Who doesn't love a good summer reading list??? Especially this summer when most of us are still left with nothing to do - unless you like golf or tennis, you'll be cracking a book poolside. Here are 40 recommendations that are sure to please...
New This Summer

28 Summers
Camino Winds
I do not personally keep up with John Grisham books but I have read a few and know how addictive they are, and I love a good Grisham adaptation. This is his newest book and it takes place on the summery Camino Island so I think it's a perfect addition to your poolside book stack.
Emily Giffin
The Lies that Bind
Stephen King
If It Bleeds
I don't usually read Stephen King novels but I may make an exception for this because it's actually a set of four novellas. If you like horror novels, Stephen King is obviously the GOAT of this genre, and this newest collection should definitely be on your list for the summer.
Jennifer Weiner
Big Summer
Emma Donoghue
The Pull of the Stars
This book doesn't get released until the end of July but will make a very relevant August read as it's about a bunch of expecting mothers quarantining during a flu pandemic at an overcrowded hospital... I enjoyed Donoghue's Room and will definitely want to check this out.
Kevin Kwan
Sex and Vanity
Big Ass Books
The Grapes of Wrath
The Pale King
In the summer of 2015 I bought Wallace's masterwork Infinite Jest because I had no job prospects. Fifty pages in I got a job at the newspaper as a copy editor and suddenly the reading project seemed overwhelming ... it was completely worth it and I want to recreate that feeling with The Pale King - Wallace's final book.
Norman Mailer
The Executioner's Song
Freedom
With all the FREEDOM you have, summer is a great time for re-
reading your favourites.
William T. Vollmann
Europe Central
The Signature of All Things
This is one of my favourite fiction books of all time and is very focused on botany and planting which always reminds me of summer. You can check out my full review here.
Adventure Books
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
Walking the Nile
I bought this in a blaze of other solo travel books but never got around to reading it. Clearly from the title you can tell it is about a guy who hiked alongside the Nile. I lent it to my dad and he really enjoyed it. Can't wait for some phantom mosquito itches.
Cheryl Strayed
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Girl in the Woods: A Memoir
In this memoir a young woman hikes from Mexico to Canada and reflects on her sexual assault and the trauma it caused her. I've had a few people I know read this and they all spoke highly of it.
Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air
Tracks: One Woman's Journey Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback
Every summer when it's disgustingly hot I think about Davidson walking across the Australian outback naked getting her period down her legs in the hot sun with 3 camels and her dog in tow. If you're looking for a book to make you feel stronger than you are this summer, read Wild, and then read this. You can read our review here.
Books We've Been Meaning to Read
Roberto Bolano
The Savage Detectives
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
I've yet to read a book of essays by DFW. I've tackled his fiction and short stories, but I know he is an incredible essayist and this collection contains the tennis essay I've been dying to read.
Gary Shteyngart
Little Failure: A Memoir
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
This is normally so not my style but I have only heard amazing reviews of Max Brooks's zombie book. Feels like a great summer read especially with the pandemic going on.
Patrick Radden Keefe
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
The Sting of the Wild
This is a crazy book written by an entomologist after he sets out to get stung by living insects so he can compare their sting and effects on humans. I love reading books by specialists and I'm sure this will be loaded with fun facts. I think it would make a great read over the summer as we swat bees and mosquitoes away indefinitely.
Glennon Doyle
Untamed
Preparing for Upcoming Adaptations
Sally Rooney
Conversations with Friends
Station Eleven
A story set in a pandemic-destroyed future already feels pretty fitting. Even better that it will be coming to HBO Max and will be directed by Hiro Murai - the guy who works on Atlanta.
Iain Reid
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
Americanah
This is another book that I've seen so many people read and have heard only praise about. It will also be included on the HBO Max original lineup once production is back in swing.
Frank Herbert
Dune
Nine Perfect Strangers
I already read Moriarty's The Husband's Secret this year and loved it, so this will be a perfect summer read in anticipation of the Hulu series that's currently being adapted. It's about nine randoms at a health retreat and I'm sure will be a great long weekend binge read.
Memoirs
Jessica Simpson
Open Book
More Myself: A Journey
This memoir also came out in March and it's hard to call it a memoir since she worked with a writer on it, but it's still better than a biography. I love Alicia Keyes and think there would be so much to learn about her considering she's laid pretty low and out of the public eye all this time.
Hilarie Burton Morgan
The Rural Diaries: What Moving to Mischief Farm Taught Me About What Really Matters in Life, Love, and Making Dandelion Wine
A Place Called Waco: A Survivor's Story
This book is from 1999 but is relevant now given the miniseries released on Netflix this year that was partially adapted from this book. The miniseries affected me hard and I think it would be so interesting to read this book, written by one of the survivors (as the title suggests) to get more details on the story.
Old Favourites
Peter Benchley
Jaws
The Weight of Water
Whenever someone is looking for a new author to get into I always recommend Anita Shreve. Her books are so captivating but they're also super easy, and this is definitely my favourite. It's mostly set on a boat so it has those summer vibes but it's hardly 'light' fiction.
Jonathan Safran Foer
Eating Animals
Summer Sisters
For a long time I read this book every single summer and honestly I think I should start again. This is a perfect fiction novel and easily my favourite. I think everyone should read it this summer if they haven't already. You can read my full review here.
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