My Summer Reading List
A little something for everyone...
Howdy, Substack friends! Sorry to say it’s been a while, but excited to bring you some reading recommendations for the summer ahead.
I recently shared my summer reading list on TikTok (here and here), when my dear friend
reminded me to link everything for my friends here, especially with Amazon Prime Day coming up in July!So here’s my spiel:
Most summer reading lists I come across are filled with beach read romances, but I’m not a big romance reader. Sure, I like to throw one in every now and then for ~balance~ but I try to read books across lots of different genres in every season. Hopefully that means there’s a little something on this list for everyone!
I’m going to break this post down into 3 parts:
New Releases: books that came out in 2025 (or will come out this summer)
Backlist Books: books that came out in past years that I haven’t read yet; hopefully the books in this section are easier to find at your local library
Books I Would Be Reading This Summer, If I Hadn’t Read Them Already (consider this a bonus: TikTok hasn’t seen this yet!)
You’ll also notice that I love seeing a new book compared to a book, TV show, or movie I already love. Get ready for a lot of descriptions like that…
Okay, enough of the formalities. Let’s get into it!
New Releases
The Compound by Aisling Rawle (pub. date: 6/24) — The setting of this book is a survivalist reality show, and early reviews say it’s like “Lord of the Flies meets Love Island.” I'm sold.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgOut Last Resort by Clémence Michallon (pub. date: 7/8) — I read The Quiet Tenant by this author earlier this year and it instantly became one of my favorite psychological thrillers. This is Michallon’s sophomore novel, which takes place at a luxe desert resort 15 years after the main character and her brother escaped a cult.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgMaine Characters by Hannah Orenstein (out now) — Descriptions for this one include “Parent Trap for adults.” Count me in for that.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgAtmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (out now) — I actually don’t think I need to say anything about this one. I have loved every TJR book I’ve ever read, and I hope this one is no exception. If you haven’t read one of her books yet, get on it!
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Sirens by Emilia Hart (out now) — I’ve heard this one starts off a little slow, but this feels right up my alley. I was such a freak for mermaids as a kid, but I was also a Halloween baby, so the dark and eerie spin was basically tailor-made for me.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan (out now) — This instantly caught my attention when I heard about it. Despite California being home for me, I haven’t read many books set here, and this one has the family drama type of plot that I love. I’ve also seen a review refer to this as “Malibu Rising meets The Great Alone.” Say less.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgFruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon (out now) — This book is a retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter. Think camp counselor whisked away to summer on a private island filled with debauchery until her mother comes to the rescue.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgPark Avenue by Renée Ahdieh (out now) — Pitched as “Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession,” and that’s all I need to convince me to pick up this book.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgMy Friends by Fredrik Backman (out now) — I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I have yet to read anything by Backman. This new novel of his feels like the perfect place for me to start. It’s a story of friendship, art, and teenagers spending long summer days in a seaside town.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager (pub. date: 7/1) — I couldn’t be more excited to get my hands on this book. I don’t even know if this would technically be categorized as a summer read, but the idea of paintings coming to life feels like my dream book. I also know that the author dedicated the book to her grandmother, which just gives me all the warm fuzzies. The premise kind of gives me the same vibe as Remarkably Bright Creatures, which was one of my favorite summer reads last year.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgOne Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (out now) — I really liked Fortune’s debut novel, Every Summer After, but haven’t read her other novels (yet). Since this one ties back to her first book, I feel like I’m a little more invested in reading it!
Amazon | Bookshop.org(BONUS) Sky Daddy by Kate Folk (out now) — When Alex texted me to get this list up on Substack, she also told me I better add this book to my list! I’ll sell it to you in her words: “It’s the most unconventional, strange, fascinating sorta romance novel I’ve ever read. I could NOT put it down. You are literally hoping for the weirdest things for this character while also hoping for some normalcy for her. Takes place in SF. It’s SO GOOD. I’ve never laughed out loud more at a book than I have on this one.” She also vouches for it on audio, so I think this just might be my next audiobook!
