What Maddie Read Summer Reading Guide 2022

what maddie read

summer reading guide

2022

welcome

to the 2022 summer reading guide!

To be honest, I can’t believe I’m doing this again. Last summer’s guide was so fun to make, but WHEW! She took a lot out of me. But something about the idea of summer reading is so pure to me. My birthday is July 3 (mark your calendars!), and so my birthday always coincided with a trip to the beach. Days before we left for our trip, my grandma would take me to Borders (RIP) and let me pick out a big fat stack of books to bring with me. I would plan that trip out out,, toting along a list of books I hoped to buy. While that tradition might just be a fond memory now, I still think of summer reading in the same way, and I have a feeling a lot of y’all do to.

In this guide, I set out to break down reading recs in the way I read. Sometimes I want to read a book set in 1970s Baltimore (and for that, I recommend Jessica Anya Blau’s MARY JANE), and other times, I want a romance that reminds me of my love for Harry Styles (if THE IDEA OF YOU just came to mind, I think we’ll get along). I also wanted to add in fun little features, like what my favorite celebrities might be reading, a quiz (alllllways) and venn diagrams (because I adore infographics). If you find a particularly great rec in here, please, please, PLEASE send me a message over on Instagram (it’ll make my day).

Now, please bear with me as I get sappy.

To everyone reading this guide, (hopefully!) sharing it on social media, and following along on Instagram: words can’t express how thankful I am for you. Bookstagram has truly changed my life. It’s made me fall in love with reading more than I could have ever imagined. It’s made me a better writer, it’s gotten me into grad school, and it’s allowed me to become more creative than I ever dreamed I could be.

For that, I’ll always be grateful. Welcome to summer reading szn!

Happy Reading!

Maddie

what’s inside?

4

38

summer must-reads

what’s your summer reading vibe?

what’s on my summer reading list?

forever young: YA

8

42

june releases

hot girl summer

your guide to summer romance

august releases

poolside paperbacks

your guide to hannah orenstein

what celebs should be reading

fiction to nonfiction

stranger than fiction: nonfiction

by the decades: historical fiction

24

54

a very specific mood

total con: scammer stories

26

56

july releases

venn diagrams

29

58

unexpected faves

book lovers

30

60

your guide to thrillers

anatomy of the perfect beach read

35

61

cover story

series to dive into

36

62

tell me your life story: memoirs

family reunion

6

12

18

20 22

40

44 47

48 50

darling, yo tell me lies

by Carola Lovering

TELL ME LIES follows Lucy from her first day of college through adulthood. When she meets Stephen DeMarco, an upperclassman frat boy at a party, she’s instantly consumed by him, even though she knows she can’t trust him. Their on-again, off-again toxic relationship lasts for years, while both Lucy and Stephen have their own dark secrets they must work through. When I first read this book, I was so thoroughly disgusted by Stephen that I struggled my way through it, but it’s been two and a half years and I still think about this book NONSTOP, so here it is! Lovering is so good at writing college details, female friendships, and unlikable yet incredibly compelling characters. And the Fleetwood Mac references — I mean, even the title! — are perfection.

4 summer reading guide

better than the movies

detransition, baby

If you’re looking for a book you can binge by the beach, look no further. It’s like Lynn Painter took a long look inside my John Hughes ‘80s teen movie-loving heart, and wrote a modern-day take on the genre. Liz knows that her next door neighbor Wes is not boyfriend material. When one of her old crushes moves back to town, she enlists the help of Wes to win him over. But rom-com obsessed Liz starts to see that maybe there’s more to Wes than she once thought. This is my YA sweet spot: the characters were mature, but felt like actual high schoolers. The music and movie references were spot on (Liz loves herself a romcom, and Painter blessed us with all of the nods!) and Liz and Wes might just be my new YA faves.

Beyond the fact that this book would look killer in your Instagram stories, it’s also a thoroughly modern look at relationships.

This novel follows Reese, a trans woman who longs for a child; Ames, Reese’s ex who has recently detransitioned and is living as a man; and Katrina, Ames’ boss who reveals that she is pregnant with his baby. Ames devises an unconventional plan: maybe Reese, Ames and Katrina can all raise the baby together. It’s super characterdriven but has the perfect punch of plot: what is this unconventional family going to look like? The characters are messy, chaotic, and flawed, Peters seamlessly transitions between timelines to reveal backstory, and the writing is sharp. Loved this one!

by Lynn Painter

by Torrey Peters

ou must seven days in june

by Tia Williams

If you like a) romance, b) stories about old flames reconnecting, c) books about books and writers, d) overcoming trauma, e) books with fleshed out + complete characters who you won’t be able to stop thinking about, or f) all of the above, then you need this one in your life ASAP. Eva balances writing with spending time with her daughter and battling chronic migraines, which doesn’t leave much room for romance. Shane, a critically acclaimed writer, is two years sober and is slowly reacclimating to the literary world. A chance meeting at a book convention reveals that the two know each other, having spent one unforgettable week together as teens, only to be tragically split apart, leaving them to communicate through their novels instead of hashing out what truly went wrong. One of my favorite books of all time!

these six books are my holy grail, god-tier summer reads. they’re perfect to read by the pool or on the porch, and are the type of stories you’ll be thinking about long after “the end.”

the guncle

blush

by Steven Rowley

by Jamie Brenner

THE GUNCLE will 100% go down as one of those books you pick up when you want to smile so hard you tear up. Patrick, a former TV star who lives in in Palm Springs, finds his world rocked when his sister-in-law and former best friend tragically passes away, leaving behind her grieving husband and two young children. When his brother announces that he too is struggling with a health issue, Patrick decides to take his niece and nephew back to Palm Springs with him for an unforgettable summer, turning himself from Patrick to GUP — Gay Uncle Patrick, duh! Where this book truly shines is in the amount of heart.

Once you’re done wiping those tears of laughter, you might just be wiping a few more because of how sweet + heartstring-tugging this book is. I legitimately cannot think of anyone who wouldn’t fall in love with this book.

The Hollander Estates winery has long been a premier destination, until financial ruin threatens the family. Matriarch Vivian is preparing for visits from her daughter Leah and granddaughter Sadie while trying to keep a decades-long secret under wraps as the winery enters negotiations for a buyout. Leah, owner of a Manhattan cheese shop, has long resented the fact that she was frozen out of the wine business by her father, and Sadie, a college senior who appears to have a bright future as an academic is struggling to write her thesis, using her annual visit to the winery as an escape. When Sadie comes across an old diary detailing Vivian’s book club from the 1980s, the women resurrect the club, a choice that might just end up saving the winery. Come for the family drama and stay for the incredible wine and cheese details!

summer reading guide 5

What’s On My

summer re

let’s be real. there are approximately 100 books on my summer reading list, but

every summer after

a court of thorns and roses

by Carley Fortune

by Sarah J. Maas

by Jennifer Weiner

Everyone has been talking about this lakeside romance.

Will this be the summer that I finally tackle this beloved fantasy series?

Jennifer Weiner’s novels are one of my summer staples!

yerba buena

island time

by Georgia Clark

trust

by Hernan Diaz

I mean, Lacour’s adult debut is a must based on the cover alone.

I love the way Clark intertwines the characters and plots in her novels.

Rich people problems and a book within a book.

100% sold.

by Nina Lacour

6 summer reading guide

the summer place

eading list

these 12 are my musts. bonus: i already have copies of all of them on my shelf!

atomic anna

the latecomer

the change

Mixing things up with a Cold War-era that has a sci-fi twist.

Looking forward to this saga about a wealthy family that’s thrown for a loop.

I’m very intrigued by this novel featuring women who turn witchy.

i kissed shara wheeler

let’s not do that again

the crane wife

Compared to a John Hughes movie? Sold.

A political family goes on a madcap adventure.

This memoir in essays has rave reviews.

by Rachel Barenbaum

by Casey McQuiston

byJean Hanff Korelitz

by Grant Ginder

by Kirsten Miller

by CJ Hauser

summer reading guide 7

your guide to

june r

i don’t know what we did to deserve all of these incredible books coming out this

as seen on tv

by Meredith Schorr June 7

counterfeit

cult classic

by Kirstin Chen

by Sloane Crosley

June 7

June 7

it all comes down to this

by Therese Anne Fowler June 7

just by looking at him

by Ryan O’Connell

meant to be mine

by Hannah Orenstein June 7

June 7

more than you’ll ever know

nora goes off-script

by Katie Gutierrez

by Annabel Monaghan

June 7

June 7

so happy for you

the lifestyle

the mutual friend

by Carter Bays

by Lizzy Dent

June 7

June 7

June 7

June 7

by Celia Laskey

8 summer reading guide

by Taylor Hahn

the set-up

releases

s june, but i’m not gonna complain. here are 48 fab new books dropping in june.

tracy flick can’t win

by Tom Perotta

woman of light

can’t look away

by Kali FajardoAnstine

by Carola Lovering

by Jenny Mollen

June 14

June 14

city of likes

June 7

June 8

everything i need i get from you

flying solo

ghost lover

by Linda Holmes

by Lisa Taddeo

June 14

June 14

June 14

last summer on state street

by Kaitlyn Tiffany

horse

by Geraldine Brooks

June 14

how to fake it in hollywood

by Ava Wilder June 14

hurricane girl

island time

by Marcy Dermansky

by Georgia Clark

June 14

June 14

by Toya Wolfe June 14

summer reading guide 9

rough draft

the beach trap

by Katy Tur

by Ally Brady

June 14

June 14

vacationland

by Meg Mitchell Moore

gilt

the divorce colony

by April White

by Elin Hilderbrand

June 14

June 14

lapvona

lucie yi is not a romantic

byJamie Brenner

by Ottessa Moshfegh

June 21

June 21

June 14

by Lauren Ho June 21

on rotation

one’s company

by Ashley Hutson

by Alison Fairbrother

June 21

June 21

June 21

by Shirlene Obuobi

the hotel nantucket

the catch

the house across the lake

by Riley Sager June 21

10 summer reading guide

the lies i tell

by Julie Clark June 21

when the moon turns to blood by leah sottile

american royalty

by Tracey Livesay June 28

June 21

one of the girls

by Lucy Clarke June 28

our crooked hearts

by Melissa Albert June 28

the dead romantics

by Ashley Poston June 28

the measure

by Nikki Erlick June 28

not exactly what i had in mind

by Kate Brook June 28

patricia wants to cuddle

by Samantha Leigh Allen June 28

the most precious substance on earth

by Shashi Bhat June 28

rogues

by Patrick Radden Keefe June 28

the self-made widow

by Fabian Nicieza June 28

summer reading guide 11

Your Guide To

summer

12 summer reading guide

romance

just like

the movies

the hollywood romance is as popular as ever. here are 3 of my faves!

the idea of you

by Robinne Lee

Solène, a newly single mom and art gallery owner, reluctantly takes her 13-year-old daughter to an August Moon (think One Direction) concert, where they meet Hayes Campbell (aka HARRY) backstage.

