like its title: So Old, So Young, Grant Ginder (Also, both books are about a group of friends and how time brings them apart and together over the years, and are good to read in tandem.)
The book that made me wonder what would happen if Big and Carrie’s affair on Sex and the City was interrupted by a hostage situation: Room 706, Ellie Levenson
The book that has plot twists that are as surprising as the iconic movie that inspired it: Marion, Leah Rowan (also Ministry of Pop Culture’s June Book Club pick)
The book in which the setting is just as three-dimensional (and honestly, quite cranky) as its characters: The Manor of Dreams, Christina Li
The book that had me going down internet rabbit holes based on online searches like “original Jack Jen DOOL” and “Sonny Corinthos pasta sauce”: Love in the Afternoon, and Evening: Essays and Conversations About Soap Operas, Charlotte Druckman (charlotte) and Mayukh Sen
The book that I read based on this glowing review, and that I consider one of my favorite reading experiences of the year: Go Gentle, Maria Semple
The book that imparts the depressing realities of Hollywood while still making it feel glamorous: We Would Never Tell, Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
The book that I can’t stop asking everyone “have you read it yet?” and inspired this post: Famesick, Lena Dunham
The book that made me want to re-watch a TV series ASAP: Who’s That Girl: The Untold, Definitive History of New Girl, Thea Glassman (our July MOPC Book Club pick)
The acclaimed book I finally read years after it came out, and thankfully still lived up to the hype: Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid
The most wildly inventive book I’ve read in years, and feels like it was written for Xennial music nerds like me: REDACTED—to be revealed as September’s MOPC Book Club pick!
The books I’m currently reading: The Last Ferry Out, Andrea Bartz; The Bangalore Detectives Club, Harini Nagendra and The Simp, Roshan Sethi
And finally, the book I’m currently…writing: It’s humming along! Can’t say much about it yet, but its pop culture references include this list of (absurdly overpaid?) podcast hosts, Hollywood nepo babies, The X-Files and Scandal
I was going to count how many books I’ve read to date, but the number doesn’t matter that much. What does matter is that eight months into 2026, I have kept up my pledge to read a book first thing every morning, and it has been both easy and wonderful to do.
What are you reading right now, or what is on your summer TBR? I’d love to know.
So many comments I have from this post!
1. I haven’t read your books and just requested two from my library- I’m so excited!
2. You met Kyle Cooke? 😳
3. I loved Grant Ginder’s book So Old, So Young!
Can’t wait to read your novels!
Kirthana, seeing your book on the shelves of the Obama Presidential Library is such an exciting milestone. Thank you for sharing your fun summer encounters and this wonderful list of reading recommendations.