I’m a large bookworm, and studying is really one among my favourite hobbies. This pastime, after all, has its peaks and valleys. Throughout holidays and irritating occasions, I don’t learn as a lot as I sometimes would. However in the summertime? I’ve way more time to get fully misplaced in a superb guide (… or 10!). There’s simply one thing magical about ending an extended, scorching day with an amazing story in hand, curled up on the porch because the solar units. Or lounging on the seashore, guide propped open, waves crashing within the background. It’s my completely happy place.
Now, I do know some folks consider summer season as a time for journey and journey—and sure, it’s! However what’s one of the best ways to move these lengthy flights or lazy afternoons? A very good guide. I’ve an inventory of one of the best books to learn on trip for that actual purpose!
Perhaps your objective is so as to add to your already overflowing TBR pile. Or, possibly you’re in search of causes to get again into studying! Both means, I’m sharing my summer season studying record (packed stuffed with thrilling new releases!) and a number of concepts for tips on how to carve out extra time for books, even when life will get busy.
What’s a Summer time Studying Listing?
A summer season studying record is precisely what it feels like! It’s a bit lineup of books to learn between June and August (AKA peak studying season, in my view). It may be a mixture of outdated favorites you’re able to revisit (hi there, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo!), buzzy new releases, or these timeless classics you’ve been which means to lastly crack open.
One of the best half? Your record is totally your individual. I attempt to broaden my horizons on occasion, however studying for pleasure is most essential. My go-to is an edge-of-your-seat thriller, however I additionally prefer to throw in a bit (occasional) romance and historic fiction. (I believe my library is fairly self-explanatory for my style in books.) That mentioned, whether or not you’re into juicy thrillers, slow-burn romances, thought-provoking nonfiction, or a bit little bit of all the pieces—it’s all about your pursuits, not anybody else’s.
PS – in case you’re new right here, try my Substack. I share what I’m studying in each Friday’s publication!
Why is Summer time Studying Essential?
Keep in mind again in class once we’d get assigned summer season studying? (And everybody moaned and groaned about having to do “homework” over summer season break.) The thought was to maintain our brains sharp and that studying muscle lively, even whereas we have been off stress-free earlier than the brand new college 12 months.
Truthfully? Not a lot has modified as adults; we nonetheless have to flex that studying muscle. And never only for the vocab increase or creativeness spark, but additionally as a reminder to decelerate. Making a summer season studying record is an easy technique to maintain your self accountable for making time to unwind and loosen up. There’s one thing actually particular about setting apart a number of quiet moments every day to flee into a superb guide—it is perhaps precisely what your summer season wants.
What to Learn in Summer time
Environment, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I’ve talked a lot about Taylor Jenkins Reid (therefore this being my second point out of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo… it’s one among my favorites!). And after studying (and loving) Malibu Rising, I couldn’t WAIT to see what else she had in retailer. That is a kind of massive, emotional reads that stick with you lengthy after you flip the final web page. Set within the early Nineteen Eighties, it follows Joan Goodwin, an excellent former astrophysics professor, as she joins NASA’s astronaut coaching program. Joan is navigating life in a deeply male-dominated house company when she types a quiet, highly effective bond with a fellow astronaut.
Their connection builds in secret… till a shuttle mission in 1984 takes a flip. Joan—now on the bottom in Mission Management—turns into the voice guiding her lover by a life-or-death state of affairs.
It’s half high-stakes house drama, half love story, and fully unputdownable. Reid weaves collectively themes of ambition, id, and human connection, all set in opposition to the adrenaline-filled backdrop of America’s house race. I devoured this one and completely cherished the ‘80s nostalgia!
Nice Large Stunning Life by Emily Henry
Emily Henry is infamous for her romance novels, and I’ve to say, even I really like them. I’m actually not an enormous romance fan, however her books are so simply gratifying. I had deliberate to choose this one up anyway (as a result of I’ll learn just about all the pieces she releases), however the criticism of it’s what piqued my curiosity.
Surprisingly, this guide leans extra towards thriller than the title would possibly counsel! Which I used to be extraordinarily enthusiastic about. The story follows Alice, an optimistic celeb journalist, and Hayden, a Pulitzer-winning biographer, as they compete to write down the biography of reclusive heiress Margaret Ives. However Margaret’s story doesn’t fairly add up—and neither Alice nor Hayden can share notes.