Hayes and Solène have an instant connection and they start a secret relationship that takes them all over the world for Hayes’ concerts and Soléne’s art obligations.

When the press gets wind of their relationship and Solène and her daughter become the target of crazy August Moon fans, Solène must decide if being in love with Hayes is truly worth it.⁣ The lifestyle details are so lush and the romance becomes surprisingly deep. The ending will immediately make you google “Idea of You sequel.” (We need to start a petition!)

birds of california

by Katie Cotugno

Fiona is a disgraced child star who has left the spotlight. Her former co-star, Sam, is looking for his post-show big break. When a reboot of their show Birds of California is announced, Sam approaches Fiona to return to her career, which involves the two getting closer than they ever imagined. This book revolves around the Me Too movement, which really differentiated it from other Hollywood-set romances I’ve read, and gave it a timely feel.

I loved the writing style in here — sometimes romances read a little too twee and cheesy for me, but this was great. The romance was super believable. Fiona and Sam had great chemistry!

funny you should ask

by Elissa Sussman Chani is a reporter assigned to write a profile on Gabe Parker.

The two spend an unforgettable weekend together, and the article goes viral. Ten years later, Chani’s newly divorced, Gabe is freshly out of rehab, and the two reunite — but this time, Chani is rewriting a piece that will facilitate Gabe’s return to Hollywood, unless unresolved feelings get in the way. This is loosely based off a GQ article about Chris Evans, which was such a good IRL tie-in.

The Then and Now format built up the plot points really nicely in here. I also adored all of the article excerpts throughout because I love a mixed media moment!

summer reading guide 13

on location

the romance is top-notch, but the best part of these three is defintely their settings!

the summer job

by Lizzy Dent

Birdy is at a crossroads in her life. When her friend asks her to impersonate her to make a phone call to quit her job, Birdy takes it one step further: she decides to accept the job as a sommelier at a resort in Scotland, despite the fact that she knows next to nothing about wine. When she arrives, she falls for the job and her coworkers and tries to make things right before it’s too late. While this is a romance, it’s also a novel about finding yourself and what you want and who you really are, so it’s perfect for even the most reluctant of romance readers. I also really loved the food and wine details in this one, because I am a total sucker for restaurant books.

And now, I must go to Scotland at all costs.

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well met

by Jen DeLuca I was a little wary of this one, as I’m not into tavern wenches and turkey legs, but this book is actually surprising sweet and very atmospheric. Emily moves to a small town in Maryland to care for her sister after she’s injured in a car accident, and ends up getting roped into working at the local Renaissance Faire, where she can’t help but feel a spark for uptight festival runner and English teacher-turned-pirate Simon. While you’ll come for the romance aspect, I also loved the more emotional layers of the story, as Emily and Simon both dive deep into personal issues. The Ren Faire setting was really unique and the supporting characters were so great (there’s additional books about some of them!). Definitely worth the read, even if you’re not super into Ren Faire life.

the unhoneymooners

by Christina Lauren Ethan and Olive are sworn enemies and soon-to-be in-laws. When the entire wedding party besides Ethan and Olive get food poisoning at the reception, the newly wedded couple forces the enemies to go on the all-expenses paid honeymoon together, so that it’s not a total waste. The unlikely couple jet off to Hawaii, where they find that maybe they don’t hate each other after all.

This was my first Christina Lauren book, and easily my favorite. It’s one of those books you can read in one sitting. It’s quick and snappy and just implausible enough that it’s an utter delight to read. Sure, it’s formulaic, but when you need something to binge read by the pool? Hard to do better than this!

all hail

emily henry if you love writers, you gotta do beach read

The one that started it all! BEACH READ pits January, a romance writer who specializes in happy endings, against Gus, who writes serious literary fiction that garners critical acclaim. They both happen to be living in neighboring houses on Lake Michigan, where they’re miserably floundering and suffering from writer’s block. A late night bet forces them to switch perspectives and try their hand at the type of thing the other would write.

Both January and Gus are dealing with some pretty heavy life changes, and those dynamics elevate this book to another dimension. It’s one of those rom-coms that seems fluffy and fun, but by the final third, you realize you’re crying.

nora ephron fans, read people we meet on vacation Poppy and Alex, are college best friends who reunite every year for a summer trip. Poppy, a travel journalist, lives in New York City and Alex is working as a teacher in his Ohio hometown, but they make it a priority to have one unforgettable summer trip every year. That is of course, until Croatia, when everything went wrong. Two years have passed without them speaking. Feeling unfulfilled, Poppy finally decides to reach out and the two plan one more trip to Palm Springs that proves to be make or break for their relationship. This book is a total homage to When Harry Met Sally, complete with banter and flashbacks to their previous trips.

if you obsess over hallmark, you need book lovers

Nora is an ice queen literary agent who has taken care of her younger sister Libby for years following the death of their mother. Libby decides she and Nora are going to embark on a month-long journey to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina to have some quality sister time before the birth of Libby’s third child. While there, Nora keeps running into Charlie Lastra, an editor who she got off to a rough start with years before. Obviously, what follows is one of my new favorite love stories ever. Charlie and Nora are characters that will live in my brain for the rest of my life for SO many reasons: their passion for books, their easy and snarky banter, their love of New York City, and the way they just seem to be two halves of the same person.

summer reading guide 15

the year of lo in a new york minute

the perfect find

the heart principle

On her way home after being laid off, Franny’s dress rips open after getting caught in the subway doors. A tall, dark, and handsome stranger (Hayes Montgomery the Third, if we’re getting specific) gives her his suit jacket so she can avoid mooning all of Manhattan.

What’s originally just a kind gesture turns into a viral moment, and puts Franny and Hayes in the same orbit through a series of coincidences. At first glance, it might seem like your typical romance, but it was so so SO much more. While the romance element was a highlight, the best part of this book was that it’s a modern love letter to New York. Spencer perfectly captures what it feels like to live in this truly wonderful city.

100% a Nora Ephron movie in a book!

Because of my deep, intense love for SEVEN DAYS JUNE, I was both stoked and incredibly nervous to read another one of Williams’ romances. Turns out, this one, while not quite as earth-shattering as SEVEN DAYS, is pretty dang great. Jenna, a 40-something who is down on her luck after a career misstep and a failed engagement, accepts a role at a fashion website, where she must learn all things social media ASAP. To make matters worse, she happens to have major chemistry the twentysomething videographer tasked to help her. Did I mention he’s also her boss’s son? While I don’t typically love age gap romances, this one felt so believable, and nailed the balance between funny and emotional.

If you like your love stories with a side of grief and a massive dose of emotion, then you’ll love THE HEART PRINCIPLE. Anna has reached the pinnacle of her career as a violinist, but soon becomes burnt out. When her longtime boyfriend asks for an open relationship, Anan decides to embark on a string of onenight stands. She meets Quan, a motorcycle-riding cancer survivor, and sparks instantly fly. When tragedy strikes Anna’s family, Quan is there for her, even when she tries to push him away. Make sure to read the author’s note: this is a deeply personal novel for Hoang, and the level of care and emotion in her writing shows.

Easily the best of her romances!

by Kate Spencer

16 summer reading guide

by Tia Williams

by Helen Hoang

ove

when i was choosing the books i wanted to spotlight in here, i realized that i’ve read so many top-tier romances so far in 2022 that i had to dedicate a whole page to ‘em. here’s hoping we can be just as blessed in the second half of the year!

fool me once

lease on love

by Falon Ballard

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Ashley Winstead can truly do no wrong in my eyes (she’s also a thriller queen!), because this? Is SO GOOD!! Lee Stone does not do relationships or love — she’s been burned too many times.

Instead, she concentrates on her job as the communications director of a female-run electric car start-up. When she’s tapped to push for a clean energy bill in her home state of Texas, she learns that she’ll be working with Ben, the governor’s new right-hand man. The issue? Lee and Ben were in love five years ago, and things did not end well. This book not only is a killer slow-burn romance (obsessed with the shared history and the little exes to enemies to friends to lovers moment we have here!), but also has a really unique and compelling angle about clean energy and turning Texas blue. Fans of second chance romance will eat this one up!

After being passed over for a promotion, Sadie has decided she’s had enough of the Manhattan finance scene. When she drunkenly believes she’s scoping out men on a dating app, she’s actually perusing a roommate app, where she meets Jack, a mysterious man with a cheap room available in his gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone.

The new roomies might seem like opposites, but you know what they say... What I loved most about this book was not the romance, but the backstory about Sadie building her flower shop. Like, can this place actually exist so I can go? Sadie is also a super voice-y character. From reading other reviews, I know that this got on some people’s nerves, but I thought her commentary was funny and gave the novel an extra element of dimension.

Ari is a meteorologist who is desperate for more mentorship from her boss. Russell, a sports reporter at the same station, is fed up with reporting on college sports and wants to make a move to covering the pros. After a drunken holiday party, the two hatch a plan to reunite their bosses, who were once married to each other but still might have a spark, even after their bitter divorce. As their plan unfolds, Ari and Russell find themselves drawn to each other, despite each of them having their own secrets that usually prove detrimental to their own relationships. I love this niche of rom-coms with a surprisingly emotional backbone that all happen to take place in the journalism world! This one takes on deeper issues (mental health, depression, being a single parent) while still balancing Solomon’s trademark humor.

by Ashley Winstead

weather girl

summer reading guide 17

poolside pape malibu rising

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

TJR absolutely nails the throwback Hollywood novel! MALIBU RISING takes us to 1983 Malibu, where we follow the Riva family: Nina, a model; Jay, a professional surfer; Hud, Jay’s acclaimed surf photographer; and Kit, the youngest Riva who is focused on getting through college and figuring out who she truly is.

Their father is Mick Riva, one of Hollywood’s most beloved singers (you might remember his shortlived marriage to one certain Evelyn Hugo) who has never really had much interest in being an actual father. Their stories all culminate at their legendary annual party — a wild bash that brings together Hollywood’s best and brightest for one debaucherous night. We get to dive into the backstories of the people at the party, and the tension builds for an especially cinematic feel.