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Backlist Books
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman — This one has been on my list for a long while, but I finally decided to read it because I got a BookBub notification that the kindle version was on sale. [This is pretty much how I decide when I read books now. If you read on an e-reader, SIGN UP FOR BOOKBUB!] So far, the vibe I’m getting is like the Amanda Knox story, but in Greece instead of Italy. Three high school friends go to Greece for the summer, but only two of them return home. Those two are never convicted of their friend’s murder, but the media paints them guilty anyway. Now it’s ten years later and the two friends are reuniting.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgLittle Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur — I’ve been putting this one off for too long. Things I love in a book: the “rich people behaving badly” trope, a New England setting, and multigenerational family drama. This one has it all. I’ve also heard this one has the same vibe as Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson, which is one of my favorite books of all time (very under-hyped in my opinion!), so I have no doubt I’ll love this.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgJust for the Summer by Abby Jimenez — Since I’m not a big romance reader, I have yet to pick up an Abby Jimenez book, but I think this summer is my time.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas — Another rec from a friend. I added this one to my TBR last year after I saw my friend Kailen had read and loved it. I trust Kailen’s book taste with my life, so when she said she felt a deep emotional connection with this book, I just knew I had to read it. I get the vibe that this one is a bit more literary, so I see it more as an end of summer read for me, when things slow down a little and I can really sink my teeth into it.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey — I love a good friendship story, especially in the summer. This one is about adult friends who met at summer camp with they were kids and, upon learning that the camp is in danger of closing, band together to try to save it.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgSummer Fridays by Suzanne Rindell — If it’s a rom-com book with a cartoonish cover, it’s gotta have a great hook to get me interested…and this one REALLY does! Summer Fridays is described as “You’ve Got Mail” for a new generation. I simply have to see that play out on the page.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgTwo Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore — I read Vacationland earlier this year and instantly knew I had to read more from this author. Small-town secrets, mother-daughter relationships, New England beaches… I’m all over this.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgChlorine by Jade Song — Another one I’ve been putting off for too long, especially as a mermaid-obsessed kid who grew into the type of adult who loves a dark, unsettling book.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgSwan Song by Elin Hilderbrand — I bought this one last year, but just couldn’t bring myself to accept the fact it was Elin’s retirement book. I didn’t want to believe it her legacy was over. But this year, I’m determined to read it so I can jump into the book she wrote with her daughter as soon as it comes out this fall!
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Books I Would Be Reading This Summer, If I Hadn’t Read Them Already
The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan — Hot friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance on a superyacht cruising through the Mediterranean. Need I say more?
Amazon | Bookshop.orgHere One Moment by Liane Moriarty — I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Liane Moriarty, but WOW did I love this book. The first part of it takes place on a plane, so I think this would be the perfect book to bring along for a trip that requires a flight. The premise revolves around a woman (unknowingly, in a bit of an episode) predicting how and when each passenger will die. But rather than having a dark tone, the book is all about living life to the fullest and making the most of the time we have on earth. Probably important to note that nothing bad happens on the plane, so I stand by my suggestion of reading this in the air!
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer — I once read a review of this book that said it gives you the same feeling as reading a book in elementary school, like you just can’t wait for recess to be over so you can get back to reading it. I stand by that! There’s something nostalgic and magical about it.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Wedding People by Allison Espach — Probably my top book of 2024. Seriously, if you haven’t read this one yet, you must. (Note: suicide is a defining plot point, so take heed if that’s a concern for you)
Amazon | Bookshop.orgThe Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John — Think the same setting as The High Dive (mentioned above) with a yacht in the Mediterranean, but instead of a romance, it’s a gripping thriller. I flew through this one.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgHappy Place by Emily Henry — Hot take: Happy Place is my favorite Emily Henry novel. There’s something about the friendship plotline that made me want to go in on a summer compound with my whole group of friends.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgMalibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid — This was actually my first TJR! Some of my other reads by her rank a little higher on my list, but this one has the perfect setting for a summer book and I absolutely recommend it.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgLiterally anything by Elin Hilderbrand — I’m so sorry, I can’t pick a favorite. If you haven’t read one of her books yet, let this be your summer to start. They’re all set on Nantucket and just scream beach read. Every book is genre bending (they have elements of romance, crime, mystery, family drama, etc.) and has characters across a range of ages, so I think they truly appeal to everyone! If you’re not sure where to start, The Hotel Nantucket, Summer of ‘69, Five Star Weekend, and 28 Summers immediately come to mind for me.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young — I read this book over the holidays last year and remember wishing I had read it at the end of summer. I don’t think the plot is necessarily summer-centric, but something about the feeling it evoked with a sense of magical realism had me feeling nostalgic for long summer days.
Amazon | Bookshop.orgAnd lastly, of course I recommend the handful of books I mentioned in descriptions for other books above, but these are the ones that feel especially right for summer:
What’s on your summer reading list? Let me know in the comments!