What unfolds is an element romance, half puzzle, layered with twin timelines and Henry’s signature appeal. The romance continues to be very a lot there (sure, slow-burn followers shall be completely happy!), however the added thriller gave it actual Evelyn Hugo vibes. I devoured this in a number of sittings—then handed it straight to my mother!
For extra evaluations on Emily Henry novels, try this put up, this put up, annddd this put up.
Damaged Nation by Clare Leslie Corridor
I’ve to come back out of the gate and say that I’m kind of stunned I fell in love with this learn as a lot as I did. It jogs my memory of The Mild We Misplaced, a guide I cherished till I turned an grownup. I’m not a fan (to place it frivolously) of books with affairs and dishonest. Dare I say that it could even flip me away? I can’t stand it.
However… I can’t cease desirous about this guide. Clare Leslie Corridor’s debut is a quietly haunting mix of household drama, forbidden love, and slow-burning suspense, all set on a windswept Dorset sheep farm. When Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a canine, it units off a sequence of occasions that dredge up heartbreak and buried grief. Among the many sudden penalties is the return of her past love, Gabriel, now again on the town together with his younger son. The story unfolds by quick, lyrical chapters and alternating timelines. It’s half thriller, half love story… and half intestine punch. Messy, stunning, and emotionally sophisticated—I used to be annoyed at occasions, however I cherished this guide.
The First Gentleman by Invoice Clinton and James Patterson
This isn’t the primary time I’ve learn a James Patterson novel co-written with a high-profile determine. I learn Run, Rose, Run by Patterson and Dolly Parton novel in 2022, and I cherished it. As for this, I wasn’t completely certain this one could be for me. Thankfully, I gave it a shot and I ended up loving it. It’s good, fast-paced, and completely addictive.
Madeline Wright is the primary feminine president, and as she gears up for re-election, her husband, former NFL star Cole Wright, is immediately on trial for homicide. The twists unfold by a tangle of secrets and techniques, political drama, mob ties, and a pair of relentless investigative journalists. I guessed the twist, however I didn’t care—it was such a enjoyable trip! Suppose: courtroom suspense meets political scandal. I tore by it… and now I wish to learn the others!
Everyone seems to be Mendacity to You by Jo Piazza
When Jo Piazza despatched me a complicated copy of this guide, it consumed me. It’s a kind of reads that it’s worthwhile to clear your schedule for—I didn’t wish to put it down! I flew by it in simply a few settings.
It’s such a pointy, juicy homicide thriller set in opposition to the wild world of tradwife influencers. Lizzie and Bex have been faculty finest pals who drifted aside till Bex (now a ranch-living mommy blogger à la Ballerina Farm) invited Lizzie to a luxe influencer convention. However when Bex’s husband is murdered and Bex vanishes, Lizzie is pulled right into a maze of secrets and techniques and curated perfection.
With pitch-perfect pacing and insider-y particulars, it’s a quick, enjoyable, completely binge-able learn this summer season. Consider it as equal elements thriller and social media satire. Preorder this one instantly—it’s obtainable July 15, 2025!
Park Avenue by Renee Ahdieh
This guide is so enjoyable—glamour, drama, household secrets and techniques, and a heroine with severe ambition (and a Birkin dream). Renee Ahdieh’s grownup debut has been in every single place currently, and I learn it in just some days. Between the Fifth Avenue trend, high-stakes authorized drama, and mega-rich magnificence empire scandal, it’s giving Loopy Wealthy Asians meets The White Lotus with a pointy, trendy twist. I really like a fast-paced story with luxe settings and messy household dynamics. This sounds just like the form of guide to binge in a single or two sittings (ideally on the seashore) with a summer season cocktail in hand.
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell is one among my favourite authors. Type of like Emily Henry, I’ll learn just about all the pieces she writes—even when Breaking the Darkish wasn’t one among my favorites. It occurs! I do know I’m going to sound biased, however an “common” Jewell guide will nonetheless “wow” me.
And this one… I’m excited for this one. Don’t Let Him In feels like the right mixture of unsettling and unputdownable, which is precisely what I need in a summer season thriller. The story follows three ladies whose lives are quietly unraveling thanks to at least one very charming (however very suspicious) man. There’s a grieving widow, her cautious daughter, and a younger mother with a husband who retains disappearing… all of them slowly circling the identical darkish secret. I really like a layered home suspense with a number of POVs, and I can already inform this shall be twisty, tense, and completely binge-able. Undoubtedly bumping this one to the highest of my TBR this summer season!