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the cave dwellers

by Christina McDowell It’s no secret that I love books about both rich people and political power players, so this book was calling my name. This novel follows several families known as “Cave Dwellers:” wealthy members of the D.C. elite. When a Cave Dweller family is brutally held hostage and murdered, the remaining families are thrown for a loop as they must reexamine the weight of their wealth, privilege and power.

While I went in expecting a frothy book about Washington D.C.’s elite, I found that this one was a compelling mystery, complete with commentary on wealth, class, and race. I also loved how the characters all came from separate sectors of D.C. — we we have politicians, military personnel, elite business owners and the media in here, and I loved how their careers and social lives converged.

the husbands

by Chandler Baker

Baker always strikes the perfect balance between thriller + social commentary and she totally nailed it with THE HUSBANDS. Nora Spangler is burnt out from juggling her career as an attorney.

Her husband, while loving, doesn’t seem to quite get why she’s so overwhelmed. When she comes across a home listing in Dynasty Ranch, an idyllic Austin neighborhood, she’s in love with the home and the lifestyle that Dynasty Ranch promises. When agrees to help with a former resident’s wrongful death case, she unravels a plot that might take the whole neighborhood down. This was so smart and biting and honest.

Dynasty Ranch made for the best setting — I loved the whole perfect neighborhood with a creepy edge trope. Very Stepford Wives-esque!

erbacks the paper palace

by Miranda Cowley Heller I’m usually not a Reese’s Book Club girl, but this worked for me!

THE PAPER PALACE takes place over a summer weekend and follows Elle, a wife and mother who cheats on her husband Peter with Jonas, her childhood love.

The novel alternates timelines and tells Elle’s entire story, from childhood trauma to the novel’s present timeline. The writing in this book is gorgeous and kicks it up an extra notch. This is certainly not a book for everyone. There are plot points that deal with infidelity and sexual abuse, so if those are tough subjects for you to read about, I might steer clear. Otherwise, this is a stunningly written novel that tackles big topics and unfolds in an alternating timeline. Would be great for a beach book club!

while i love any book by the beach, there’s something so special about the good ole floppy paperback. these six faves from last summer are all now available in paperback. lucky you!

that summer

great circle

If you’re looking for a heavier read that will still have you quickly flipping the pages, then THAT SUMMER might just the read for you! This one is not a light and fluffy beach read, so don’t let the beachy + pink cover fool you! THAT SUMMER is Weiner’s take on the Me Too movement, following two women who lead very different lives and the coincidence that brings them together one summer, an event that will change their lives forever. Daisy is a homemaker, who, despite her perfect life, isn’t content. When she begins recieving emails meant for a woman named Diana, she begins to live vicariously through her life, until the two meet and discover a shocking connection. I think this one has some of Weiner’s best writing yet, and the Cape Cod setting is so idyllic and dreamy. A meaningiful story with perfectly drawn characters.

This is a looooong read, but it’s so worth it! We follow Marian, a female aviator who mysteriously disappears during her attempt to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, and Hadley, the Hollywood actress who plays her in a biopic 100 years later. As Hadley dives deeper in Marian’s story, she begins to draw comparisons between their stories.

This is literary and well-written, but easy to read. Shipstead is a master at working the two halves of the story to gel in perfect conjunction. I loved spending time with both Marian and Hadley, and particularly adored the way GREAT CIRCLE takes readers around the world, from LA to London, Montana to Antarctica.

Bonus points for the way this novel filled the hole in my heart left by my childhood fascination of all things Amelia Earhart.

by Jennifer Weiner

by Maggie Shipstead

summer reading guide 19

what your faves sh s be reading this sum su harry styles should read ghosts.

We all know Harry isn’t afraid to be a vulnerable king, so I think he would really dig a book that’s not scared of its emotions.

Enter GHOSTS, a novel about a woman who is ghosted by her latest date, as she’s dealing with friendship troubles, a looming work deadline, and a crushing health crisis. Our lyrical man will love Alderton’s soulful writing.

lady gaga should read a special place for women.

Gaga’s obviously known for being a little weird, but she still has huge mainstream appeal, which is 100% the way I would describe this book.

A journalist infiltrates an exclusive all-women co-working space and learns some incredibly shocking secrets. Hankin isn’t afraid to get wacky in here, and the result is a truly readable and unforgettable story.

dolly parton should read it happened one summer.

We all know Miss Dolly is known for being incredibly glam, so she would certainly be all about Piper’s story as she heads to a small town and promptly falls for the rough around the edges fisherman. After all, Dolly’s written some of the best love songs around, so it’s safe to say she loves a good rom-com!

20 summer reading guide

should hould ummer mmer

ever read a book and think to yourself, “wow, harry styles would love this one?” just me? i picked six of my fave celebs (don’t judge me for kim k!) and paired them with their perfect book.

john mayer should read the final revival of opal and nev.

John’s scheduled to be on tour all summer with Dead and Company, so why not bring this musical pick along with him? Opal and Nev is the perfect blend of history and rock and roll, and is truly an unforgettable story about the 1970s music scene that’s not afraid to tackle some tougher topics like racism in the industry.

kim kardashian should read the boys’ club.

To celebrate passing the Baby Bar (I know I wasn’t the only one who teared up during that scene), Kim K needs a copy of this one ASAP! Set in the world of NYC Big Law, this novel peels back the curtain and reveals what it’s like to be a high-profile lawyer working in the wild world of Mergers and Acquisitions.

andy cohen should read the hunting wives.

It’s no secret that Andy Cohen loves Housewife drama. I mean, it’s the empire he built his entire career on! THE HUNTING WIVES is soapy, gossipy, and just plain fun as it chronicles some well-to-do women who aren’t afraid to get a little deadly. I can just picture this book on Andy’s shelves in the Watch What Happens Live lounge, can’t you?

summer reading guide 21

stranger than cultish

by Amanda Montell Where CULTISH shines is that instead of focusing on cults in general, Montell focuses on the way cults rise to power through their use of language. We focus on not only the cults we’ve all grown up knowing about like Scientology and Jonestown, but cults that are even more apparent in our own lives — think SoulCycle, MLMs and wellness influencers. The second half of the book, where the narrative zeroes on these more niche cults is honestly pure perfection. Her takes on everything from the way MLMers send you those obnoxious DMs to the world’s fascination with Peloton are thought-provoking + immensely fun to read. I especially loved how Montell injects herself into the narrative, whether it’s through personal stories or conversations with friends. This gave the book such a chatty feel!

22 summer reading guide

sex with presidents

from hollywood with love

This nonfiction pick dives deep into the scandalous sex lives of America’s presidents and other big-name political figures, from Alexander Hamilton’s affairs to John F. Kennedy’s penchant for swimming nude with White House staffers to the Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky saga. I enjoyed this one and thought it was a really interesting take on presidential history (which I’ve notoriously needed out over for my entire life). It was equal parts gossipy and informative and Herman really nailed the tone necessary to make a book of this nature work. While I personally I found myself enjoying the book more as we got into the 20th century (because that’s the time period I’m most interested in!), I thought this one was fascinating and learned a lot about presidential history.

Did I rewatch the Nora Ephron oeuvre after reading this? But of course! Meslow deep dives into the behind the scenes of some of the world’s most revered rom-coms, charting the genre’s rise in the 1980s/1990s, its downfall in the 2000s, and its recent streaming era resurgence. Each chapter focuses on a different movie. We’ve got everything from MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING to THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY to TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE. I loved the variety, and even really enjoyed the chapters on the movies I haven’t even seen.

Scattered throughout are essays about certain power players of the genre, which were fun highlights.

Super fun & informative read if you like behind the scenes details of the making of these movies!

by Eleanor Herman

by Scott Meslow

n fiction not all diamonds and rosé

by Dave Quinn I knew I was going to love this from the second I opened up the book and was greeted by a timeline of Real Housewives history. Bravo tapped Dave Quinn to write this book, granting him interviews with all of the Housewives, producers, and King Andy Cohen himself. The result? A play-by-play of Housewives history, told by the Housewives themselves. The Housewives are probably one of the best subsets of people for an oral history: every other word out of most of their mouths is simultaneously one of the most ridiculous and most hilarious things I’ve ever heard, so a book full of their ramblings was exactly what I needed in life. Each chapter is full of behind the scenes details and info from the franchise.

Not a lot of actual tea here (after all, it was sanctioned by Bravo), but still a fab read!

i love nonfiction, but sometimes, it gets a little too heavy to make for a good summer read. never fear, i rounded up a few nonfic picks that won’t put you to sleep, promise!

anna

house of gucci

by Amy Odell

by Sara Gay Forden

At first, I was beyond stoked for this book, then a little bummed when I read that Anna refused to be interviewed, then super excited again once headlines about all of the details included began to drop.

This book is beyond fascinating, and it delivers on all of the Anna and Vogue gossip that I was hoping for when I first learned about this book. While it’s obviously best enjoyed if you’re really into the media landscape and magazine history, it’s also pretty much an IRL version of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, which as we all know, is based on working for Anna Wintour at Vogue. This book is meticulously researched, brilliantly written and reported, and incredibly fun to read. I think this book is closest we’ll ever get to understanding Anna (she said she will never write a memoir), and I loved every second of diving into her life and career.

HOUSE OF GUCCI is not only a look into the murder of Maurizio planned by his ex-wife Patrizia, but a deep dive into the history of the brand and family. Don’t go into this one expecting it to be a true crime pick all about the murder and trial.

While that plays prominently into the book, there’s a ton of fashion history, family drama and business detail incorporated throughout.

It’s well-reported and was clearly meticulously researched. The family is huge, so there are a lot of names + different personalities going on here. It was fun to see people like Tom Ford and Stella McCartney name dropped here (this was published in 2001) as they were building their careers into becoming the household names they are today. Lots of fashion industry nuts and bolts: Forden was a fashion reporter and that expertise shines in this one!

summer reading guide 23

in the mo (very specific)

if you want to cry (in a cool way) try...

if you want something a lil bonkers, try...

if you’re sadly cooped up all summer, try...

sorrow and bliss

nothing to see here

the view was exhausting

This book is easily one of my favorite things I’ve read in 2022.

It’s darkly funny, extremely vulnerable, and painfully honest, as Martha, who has struggled with mental health and not feeling “all there” for her entire life, finally learns what’s wrong with her. What follows is her journey to reclaiming her life, as she navigates her (unnamed) diagnosis.

Such a weirdo little book that I have so, so, SO much love for.

