The third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day, but, really, isn’t every day ice cream day? It’s not a question of whether to indulge but how: cup or cone? Sprinkles or plain? Single scoop or double? Ice cream sandwich or sundae? And which flavor should you choose? There are as many ways to eat ice cream are there are days of the year, but—lucky you!—that gives you a chance to sample all the possibilities! Dip into our list of popular ice cream flavors matched with YA book titles. We hope you’ll come back for seconds!
YA Books to Try if You Love Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Cookie dough ice cream is a classic: delicious chocolate-chip cookie dough mixed into creamy vanilla ice cream. If you love baked goods as much as you love ice cream, we recommend you try Donuts and Other Proclamations of Love by Jared Reck. This book, about a teen and his grandfather who run a food truck specializing in Swedish pastries, made our mouths water.
Did you know that cookie dough ice cream was invented in 1984 by an anonymous ice cream lover who wrote it on a suggestion board? Another ’80s-inspired creation: Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane. This lyrical novel-in-verse is set in 1980s New York City and is about a girl trying to cope as everything around her seems to be changing.
YA Books to Try if You Love Rocky Road Ice Cream
Rocky road ice cream is chocolate ice cream studded with sweet mini marshmallows and crunchy nuts, which means a tasty surprise in every bite! If you love books filled with unexpected bits of wisdom, heartbreak, and sweetness, we have two recommendations. In Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon, cynical Evie suddenly acquires the ability to see the future of relationships. As fate would have it, she’s just met the perfect guy herself. Will her romance go the distance?
The road to fame can definitely be rocky, filled with challenges and unexpected twists. In Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins, Latina pop star Natalie is blindsided by a humiliating public breakup. But a fake romance with a cute indie film star puts her on a new romantic path.
YA Books to Try if You Love Coffee Ice Cream
Coffee ice cream is both bitter and sweet, creamy with an unexpected kick. If you love coffee ice cream, we have two suspenseful books that will give you an adrenaline rush. A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, set at a boarding school with a history of witchcraft, will keep you flipping pages late into the night.
If horror is more your speed, check out Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach, a terrifying tale of evil in a small town.
YA Books to Try if You Love Strawberry Ice Cream
Sweet and fruit-forward, strawberry ice cream tastes like a spoonful of summer. If strawberry ice cream is your top pick at the ice cream counter, we have the perfect YA books for you. Sunkissed by Kasie West is a sweet romance that takes place during one life-changing summer. Stuck at a remote camp with her family, Avery finds the courage to live out her dreams.
And we’re beyond excited about the new installments in the Kissing Booth series by Beth Reekles: a new book in the series, One Last Time by Beth Reekles AND The Kissing Booth 3 dropping on Netflix. This sweet, romantic series is as perfect for summer as ice cream itself.