Subsequent to Heaven by James Frey
I wish to level out the controversy surrounding this guide (and its writer). Frey was caught mendacity about elements of his earlier memoir, and has admitted to utilizing AI. I consider (from what I’ve learn) the usage of AI was for analysis. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have picked this guide up had I identified about all of the scandalous issues circulating.
Now that we’ve addressed that… In fact, I’m going to provide you my trustworthy ideas in regards to the contents. This guide is so excessive—and that’s precisely why I couldn’t put it down. Set in a picture-perfect Connecticut city, the story follows two rich finest pals who throw an ultra-exclusive swinger celebration that upends the lives of their elite neighbors. However let’s simply say the drama and motion actually don’t begin till 70% of the best way in.
The writing is punchy, scandalous, and reads like gossip you shouldn’t get pleasure from however completely do. For those who love a summer season learn stuffed with chaos, privilege, and secrets and techniques, this one’s completely definitely worth the drama.
The Compound by Aisling Rawl
A reader urged this guide to me saying I might find it irresistible, so, after all I needed to preorder! Other than this, I’d been listening to a lot buzz about it. My pre-oreder arrived and I learn it in a just some sittings.
A dystopian actuality present set within the desert? Luxurious prizes, high-stakes challenges, and simply sufficient chaos to blur the traces between want and survival? I used to be offered. This appears like a mashup of Large Brother and The Starvation Video games (top-of-the-line younger grownup books in my view!). But it surely additionally has sharper commentary and means higher skincare. I really like a guide that mixes guilty-pleasure drama with literary weight, and this one guarantees to be simply that. Plus, the thought of willingly staying in a twisted competitors whereas the world unravels exterior? Intriguing (and eek, possibly a bit too actual proper now).
When the Going Was Good by Graydon Carter
I’m about midway by this memoir and who doesn’t love a behind-the-scenes have a look at shiny journal glamour? Graydon Carter ran Vainness Truthful throughout its most iconic period. Thankfully for us readers, this memoir guarantees all of the insider tales. He talks in regards to the rise of Hollywood’s A-list, these unforgettable Annie Leibovitz covers, and what it was actually like wrangling massive personalities beneath Condé Nast’s roof.
I’m hoping for juicy name-drops, numerous wit, and that individual form of nostalgia solely print media can ship. For those who’re as obsessive about old-school journal tradition as I’m, that is an absolute must-read.
Subsequent up on my record:
I Remorse Nearly Every thing by Keith McNally
I spend a great deal of time listening to books on Audible, and memoirs are by far my favourite. You form of really feel such as you simply sat down and had a chat along with your new part-celebrity part-best buddy! I additionally simply actually admire the genuine openness {that a} memoir comprises.
Keith McNally’s memoir feels like it will be an extended, unfiltered feast confession—equal elements juicy gossip, gritty resilience, and inventive brilliance. From his childhood in post-war London to shaping the downtown New York eating scene with spots like Balthazar and the Odeon, McNally doesn’t maintain again.
He shares all the pieces: the wins, the disasters, the general public meltdowns, and the stroke that almost unraveled all of it. It’s purported to be uncooked and razor-sharp but additionally stuffed with coronary heart. I’m at all times drawn to tales of reinvention, particularly after they come from wildly artistic individuals who’ve lived so much. I’m so excited to crack this one open!
The Names by Florence Knapp
I’m so intrigued by the premise of this guide—the concept that one small selection (like a reputation!) can ripple throughout many years and fully change a life. The construction sounds sensible. I additionally love a narrative that explores motherhood, id, and what it means to take again your energy. Individuals say it’s extraordinarily written but additionally emotional and intense… in one of the best ways.
One thing I additionally discovered attention-grabbing is the comparability between The Names and The Dutch Home. I listened to this guide years in the past (Tom Hanks narrated it; how might I not?), and I cherished each second. Perhaps it’s the same theme of legacy and the way small choices can alter your course—I’ll need to replace you guys as soon as I learn it for myself! Regardless, I’ve a sense that this one shall be one thing I take into consideration lengthy after I end it
Imply Mothers by Emma Rosenblum
I’ve learn a handful of Emma Rosenblum books and I sometimes get pleasure from them. Very Unhealthy Firm was a enjoyable one, whereas Unhealthy Summer time Individuals was solely “meh.” The writing was incredible and, sure, I DID learn cowl to cowl, however I hated the characters (though they have been deliberately written to be hated.) All that to say, Imply Mothers is bringing me hope for a brand new favourite! It appears to have all the pieces I really like in a summer season learn—glamorous New York Metropolis mothers, non-public college drama, and simply the appropriate contact of thriller.