Lillian and Madison were boarding school roommates. Now, Madison is married to a U.S. Senator, and Madison needs a nanny for his two children. Lillian agrees, only to find that the children who inexplicably catch on fire. What follows is a book that manages to be funny, sweet, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all at once. Perfect.

by Meg Mason

24 summer reading guide

by Kevin Wilson

by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta If you’re craving a vacation, but that little thing called work is getting in the way, try this Hollywood-themed romance that takes readers all around the world, and gives a glimpse at the no-so great side of fame. A-list actress Win, and her boyfriend Leo are one of the world’s most beloved celeb couples. The problem? Their relationship is purely PR.

ood

ever have one of those very specific moods where you just know the perfect book that embodies that exact feeling is out there, you just can’t quite capture it? i wracked my brain for a few of these moods and came up with six pairings that, tbh, are practically perfect in every way.

if you want to relive the good old days, try...

if you want to break your brain in the best way,try...

if you want something cozy and sweet,try...

fresh

long division

these precious days

Not a day goes by where I’m not thinking about my college days (because now I’m old and washed up). FRESH is one of the best college-set novels I’ve ever read.

It gets everything SO right: the raucous parties, the realization that you actually have to study to do well in school, the struggle with making friends, and the ultimate realization of who you are and who you want to be. Bonus points: this book is funny.

I’m a huge Kiese Laymon fan (read his memoir HEAVY if you haven’t), and this novel, which is freshly revised, is an absolute masterclass in storytelling and structure, with two parallel narratives. In 2013, City is sent to live with his grandma, where he reads a book called LONG DIVISION, which is about a Mississippi teen named City, but in 1985. Suddenly, City time travels back to the 1960s, where he must save his family from the KKK.

by Caitlin Barasch

by Caitlin Barasch

by Ann Patchett

Some people hate summer and just want to embody cozy living at all times. Luckily, THESE PRECIOUS DAYS can be your cozy compatriot, even when it’s pushing 100 degrees outside.

Patchett explores everything in here: love, loss, writing, friendship, home and her youth. Every essay feels totally necessary — there’s not one page of filler in here, which is impressive.

summer reading guide 25

your guide to

july r

i don’t know what’s hotter: the temps or all of these new books! terrible joke,

acts of violet

by Margarita Montimore July 5

kaleidoscope

first born

florida woman

by Will Dean

by Deb Rogers

by KJ Dell’Antonia

July 5

July 5

July 5

life ceremony

nsfw

in her boots

reputation

by Cecily Wong

by Sayaka Murray

by Isabel Kaplan

by Sarah Vaughan

July 5

July 5

July 5

July 5

the burning season

the displacements

the finalists

the pallbearers club

by Alison Wisdom

by Bruce Holsinger

July 5

July 5

26 summer reading guide

by David Bell July 5

by Paul Tremblay July 5

releases

i’ll see myself out. but really, super stoked for all 36 (!!!) of these goodies!

tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin July 5

groupies

by Sarah Pricus July 12

the boys

by Katie Hafner July 12

a heavy dose of alison tandy

by Jeff Bishop

any other family

by Eleanor Brown

corinne

by Rebecca Morrow

July 12

July 12

our wives under the sea

sirens and muses

July 12

nothing but the truth

by Holly James

by Julia Armfield

July 12

July 12

the crane wife

by CJ Hauser July 12

the it girl

by Ruth Ware July 12

by Antonia Angress July 12

upgrade

by Blake Crouch July 12

summer reading guide 27

just like home

the bodyguard

by Sarah Gailey

by Katherine Center

July 19

July 19

the daughter of doctor moreau

by Silvia MorenoGarcia

by Barbara Bourland

the work wife

things we do in the dark

July 19

the pink hotel

the retreat

the force of such beauty

by Liska Jacobs

by Sarah Pearse

by Alison B. Hart

July 19

July 19

July 19

July 19

by Jennifer Hillier July 19

long story short

by Serena Kaylor July 26

the half life of valery k

by Natasha Pulley July 26

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the last to vanish

the new neighbor

July 26

July 26

by Megan Miranda

by Karen Cleveland

unexpected faves sometimes you read a book that you love so much, it shocks you. here are three of my faves!

project hail mary

by Andy Weir

Did I just read nearly 500 pages about SPACE and SCIENCE and enjoy it? PROJECT HAIL MARY follows Ryland Grace, a high school teacher who wakes up disoriented and alone on a spaceship that’s on a last-ditch mission to save the Earth. As his memories begin coming back to him, he realizes that he’s the only person left who can save the planet from extinction, something that seems possible thanks to the emergence of an unexpected ally.

While there’s a ton of science in this book, it never bogged down the reading experience. Where this novel really shines is in the level of humanity and emotion Weir included. The level of emotion heightened with each flashback to Ryland’s past before he was on the ship as we learned how truly dire the situation was. And allll of the love for Rocky, truly one of my new favorite literary characters.

true biz

black cake

by Sara Nović

by Charmaine Wilkerson

TRUE BIZ is funny, emotional, heartfelt, and so eye-opening about Deaf culture. Set at River Valley School For The Deaf, TRUE BIZ follows Charlie, a new student who has grappled with being a Deaf person who has never really interacted with other Deaf people until coming to the school; Austin, a student who is practically royalty at River Valley, and February, the headmistress who is fighting for her school and students at a time when their future is in peril. This is the perfect balance of character-driven narrative and propulsive plot. It’s also INCREDIBLY informative about Deaf culture and American Sign Language. As Charlie learns ASL throughout the book, we get a sneak peek into what that experience is like, complete with illustrated worksheets that are equal parts informative and entertaining. An encompassing portrait that’s equal parts coming of age novel and exploration of Deaf culture!

Byron and Benny, estranged siblings, reunite after their mother’s death to listen to a recording she left them revealing the truth about her past. What follows is a truly unforgettable story of triumph, survival, and perseverance that takes readers from the Caribbean to California.

Y’all know that I don’t love historical fiction, but this? This book is a MASTER CLASS in weaving history and Caribbean cultural references into a dual timeline story. Truly a family saga in every way. Wilkerson also nails the emotion and the reveals throughout are perfectly paced, and garner the maximum emotional impact. The chapters are also super short, which makes the rhythm of the book move steadily and definitely had me flipping the pages at max speed.

summer reading guide 29

thrillers thrillers did someone say

thrillers?

thrillers thrillers 30 summer reading guide

if you want a campus novel (even though it’s summer), try in my dreams i hold a knife by ashley winstead Even though it’s summer, I still adore a campus novel. This has literally EVERYTHING I love about a thriller: rich people problems, takes place on a college campus, multiple POVs, more details and layers of the story peeled back as it goes on. We follow Jessica, a member of the East House Seven, a powerful and popular group at an exclusive Southern college. During their senior year, one of the members was brutally murdered in her bed — and a fellow East House Seven member took the fall. A decade later, with the group shattered due to the tragedy, they return to campus for their reunion, where they uncover the truth about what happened ten years earlier. This book is nearly impossible to put down — it’s well-written, suspenseful and has twists that I legitimately didn’t see coming.

if you need a juicy, gossipy, & quick beach thriller,

try the lion’s den by katherine st. john

Who does love rich people with killer tendencies as they go on luxe vacations?

Belle and her group of friends who spend the week on a luxurious yacht in the Mediterranean courtesy of her best friend Summer and her much older and very wealthy new boyfriend. As the week goes on, things aren’t quite as they seem, as the guests are treated like prisoners, only there to make John look good for his business deals, seen and not heard. The tension comes to a head as Belle witnesses Summer doing something incredibly terrifying, turning a dream vacation into a life or death situation. This is the perfect blend of lifestyle porn and pageturning thriller. St. John really lets the suspense simmer in here. This book pairs PERFECTLY with a pool day.

if you love workplace novels with a stalker-y twist,

try just one look by lindsay cameron

Cassie, a disgraced lawyer, picks up a temp job at a tony NYC law firm, where she soon becomes enamored by Forest, a lawyer whose entire inbox has ended up in the audit she’s working on. She uses his emails to her advantage and begins to morph into Forest’s dream woman. The premise was creative, but plausible (I loathe when a thriller feels like it could never happen IRL). I tend to really enjoy workplace novels, so I thought this was the best of both worlds. It’s also perfectly quick and snappy. I think most thriller readers can agree: we don’t need 100 extra pages of fluff and red herrings. If the book can be told in 250 pages, then do it! I tore through this one in a day and highly recommend!

summer reading guide 31

if you need something quick you can read in a day,

try the last flight by julie clark

Claire Cook is desperate to escape her life, which to an outsider, seems perfect.

She’s the wife of Rory Cook, a Senate hopeful from a Kennedy-esque family, but behind closed doors, Rory is manipulative and abusive. Claire has spent months staging a plan to escape but a chance meeting at an airport bar derails the entire plot, as Claire meets Eva, another woman who is desperate to escape her own life. They make a last-minute ticket switch, with Claire taking Eva’s flight to Oakland and Eva heading to Puerto Rico with Claire’s ticket. When the flight to Puerto Rico crashes, leaving no survivors, Claire decides to assume Eva’s old life in Oakland, learning a slew of dangerous secrets about the life Eva left behind.⁣

if you’re interested in tales of travel gone wrong, try we were never here by andrea bartz Emily and Kristen are best friends who live across the world from each other. They reunite with a huge trip once a year, this time in Chile. After a night out, Kristen brings a man back to her hotel room and kills him in self-defense, leaving Emily to help her deal with the aftermath. If that’s not bad enough, the same exact thing happened the year before in Cambodia, with Kristen killing a backpacker who was assaulting Emily. Emily is left reeling and paranoid after the murders. When Kristen resurfaces and comes back to live in Milwaukee just blocks away from Emily, Emily begins to wonder if the murders really were a horrible coincidence or if Kristen isn’t who she claims she is. You could feel the tension building in Emily and Kristen’s relationship, and I loved seeing the crime escalate in the media.

if you can’t get enough rich people problems, try good rich people by eliza jane brazier This was so dark and weird and I am simply obsessed. In a land full of thrillers about missing wives and double lives, this book shakes it ALLLLL up and is one of the most original and unique premises I’ve ever read. Demi moves into the guesthouse of a rich couple who makes it their life mission to destroy the lives of their guests.

They usually succeed, but this time, Demi is one step ahead as she evades the couple’s games and tricks. This book feels like THE STEPFORD WIVES, but cranked up a few notches. Loved it!

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if books about toxic relationships are your go-to, try too good to be true by carola lovering

Skye has always struggled romatically, in part due to her OCD. She meets Burke, an older man, who sweeps her off of her feet. Skye’s head over heels in love and they’re quickly married. The catch? Burke is still married to his childhood sweetheart Heather, and is using Skye (and her trust fund) in a twisted scheme to save his marriage and bring his family back from financial ruin. This book pretty much checks all of my boxes. Rich people problems? Yup. New York City?

