Summer is here, and I have opinions about what you should be reading.
Whether youâre poolside, on a long road trip, or hiding from the heat with the air conditioning cranked up (my preferred summer activity), these 8 picks will keep you company through the warm months.
The Picks
1. For the Book Club Table
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Rooneyâs latest follows two brothers grieving their father, each navigating love and loss in their own messy, very human way. Itâs quieter than her earlier novels and all the better for it. Your book club will argue about the brothers for at least an hour. Thatâs the sign of a good pick.
2. For the Beach Bag
All Fours by Miranda July
Weird, funny, and unexpectedly moving. A woman takes a solo road trip that goes sideways almost immediately. Itâs the kind of book you read in two sittings and then stare at the ceiling thinking about.
3. For a Long Weekend
James by Percival Everett
A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from Jimâs perspective. Itâs sharp, inventive, and says more in 300 pages than most books manage in twice that.
4. For When You Need a Good Cry
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Historical fiction set during Vietnam, following a young nurse. Hannah knows how to build a story that punches you right in the heart, and this one doesnât hold back.
5. For the Quiet Afternoon
Holly by Stephen King
If you loved Holly Gibney in the Bill Hodges trilogy, sheâs back. Itâs classic King: small-town horror with characters so real you forget theyâre fiction. A page-turner that works perfectly on a lazy afternoon.
6. For the Literary Fiction Lover
North Woods by Daniel Mason
A house in New England, centuries of stories layered on top of each other. Each chapter is a different time period, a different voice, a different genre. Itâs ambitious and it pulls it off beautifully.
7. For the Optimist
Same as It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
A sprawling family novel about marriage, motherhood, and the choices that define a life. Itâs long and rich and the kind of book that makes you want to call your mom.
8. For the âJust One More Chapterâ Reader
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
A missing child at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. Multiple timelines, layered secrets, and the kind of propulsive plotting that makes you miss your bus stop. This oneâs hard to put down.
The Rule
Pick at least two from this list. Read them before September. Come back and tell me what you thought.
Happy summer reading!