Principally, this feels like Large Little Lies meets Gossip Lady, and I’m so right here for it. I’m particularly intrigued by Sofia, the newcomer who shakes issues up… within the worst (finest?) means. It guarantees sharp social commentary, juicy twists, and that scrumptious mix of satire and suspense. I can already inform I’ll be devouring this in a weekend—and texting my guide membership pals about each wild chapter. Seize your copy when it comes out on July 29, 2025!
LA Girls by Ella Berman
This one feels prefer it was written only for me—glamorous, twisty, and set in Sixties L.A.? I’m in! The story follows two formidable writers—Lane and Gala—who orbit one another by fame, jealousy, and creative obsession. When Gala disappears, and Lane lands a guide deal based mostly on her life, secrets and techniques bubble to the floor… together with the one which modified all the pieces between them.
I really like tales about sophisticated feminine friendships and the messy intersection of creativity and rivalry. Plus, the classic Hollywood backdrop and Laurel Canyon vibes? Irrestabily entertaining. I can already inform that is going to be such a enjoyable learn. For those who’re an Ella Berman fan, be sure to take a look at my assessment on The Comeback!
Pre-order or seize your copy on August 5, 2025!
The right way to Encourage Summer time Studying
Create a comfortable studying house.
Among the best methods to remain motivated along with your summer season studying record? Create a bit studying nook you truly wish to spend time in. Suppose: cozy, calm, and distraction-free. It might be a shady spot within the yard, a chair by the pool, a swing in your entrance porch, or only a cozy nook in the lounge. Or your mattress. God do I really like my mattress! Having a chosen house makes all of the distinction.
Add a superb lamp and possibly even a bit tray for snacks or seltzer… and don’t neglect, this can be a phone-free zone! Simply you, your guide, and some uninterrupted moments to get fully misplaced within the story.
Additionally, don’t neglect your studying equipment! I’ll say that I’m not probably the most specific individual relating to studying (I fold my corners and generally dip them within the tub on accident, oops!). However a cute bookmark and a enjoyable studying lamp? These are a few my studying accent must-haves.
Schedule studying time.
The best technique to truly get by your summer season studying record? Construct it into your routine. I do know that for me, I actually look ahead to cozying up in mattress with a superb guide earlier than mattress. It places me in wind-down mode! I prepare for mattress, learn a bit, do Headspace meditation to relax, after which drift off to sleep. For you, it could look totally different! It might be half-hour within the morning along with your espresso or a bit noon break after lunch. Carving out devoted time to learn makes all of the distinction.
It doesn’t need to be lengthy or overly structured, only a small, constant window every day to unplug and get misplaced in your guide. Belief me, it provides up shortly (and appears like such a deal with).
Set a summer season studying problem.
For those who want a bit further motivation to stay along with your summer season studying targets, the Goodreads Studying Problem is a enjoyable technique to keep on observe. You begin by setting a objective for what number of books you wish to learn this 12 months. Then, as you log each, you get to observe that progress bar inch nearer to the end line.
It’s a bit gamified, a bit satisfying, and an effective way to remain impressed. Plus, you may observe pals, cheer one another on, and uncover much more nice guide recs alongside the best way.
Be a part of a guide membership.
Studying doesn’t need to be a solo exercise. One in every of my favourite methods to make it extra enjoyable is by becoming a member of (or beginning!) a summer season guide membership. It’s the right excuse to assemble with pals, sip on summer season spritzer cocktails, and snack on a selfmade cheese board whereas diving into your newest learn.
Sit again, loosen up, and work by your summer season studying record.
Whether or not you’re into memoirs, romantasy, nonfiction, or literary fiction, placing collectively a summer season studying record is one among my favourite methods to kick off the season. With all that further daylight, it’s the right time to dive into one thing new. Or possibly simply lastly decide up that guide that’s been sitting in your nightstand!
I’ll be sharing month-to-month studying roundups with what I cherished, what missed the mark, and what’s truly value including to your record—so be sure to verify again! Need extra guide recs, way of life suggestions, and little behind-the-scenes moments? Simply pop in your e mail deal with and are available hang around with me on Substack. Additionally, don’t neglect to take a look at My Library. That is the place you will discover all of the books I’ve learn during the last 10 years together with scores and evaluations. You may filter by style and grade; it even has its personal separate search. Would like to have you ever there!
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