Of course! Love triangle? Got it! I loved the multiple POVs: we have Skye in real time, Burke through diary entries and Heather, set thirty years earlier as a teen dating Burke. Lovering is a master of writing romantic suspense and toxic relationships, and I loved getting into the heads of these master manipulators.

pov: you love books narrated by a psychopath, try never saw me coming by vera kurian Ever wished you could read a book told from the perspective of the villian? You’re in luck! Chloe is invited to join a study for people with psychpathic tendencies at Adams University, where she is enrolled as a freshman. Other things on the freshman year agenda? Chloe plans to kill Will, a boy who wronged her years earlier. She’s thrown for a loop when she finds that someone is planning to kill everyone involved in the study, and it’s a game of cat-and-mouse to find the culprit before she becomes the next one to be killed. I loved getting in the heads of characters who know they’re bad people. It’s not often that we get to read from the POV of proclaimed psychopaths, and it was a really interesting spin on the typical thriller.

if you’re looking for a mystery, not a thriller, try the last thing he told me by laura dave Hannah and Owen appear to have a perfect marriage. Well, perfect until he mysteriously disappears, leaving only a note that reads “Protect her.” Hannah immediately knows that Owen is referring to his teenage daughter Bailey, whose mother tragically died when she was a child. While Hannah and Bailey don’t have the best relationship, Hannah tirelessly tries to make things right between them.

As Hannah keeps trying to reach out to Owen, his boss is arrested for fraud and the FBI begins to swarm. With no other choice, Hannah and Bailey flee to search for Owen, a hunt that will bring them closer together than they ever imagined.

The best part of this one is that it’s so easy to power through in a day. The chapters are short and the action keeps on coming!

summer reading guide 33

If you’re obsessed with books about books (aka me), try who is maud dixon? by alexandra andrews Florence Darrow is a low-level publishing employee who dreams of being a writer.

After a mishap at work, she ends up getting a new job as the assistant to Maud Dixon, a successful novelist who writes under a pseudonym. Florence learns that Maud is really named Helen and she quickly falls under her spell. Helen decides that the pair needs to go to Morocco for a research trip for Helen’s newest novel.

On that fateful trip, a tragic car accident leaves Florence in the hospital, with Helen nowhere to found. Unsure of what to do, Florence decides to assume Helen’s identity, which turns out to be more complicated than she thought. This book is so twisty and the writing is impeccably sharp. The Moroccan setting is perfect, and all of the book and publishing details? Obsessed.

if you’re into twisty character-driven thrillers,

try bath haus by p.j. vernon

When Oliver’s doctor boyfriend Nathan is away for work, he visits a gay bathhouse where he is brutally assaulted. He forms a series of lies about the encounter to ensure Nathan won’t find out about his cheating attempt, which quickly backfires as he struggles to hold it all together. Fair warning, this one gets dark. It’s also far more character-driven than I anticipated, which I think actually really works for this story. I loved getting inside Oliver’s head and trying to determine if he was a reliable narrator. It also helps that Vernon is a really great writer, and he weaves plot points together perfectly to build the suspense. There are also enough twists in there to help the ending feel fresh, while infusing commentary on trust and betrayal in relationships.

if you like your suspense with a side of politics, try while justice sleeps by stacey abrams Avery Keene is trying to keep it all together. She’s juggling a clerkship for Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn and caring for her addict mother. When Justice Wynn slips into a coma, Avery’s life changes as she’s named his legal guardian and power of attorney, bypassing his family and setting off a media firestorm. As Avery dives into his files, she finds that Justice Wynn has been researching a dangerous conspiracy and that he has left behind a series of clues, creating an IRL chess game. If this doesn’t become a movie, I’m gonna lose it. The pacing is so cinematic, and I could see it play out on page as I read. The way Avery unraveled the most obscure clues in truly inventive ways was beyond engrossing. This is also a total genre-bender: thriller, politics, suspense, and even a hint of romance!

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cover story

some books are just blessed with a cover that’s just as good as the novel itself.

the interestings

the office of historical corrections

A long read that follows friends who met at summer camp.

Short fiction with a huge impact, centering on race, class, and history.

the people we keep

small fry

wahala

Steve Jobs’ daughter tells all about her tumultuous childhood.

A group of Nigerian women are thrown for a loop when a new woman befriends them.

by Meg Wolitzer

by Allison Larkin A 1990s-set novel about music and the power of found family.

by Danielle Evans

by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

friends and strangers

by J. Courtney Sullivan A character-driven pick about a woman and her college-age babysitter.

by Nikki May

summer reading guide 35

the story of going there

from the corner of the oval

If you’re a) a journalism junkie, b) a memoir lover, c) someone who watches the Today Show every morning, or d) all of the above — you need this book. Couric mentions it all here, from her childhood to her rise in the ranks of TV news fame to the death of her first husband and finding love again. She is incredibly honest throughout — it really feels like she holds nothing back, which I love in a celebrity memoir. She talks about her relationship with Matt Lauer and contemplates the role she played in his sexual assault and workplace harassment, wondering if there were signs that she chose to ignore because of their friendship. She also discusses the way her career changed postToday, which I thought was really interesting and candid, given her stints on CBS News and on her own talk show didn’t quite go as she hoped.

by Beck Dorey-Stein

by Katie Couric

36 summer reading guide

FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL is Beck DoreyStein’s memoir of the years she spent working as a White House stenographer. She details EVERYTHING about her years working in the White House: plane rides on Air Force One, trips with her co-workers, her love life, her dreams of being a writer. DoreyStein seemed to hold nothing back — she shares everything, no matter how heartbreaking or embarrassing.

This book was also an incredible ode to the Obama Administration.

The ending chapters, where his presidency is coming to an end will make you tear up, guaranteed.

All of the little anecdotes about President Obama and his staffers were my favorite part of the book.

I really thought this book did a really great job at showing Obama’s personality while still treating him and his position with respect.

mergers and acquisitions

by Cate Doty

A memoir about being a weddings writer for the New York Times?

Sign me TF up! Born and bred in the South, Doty moves to New York City to work for the New York Times. When she finds herself assigned to the weddings desk, she’s thrown into the world of society weddings, where she must interview people who attempt to bend the rules to ensure they’ll end up in print, and tirelessly works to fact check the announcements — and learns some shocking truths about some of the world’s most compelling couples. In between these anecdotes, Doty weaves in moments from her own love story, and adds in a pinch of cultural history and commentary of weddings and the way the coverage of them in the New York Times has evolved over the years.

my life crying in h mart

by Michelle Zauner This book hit me like a gut punch.

CRYING IN H MART follows Michelle Zauner (who you might know as Japanese Breakfast) through her childhood growing up in Oregon as she attempts to push away her Korean heritage, her move away from home, her mother’s cancer diagnosis and death, and her grieving process.

The crux through the entire book is the Korean food Zauner associates with her mother, and the way these traditions force a reckoning with her identity. I could have read a million more pages of this book.

When writers connect food with their memories and dive into the emotional context these meals have — that’s a reading experience on a whole new level. This is one of those books that’s totally deserving of the praise it gets — searingly honest, emotionally charged, and beautifully written.

when you think summer reading, a memoir might not be your go-to, and that’s a shame, because these? right here? they’re what summer reading dreams are made of.

dilettante

in the weeds

This is 100% going to be one of my favorite books of 2022. Brown was plucked from the waitstaff at a restaurant frequented by the who’s who of Condé Nast, and offered a gig as Graydon Carter’s assistant at Vanity Fair. Graydon Carter’s Vanity Fair is truly my dream magazine, so reading about the behind the scenes, and what it was like to work for such an incredible editor was an absolute joy. I loved all of the stories Brown included about the behind the scenes and day to day of what it was like to work for one of the world’s most influential magazines. I also loved how this was truly a book of the underdog rising up and making his way into the New York media scene, notoriously one of the toughest places to fit in. Brown is funny and snarky and truly doesn’t shy away from anything in here. I was enthralled the entire time, and was honestly sad when it was over.

I’m a massive Anthony Bourdain fan and have been making it a priority to read everything by/ about him that I can get my hands on. Tom Vitale, Bourdain’s long-time director and producer, recounts working and traveling with Bourdain. He discusses everything from dangerous trips to Libya to thrilling car rides into Manhattan with Bill Murray. Don’t go into this one expecting food writing à la KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL. While Vitale touches on some of the food, this book really shines with the travel + production details. I really loved how honest and vulnerable Vitale was about working with Bourdain. While a lot of the book does read like a eulogy to one of the world’s most interesting food personalities, Vitale doesn’t shy away from revealing how difficult Bourdain could be to work with.

by Dana Brown

by Tom Vitale

summer reading guide 37

what’s your summ

school might be out for summer, but over here, the quizzes never stop (this one’s

what are your summer plans looking like?

work, work, work

camping! vacay all day! i’m going...

beachin’ it

i’m jealous! head to page 18 for some paperbacks to toss in your beach bag!

38 summer reading guide

early bird or night owl? pm

on a quick little jaunt to europe

what are we watching on the plane?

prob tiktok

bachelor marathon

live out your best hot girl summer with the recs on page 42!

mer reading vibe?

s fun!). bet i can predict exactly what type of read you’re looking for this summer!

so, what are you reading on your lunch break? a character driven read

something fast-paced! thrillers are calling your name. go to page 30 for some recs.

turn to page 62 for some incredibly messy family dramas. binge a new series with a rec from page 61.

kick off your day with a nonfic pick on page 22.

am

the new season of stranger things!

we love the ‘80s! for other recs by decade, head to page 50!

for more summer love, flip to page 12 for all the romance. summer reading guide 39

feel like a kid ki anatomy

by Dana Schwartz Hazel is a 17-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a surgeon in Victorian England. She dresses like a boy so she can sneak into anatomy classes, where she excels, until a professor blows her cover and kicks her out of class. She strikes up a deal: she can’t come back to class, but if she studies on her own and passes the big exam, then she can resume her surgeon dreams. The issue? Hazel needs bodies to practice on. Enter Jack, a resurrection man who steals dead bodies. The two begin to not only fall for each other, but piece together some startling coincidences. This is a mix of so many different genres: coming of age, historical fiction, romance, with splashes of horror, fantasy, and thriller throughout. Hazel was so easy to root for — if you love a character who stops at nothing to achieve her dreams, you’ll be obsessed with her.

40 summer reading guide

this is not the jess show

by Anna Carey

OMFG, y’all need this one in your life STAT. When I say I could not put this book down, I truly mean that I could NOT put this book down. Jess seems like your average teenager in 1998 suburbia. She’s just trying to keep it all together, even though she might be in love with her best guy friend and her sister is struggling with some serious medical issues. When a tiny silver rectangle with an apple on it falls out of her friend’s backpack one day in the locker room, she’s taken aback. She’s never seen it before and her friend is getting a little too defensive. Why? Because it’s 1998 and the first iPhone won’t be out for nearly a decade. What follow is one of the most wild rides I’ve read in a looooong time. This is easily one of the most unique books I’ve read in a minute. The pacing was PERFECT, the 90s setting was so fun and the twists!

blackout

BLACKOUT has such an ambitious premise, but it delivers big time. Six YA authors (Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon) wrote interconnecting short stories that add up to a novel set in New York City during a blackout caused by a heatwave. I loved this idea so much. When I think of New York, I always think of the way every single person in such a bustling city has their own story, and I think this book really highlighted that idea. Each chapter is a love story set in some of New York’s most iconic places: the subway, the public library, on a walk down Broadway, and on a tour bus. While I liked some stories more than others, they all worked really well together in conjunction. It was so fun to see each author’s individual writing style (I would LOVE to see a behind the scenes of how they wrote this!).

d again id they’ll never catch us

by Jessica Goodman

Ellie and Stella Steckler are unstoppable cross country runners. Stella is attempting to rebound after an incident the season before left her reeling. Her comeback might be hindered by the arrival of Mila, a cross country phenom who just transferred to her school. Ellie’s feeling the pressure of trying to live up to Stella’s cross country success, while struggling with a dark secret. To make matters worse, their cross country obsessed town was also the backdrop to three gruesome murders of members of the female cross country team, a legacy the Steckler sisters are trying to overcome. When Mila is found dead, both Ellie and Stella find themselves in the middle of the investigation. The cross country angle, the backstory with the other deaths, and the sister relationship all worked together perfectly.

whether you were counting down the hours until the end of high school or those were your glory days, you have to admit there’s something special about a good ole ya novel.

pumpkin

by Julie Murphy Murphy’s books should be required reading in schools because they encompass the teen experience SO well. In PUMPKIN, we meet Waylon, a fat, gay high schooler who just wants to break out of his small Texas town for city life in Austin with his twin sister. After a series of unfortunate events, Waylon decides to go for it and embrace his inner drag persona.

When his drag video is shared with his entire school, he enters into a prom queen campaign, a choice that will forever change his life.

Waylon is one of my new favorite characters. Impossible not to root for him and his drag-loving, Prom Queen self! This book is so funny, so heart-tugging and is the personification of the “eyes filled with tears” emoji. Easily my favorite of Murphy’s novels. I need this one to become a movie ASAP!

take me home tonight

by Morgan Matson

Two best friends have planned the perfect night out in New York.

They’re going to take the train, head out to a fancy dinner and see a show. But their night is about to get a lot crazier than they ever dreamed as lost phones, missed connections and new friends throw a wrench in their plans. I really liked this one. It was incredibly chaotic, but in a fun way. It was kind of the perfect book to read if you love and miss New York because it really bottled up the feeling of being in the city. Reading this reminded me that I don’t read nearly enough books about best friends and this one was so cute. It’s the type of book that’ll make you want to call your best friends and have one of those long, powerhour FaceTime sessions.

summer reading guide 41

hot girl sum

by Liv Stratman

the arc

by Tory Henwood Hoen

rock the boat

Kit is obsessed with fad diets and cleanses, attempting a new one every few months in her quest to achieve her perfect body. She doesn’t feel fulfilled in her career as a manager at her sister’s bakery and her marriage feels stagnant.

When she falls for a carpenter doing work at the bakery, she embarks on an affair that could have detrimental consequences for her life. I loved the writing in this one (very character-driven with the perfect amount of plot to move the story along) and the themes this one explored. I particularly loved the threads about dieting and food. Kit is obviously a super messy character, and I loved getting inside of her head. It’s one of those slice of life books that’s emotional, funny, and incredibly self-aware.

Ursula, a 35-year-old who has always put her career over finding love, participates in The Arc, a dating service that guarantees you will find your perfect match.

She meets Rafael, and the two fall in love immediately. But how perfect can their fully optimized relationship be? The premise of this one is SO unique and turns the concept of dating apps on its head.

The chapters are short and snappy, and the novel strikes the perfect balance of love story and satire.

The Arc is such a strange concept, but Hoen does a really great job not getting too bogged down in the weirdness of the service. The writing is detailed and a bit snarky.

I loved how this is both a super memorable love story and a novel that totally wrecks modern dating culture.

ROCK THE BOAT is one of those summer reads that has the perfect amount of depth — it’s easy and quick, but the character development and themes are spot on. After being together for over a decade, Kate is anticipating an engagement, not a break up. She’s shocked when her boyfriend ends things, leaving her jobless and without a place to live. Kate has no choice but to head home to Sea Point, a sleepy beach town that might just be a hidden New Jersey gem. She reconnects with old friends — Ziggy, who is struggling with his father’s recent death and Miles, the Prince of Sea Point who has returned home to lay claim to his family’s wildly successful business. Over the course of the summer, their stories converge as they figure out what they really want. This book is fab! Funny, wellwritten and exciting, with super memorable and likeable characters!

cheat day

42 summer reading guide

by Beck Dorey-Stein

mmer

it’s no secret that hot girls read. but the hottest girls of them all spend their summer reading books that toe the line between beach read and literary fiction. bonus: they all have the best covers. perfect for bragging about your good taste on instagram.

milk fed

embassy wife

palm beach

Rachel, a young woman living in Los Angeles, has let her Jewish faith lapse, instead focusing her devout attention to calorie restriction and obsessive food rituals. She allots part of her calories to a treat from a frozen yogurt shop every day, until one day at the shop, Miriam, a new employee disregards Rachel’s food requests. Rachel soon becomes enthralled by Miriam, and begins to fall for her, allowing Miriam to share her Jewish faith and traditions with her. This one is not for the faint of heart: some of the scenes get rather graphic, while other elements (especially the food scenes) might be a little triggering for anyone who deals with their own food issues. I think that Brodeur is an incredible writer.

This hits right in my literary fiction sweet spot: perfect for your hot girl summer moment.

A group of American women living in Namibia, brought there because of their husbands’ jobs. How unique and interesting! This one lived up to that gorgeous cover and tantalizing blurb. We have Persephone, a brilliant and beautiful wife whose husband might be secretly working for the CIA. She takes newcomer Amanda under her wing, and finds that Amanda’s husband might be in Namibia for more nefarious reasons. This book is hilarious.

It’s snarky and biting while also making some really interesting commentary about wealth, class and race abroad. I’m positive that this is the first book I’ve ever read that takes place in Namibia.

Crouch has first-hand experience living there, which I thought really elevated the book and gave the novel an interesting perspective.

Well-plotted, but focuses a lot on character, which I love!

PALM BEACH skewers rich people problems in the best way possible. In this novel, Adkins explores the dichotomy of wealth through the lens of a Palm Beach billionaire and the family that works for them. Rebecca, a freelance journalist, and Mickey leave their New York lifestyle behind when Mickey is offered a well-paying job as a house manager in Palm Beach. There, Rebecca works on her column exploring wealth inequality while Mickey spends his days coordinating landscapers and transcribing emails. When an unforeseen circumstance involving their infant son arises, Rebecca must abandon her trepidation about the uber-wealthy and accept their help. I loved all of the details about the wealthy ways of the Palm Beach characters we meet and thought that they gave the novel an insider-y feel.

by Melissa Broder

by Katie Crouch

by Mary Adkins

summer reading guide 43

your guide to

augus

summer might be coming to an end (i know, i’m sad about it too), but there’s stil

a career in books

by Kate Gavino

by Joanna Cannon

a tidy ending

alias emma

August 2

August 2

August 2

by Ava Glass

how to fall out of love madly

by Jana Casale August 2

husband material

by Alexis hall August 2

mercury pictures presents

by Anthony Marra August 2

44 summer reading guide

just another love song

love in the time of serial killers

mademoiselle revolution

by Kerry Winfrey

by Alicia Thompson

August 2

August 2

August 2

thank you for listening

the feeling of falling in love

by Lauren Forsythe

by Julia Whelan

by Mason Deaver

August 2

August 2

by Zoe Sivak

the fixer upper August 2

st releases

ll one month of prime summer reading left. celebrate with one of these new reads!

the hookup plan

by Farrah Rochon August 2

the many daughters of afong moy

by Jamie Ford

the unfortunates

by J.K. Chukwu August 2

August 2

August 2

mika in real life

stay awake

by Emiko Jean

by Megan Goldin

August 9

the women could fly

by Megan Giddings August

August 9

you’re invited

by Amanda Jaytissa August 9

when we were bright and beautiful

by Jillian Medoff

the family remains

the last karankawas

by Lisa Jewell

by Kimberly Garza

August 9

August 9

all good people here

room and board

by Ashley Flowers

by Miriam Parker August 16

August 16

summer reading guide 45

run time

by Catherine Ryan Howard August 16

haven

by Sarah J. Maas August 23

sophie go’s lonely hearts

by Roselle Lim

by Ashley Winstead

August 16

August 16

love on the brain

on the subject of unmentionable things

by Ali Hazelwood August 23

carrie soto is back

by Taylor Jenkins Reid August 30

46 summer reading guide

the last housewife

daisy darker

by Alice Feeney August 30

by Julia Walton August 23

nothing more to tell

by Karen M. McManus August 30

girl, forgotten

by Karin Slaughter August 23

please join us

by Catherine McKenzie August 23

the final gambit

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes August 16

a quick guide to

hannah orenstein every single one of these is the perfect summer read: quick, fun, smart, and romantic.

if you’re done with dating apps, read playing with matches

Sasha is a recent NYU grad who is thrown for a loop when her internship can’t hire her.

Instead, she ends up at Bliss, a swanky matchmaking service. She’s immediately thrown into the world of matchmaking and NYC dating, something she’s never experienced because she’s been with her Jonathan, her Wall Street finance-bro boyfriend for years.

She learns to navigate dating apps and scours the Internet for creative first date ideas.

When Jonathan betrays Sasha, she’s blindsided and immediately turns to Adam, a Southern NYC-transplant and editor at Esquire who she previously set up with one of her clients, even though she knows she’s majorly breaking the rules and is risking her job.

if you’re into influencers, you gotta do love at first like

Eliza runs an up-and-coming Brooklyn jewelry store. When she accidentally posts a photo of her wearing an engagement ring to her feed, she finds that it majorly boosts the store’s cred and could be the ticket to success for her company. The only issue? Now, she has to find a groom to keep the charade going. I think this might actually be my favorite of Hannah’s novels! It’s quick and fun and while the influencer/social media tie makes it feel modern, the characters and themes are timeless. It’s also full of nods to New York City, whether it’s restaurants being namedropped or quick jaunts to the park.

if the olympics are your fave, head over heels is a must

Avery, a former Olympic gymnastics hopeful who suffered a career-ending injury at Trials.

She flounders for a while, and a break-up with her NFL quarterback boyfriend is the push she needs to leave LA and head for home, where she accepts a coaching position for a gymnastic with her own Olympic dreams. Throw in some sparks with another coach and you have an unputdownable read! Where this book shines is in the way Orenstein expertly weaves together the fun rom-com elements with tough topics like sexual abuse, toxic relationships and rebuilding your life after a traumatic event. The gymnastics details and behind the scenes add an extra layer to this one for sure!

if you’re like to read the lastest, preorder meant to be mine

MEANT TO BE MINE drops on June 7, so make sure you read all of Hannah’s other novels to prepare! This one follows Edie, whose grandmother has a knack for predicting the exact day every member of their family will meet their soulmate. When Grandma Gloria tells Edie she’s going to meet her one true love on June 24, 2022, Edie boards a plane en route to her twin sister’s engagement, where she’s seated next to a musician who she knows is meant for her. The issue? The timing couldn’t be any worse, as Edie must weather a tragedy and a shocking revelation that might be disastrous for her love life.

summer reading guide 47

perfectly perfectl

if you’ve ever finished a book and instantly wished you could learn

the one where aunt becky went to jail

Might just be me, but I can’t get enough of college admissions scandal material. Start with GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES, a thriller told from the POVs of three women angling to ensure their daughters nab an early admission spot at Stanford, then follow it up with UNACCEPTABLE, which gets in the nitty-gritty of the scandal!

grifters, liars, & scammers, oh my!

COVER STORY is a novel told through emails and diary entries following Lola, a college dropout who begins ghostwriting for the mysterious Cat, an Elle editor.

Once you finish that, pick up MY FRIEND ANNA to get all of the real details about the notorious Anna Delvey, then wrap it all up with a viewing of Inventing Anna.

48 summer reading guide

ly paired

n more about the irl event that inspired it,then this one’s for you.

on mondays, we watch the bachelor.

After reading the behind the scenes of a very Bachelor-like show in THE CHARM OFFENSIVE, learn all of the gameplay behind the IRL franchise so that you can compete for the object of your affections in HOW TO WIN THE BACHELOR (this book, no joke, breaks down step-by-step how to win the show).

Bonkers, but I love it.

justice is (finally) served.

Four friends plagued by toxic and inappropriate bosses in the entertainment industry reveal all through an anonymous blog in SMILE AND LOOK PRETTY. For a nonfiction pick that echoes these themes, SHE SAID is a heavy but all too important read by the journalists who broke the #MeToo story about Harvey Weinstein.

summer reading guide 49

e h t h g u o r th

s e d a c e d

p i r t a

f these o t r a p t t the bes ance is topu b , h c t is top-no ettings! the rom fintely their e c n a m the ro their s ree is de t part of y l h e t t e n s i e f e h d art of t tch, but the bes p three is t s e b e ance is p-no ut th b m o t , o h r s i c e t e h o c t n ttings! e roman e h s t ! r i s e g h n t i sett efintely d s i e e r these th

50 summer reading guide

‘20s

‘40s a touch of stardust

by Kate Alcott

beautiful little fools

by Jillian Cantor

A detective finds a diamond hairpin at the scene of Jay Gatsby’s death.

The detective narrows his search down to three women, who all have precarious histories with Gatsby: Daisy Buchanan, Jordan Baker, and Catherine McCoy (who is Myrtle’s sister). The book unfolds the way each of these women know Gatsby and lays out any possible motivations they might have for murdering the mysterious icon.

This book was so creative and clever in the ways Cantor wove together Easter eggs from the original novel while still keeping the narrative fresh and exciting. Loved all of the period details and loved getting to focus in on the women at the crux of the story. Pick this one up, old sport!

This novel, set in 1939, tracks the making of Gone With The Wind, which ended up being one of the most expensive and tumultuous films ever made. Julie, an Indiana transplant, is trying to make it in Hollywood. She’s given a major opportunity to work in the publicity office for David O. Selznick who is directing Gone With The Wind and is entranced by the way the set incredibly recreates life in the Civil War-era South. Once on the set, Julie is enmeshed with Carole Lombard and Clark Gable as they try to hide their secret relationship.

This one is juicy if you love old Hollywood because it name-drops some real-life legends. It’s full of period detail, and is perfect for you Old Hollywood lovers.

‘30s

the tobacco wives

by Adele Myers THE TOBACCO WIVES opens with Maddie, a teenager in 1940s North Carolina whose father has recently died. Her mother sends her to live with her aunt in Bright Leaf, a town turned wealthy by the tobacco industry. While there, Maddie falls into the moneyed tobacco society: the opulent balls and glitzy socialite gossip, as she becomes the go-to seamstress just in time for gala season. When Maddie begins to uncover scandal in the tobacco industry, she must reconcile the life she’s begun to build with what she knows is right.

The setting and premise are so good. This one is full of perfect period details and is a great coming of age pick.

summer reading guide 51

‘60s a woman of intelligence

mary jane

by Jessica Anya Blau

by Karin Tanabe

Katharina is the daughter of immigrants who has worked her way into the top-tier of New York society, with a doctor husband, two gorgeous sons, and a Fifth Avenue address. Despite this, Katharina is deeply unhappy and feels trapped by her duties at home as she reminisices on her past as a United Nations translator. She gets a respite from the monotony of motherhood when she is approached by the FBI to become an informant after a man from her past becomes a high-level Soviet spy. Katharina was such a complex and thoughtfully written character, and I loved the way she challenged the gender norms of the time to stand up for what she believed in.

‘50s 52 summer reading guide

lessons in chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus Elizabeth Zott is a chemist who’s struggling with being a woman in science in 1960s California, as she is frequently passed over and ignored, despite the fact that she’s on the verge of a major discovery.

Enter Calvin Evans - a Nobel prize nominated chemist who falls in love with Elizabeth. Right as true happiness is in reach, Elizabeth finds herself alone and pregnant.

A few years later, a coincidence at her daughter’s school gives her the opportunity to become the star of a cooking show. Elizabeth becomes the reluctant star of Supper at Six, only to find that her show is teaching women more than how to cook — it’s teaching them to challenge the status quo.

A novel about a girl coming of age in 1970s Baltimore? I was obsessed just from the premise, which follows Mary Jane, a 14-year-old girl who is tapped to nanny for the Cones. Mr. Cone is a therapist who just so happens to have a secret live-in patient: a rock star and his wife. I loved all of the Baltimore references, loved reading about Mary Jane as she learns about the world and leaves the confines of her sheltered life and loved all of the 1970s pop culture details.

Really liked seeing the dichotomy between Mary Jane’s home life + her life while at the Cone’s house.

Even though I usually hate when children are main characters in adult novels, but I thought Izzy (Mary Jane’s charge) was adorable. loved Mary Jane as a protagonist and I could have read about her summer for 300 more pages.

‘70s

‘00s

‘80s this time tomorrow

by Emma Straub

sag harbor

by Colson Whitehead

SAG HARBOR takes on a much lighter tone compared to Whitehead’s other novels, but it’s just as impactful. Benji is a Black teen whose family heads to Sag Harbor every summer. What follows is a coming of age story as Benji escapes his Manhattan home for an enclave of Black families in the Hamptons. This feels like a series of connected short stories that form a novel, which means it’s perfect for picking up where you left off during a busy vacation.

I was honestly surprised by how funny this novel was, and the 80s references added another level of fun (The music! New Coke! All of the fashion!). Whitehead is one of the best living writers, and he has penned the perfect kind of literary beach read for the end of summer.

I’m far from a fantasy/sci-fi buff, but Emma Straub’s latest hits right in the sweet spot of being a fun and frothy take on time travel, and an emotional story that explores the importance of family. On her 40th birthday, Alice feels a bit lost. She’s almost positive her boyfriend (who doesn’t like all that much) is about to propose, her father’s in the hospital, and she wonders if there’s more out there than working as an admissions counselor at the prep school she graduated from. After a drunken night, Alice wakes up the next morning to find she’s back in 1996, it’s her sixteenth birthday, and she might actually have a chance to change how her story ends.

‘90s

the brittanys

by Brittany Ackerman

If you’re into a) coming of age stories, b) character-driven novels, c) the wild world of high school drama, d) 2000s nostalgia, or e) all of the above, then you’re in luck.

It’s 2004 at a Florida prep school, and even though they’re not the most popular girls in school, everyone knows the Brittanys.

They’re a group of five friends navigating high school: boys, puberty, and flaky friendships.

Our narrator and her best friend (Brittany Jensen) are the perfect duo, until Jensen’s interests seem to divulge from those of the rest of the group. The writing was excellent and so many parts of this were so nostalgic about growing up and being in high school that it was almost painful to read because I felt like I was an awkward freshman all over again.

summer reading guide 53

the art of the pretty things

by Janelle Brown

Take the classic grifter/scammer story, throw in an influencer twist, and you’ve got PRETTY THINGS. Despite many warnings, Nina has decided to follow in her mother’s scammer footsteps, running scams to make ends meet. When her mother is diagnosed with cancer and needs crazy money to afford her experimental treatments, Nina turns back to her Lake Tahoe roots, planning a massive scheme on an Instagram influencer who she has old ties to. While this is a long one (almost 500 pages for a thriller is bonkers to me!), it’s well worth it. The alternating POVs make for a nice tempo, and the twists are perfectly timed. I loved the influencer angle and thought it was really fresh and fascinating to read the way Brown incorporated details about social media into the plot.

54 summer reading guide

woman on fire

by Lisa Barr

File this one under books I wasn’t expecting to love so much! Jules is a young and hungry journalist who talks her way into a job with Dan, an investigative reporter who is one of her idols. Dan gives Jules a tricky task. He’s been tapped by a famous shoe designer to locate a painting that had been stolen by the Nazis 75 years earlier, and he needs Jules’ help. What follows is a twisty ride that’s an absolute genre-bender: it’s a romance, a thriller, historical fiction, and a career book about a journalist. Barr takes us around the world and gives us a sneak peek into the world of spies, artists, and art thieves. The mystery behind the painting is compelling, and the way the story wraps up is utterly perfect. Toss this one in your beach bag ASAP!

the talented miss farwell

by Emily Gray Tedrowe Rebecca lives a double life: one as Becky, the devoted accountant who will stop at nothing to see her hometown succeed, and Reba, a fierce art dealer who is secretly using the funds from her town to boost her cache in the art world.

This one was a super quick read — TBH, at times it felt like I was reading a longform article. I didn’t realize it was based on a true story until I read the author’s note, which sent me down a major rabbit hole. Rebecca is a complicated character. While you can’t help but root for her, you also know that something’s going to give and she’s going to get caught, which gives the book an added layer of suspense. I loved the details about the glitzy art scene in 1990s/2000s Manhattan, and tore through this one!

e con portrait of a thief

by Grace D. Li

A group of five Chinese American college students are approached to steal ancient Chinese art back from some of the world’s most prestigious museums. This book is a blend of campus novel, art heist thriller, story of friendship, and, most importantly, an exploration of culture and identity. It takes the art thriller and turns it on its head, as it dives deeply into the idea of reclaiming art that had been stolen centuries earlier. The chapters are short and snappy and the writing is also top-notch. I thought this book read exceptionally fast for a character-driven novel. While the heist scenes and the art history are great, I also really enjoyed the discussion of each character’s experience as they navigate honoring their Chinese heritage and identities in America.

i might be exposing myself here, but i swear, in a past life, i was a con artist. why else would i be so utterly obsessed with stories about scammers, con men, and scandals? luckily, there are so many good con stories coming out. i especially love those that are set in the art world!

fake

white ivy

FAKE follows Emma Caan, who works as an art copier. Art copying is legit — people buy high-quality copies of priceless works of art to display while they keep the actual painting safe. Through her job, Emma meets Lenny Sobetsky, a Russian billionaire who she has copied work for countless times.

Lenny gives her an instant in to the art world she’s dreamed about for so long. As she is further drawn into Lenny’s orbit, Emma realizes that maybe that lifestyle isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Katz is so good at immersing the reader into a workplace that they might not know anything about. The art world details were incredible. Katz clearly researched the heck out of this one, and it shows! It’s easy to see why Emma was riding out her foray into this glitzy world for as long as she could. This doesn’t squarely fit in one genre, so I think it has big appeal for all readers!

On the surface, Ivy Lin looks like a normal young woman but deep down, she’s a liar and a thief. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Ivy was taught by her grandmother to steal which allows Ivy to become the Boston suburban teen she’s always wanted to be. Just as she’s about to get Gideon Speyer, the son of a wealthy political family, to fall for her, she’s sent away to China, then to a new home in New Jersey. Years later, Ivy bumps into Gideon’s sister Sylvia where she finally puts her plan to become a member of their elite family in motion. If you’re into coming of age novels (I am!), there are lots of shades of that in here. It’s also suspenseful and full of plot twists.

The characters are so unlikable and hard to root for — but in a good way! WHITE IVY is definitely a slow burn, but once I got into it, it was hard to put down.

by Erica Katz

by Susie Yang

summer reading guide 55

a little bit of this,

if you’ve ever finished a book and instantly wished you could learn

if you like the setting of dirty dancing and the wacky family dynamics of the nest,, try last nest summer at the golden hotel. hotel.

if you like how younger gets into the nitty-gritty of publishing, and the premise of get out,, try the other out black girl.

56 summer reading guide

a little bit of that

n more about the irl event that inspired it,then this one’s for you.

if you like the drama of gossip girl and the ripped from the headlines premise of the royal we, we, try american royals. royals.

if you like how the stories in love actually are connected and the feel of spring in new york, as seen in you’ve got mail, mail, try it had to be you. you. summer reading guide 57

book lover a novel obsession

happily ever afters

kill all your darlings

This book takes the literary themes and stalker premise of YOU, but is a little less murder-y and a lot more fun. Naomi is an aspiring writer.

She’s in the throes of working on her first novel when she meets and falls for Caleb. Things are going well, until she learns about Rosemary, Caleb’s ex-girlfriend who is also a member of the New York literary scene. Naomi soons becomes enamored by her, and plots to infiltrate Rosemary’s life so she use the implosion of their relationship as fodder for her novel.

This is both a fast-paced pageturner and a character study about a woman grappling with obsession and jealousy. I loved the parts where Rosemary and Naomi traded their own fiction, each presumably scoping out hidden details about the other through her work. A great debut!

Pick this one up if you’re in need of something cute, because I was smiling the entire time I was reading this! Tessa is an aspiring writer who is transferring to a school for the arts. She loves to write love stories, but she doubts her talents, when compared to her classmates, whose work trends a little more literary. To make matters worse, Tessa is facing some serious writer’s block, so her best friend devises a plan: operation make Tessa fall in love and give her lots to write about. Foolproof, right? I loved reading about an aspiring writer, and all of the details about Tessa’s process and her writer’s block were spot on. The romance aspect was super sweet, and I rooted for them the whole time. Def a new YA fave!

THE PLOT was last summer’s buzzy book about the wild world of collegiate fiction programs, and professors who steal. While I thought THE PLOT was good but not great, KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS takes the same idea (I am well-aware of the irony of two books about plagarism and literary theft coming out at the same time) and makes it (dare I say?) even better. Connor Nye, a professor and down on his luck novelist, steals his student’s manuscript because he’s under the impression that she’s dead. When she resurfaces just as Connor’s book is being released, he learns that the book contains details of an unsolved murder, and he’s just implicated himself as the number one suspect. A twisty and fun thriller set in academia.

by Caitlin Barasch

58 summer reading guide

by Elise Bryant

by David Bell

rs

not the emily henry version (but if ya want the deets on that one, flip to page 14). i love books about books, and turns out, the publishing world does too, because we have been blessed with so many good books about writers, books, and the nitty-gritty of being an author. here are six of my faves. and as a fun lil bonus? there’s something in here for lovers of any & all genres.

the roughest draft

by Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Keep the book-themed romances COMING! Three years ago, Katrina and Nathan were on top of the book world, co-writing books that became literary darlings, until their partnership came screeching to a halt for reasons they refused to share. With one book left on their contract, they agree to reunite to write one last novel, and share a beachfront cottage in Florida where tensions build, both on the page and in real life.

I loved the premise of this book so much, and really liked how they communicated through the chapters they were each writing.

As a bonus, this book was actually written by a married writing duo, which is such a cool touch!

vladimir

the vixen

by Julia May Jonas

by Francine Prose

We follow an unnamed narrator, who is an English professor at a liberal arts school in upstate New York. John, her husband and the English department chair at the college, is under scrutiny for consensual relationships he had with his own students years ago.

As the hearing to determine if John can remain at the school ramps up, our narrator begins to fall for Vladimir, a novelist and new professor at the school who takes up an interest in her. This book is SO good. Darkly funny, wellwritten, and strikes that perfect sweet spot between being literary and still accessible. I loved reading a book told from the perspective of the professors, and loved being in the head of our narrator, who is cynical, but kind of hard to hate.

Prepare yourself for a bonkers ending that even I didn’t see coming!

As someone who typically struggles with historical fiction, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. Simon, a recent Harvard grad looking for work, is left reeling when Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were close friends of his parents, are executed.

When Simon receives a job offer at a publishing company to edit a romance novel loosely based on Ethel’s life, he’s caught between pursuing a career (and pursuing the novel’s author, who he quickly becomes enamored with) and standing up for what he believes in. This was quite a ride! I loved all of the publishing world details from back in the day. It reminded me of THREE MARTINI LUNCH (which is another book about books that I featured in last year’s guide!). The mystery behind the origins of the novel was fascinating.

Surprisingly funny, fast-paced, and well-written!

summer reading guide 59

anatomy of the

perfect beach read how to tell a book is the perfect beach read, featuring, well, beach read.

i mean, the title prob should have tipped you off

being an nyt bestseller def doesn’t hurt

hat’s cute too

we stan men who read!

books about writers are an instant win

the best beach reads are the ones where the author has a big ole backlist

60 summer reading guide

high praise from another fab author

so, you want a series?

who doesn’t love the feeling of finishing a good read, only to find that it’s actually a series?

if you love a ya moment...

1

2

3

try holly jackson’s a good girl’s guide to murder series, which is the perfect mix of high school drama and killer detective work.

if you want a romance that’s steamy & sweet...

1

2

3

try talia hibbert’s brown sister trilogy, which follows three unique and loveable sisters as they find love in london.

if you want a blend of thriller & comedy...

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try elle cosimano’s finlay donovan series, which follows a single mom-turned-contract killer. perf if you like dead to me! summer reading guide 61

family reunio reuni dava shrasti’s last day

by Stacey Swann

the unsinkable greta james

by Kirthana Ramisetti

olympus, texas

This novel covers family, music, and legacy in a really unique way.

Dava Shastri is known for using the fortune she made as a music mogul to fund her extensive philanthropy work. When she learns she has terminal cancer, she invites her family to her Hamptons estate, where she informs them that she has announced to the media that she has died and decides to read all of the coverage about her before she actually plans to die the next day. What she doesn’t expect is that two secrets from her past re-emerge after the news of her death, sending ripples through her family. Where this really shone for me was in the flashback chapters about Dava’s life. I also loved the mixed media elements (lots of articles in here!) and thought the 2044 setting was a fun and futuristic take.

A messy family drama that’s inspired by Greek mythology?

I’m all in. This one follows the Briscoe family as one of the sons returns home after being exiled for having an affair with his brother’s wife. This return has their family matriarch thinking about her own husband’s infidelities and wondering if she still needs to put up with it. Over the course of several days, the drama builds with secrets being revealed that could unravel the family. Even if you aren’t up on your mythology (trust me, I’m not), the allusions were subtle enough but still added a really interesting layer to the novel. I was obsessed with the Texas setting (it’s giving Friday Night Lights) and thought the writing was stellar.

I love books that come out of NOWHERE for you! This is a book about family and grief, a love story, and a novel all about bouncing back. We follow Greta, a singer whose career is in flux after an onstage gaffe. Her brother persuades her to go on an Alaskan cruise with their dad, who is grieving after the sudden death of their mother. The issue? Greta and her dad haven’t had the closest relationship, and Greta is dreading being stuck on a ship with someone she can’t relate to. While on board, Greta meets Ben Wilder, a guest lecturer and author who is dealing with some changes of his own. I adored the music references, loved the Alaskan setting, and thought that Greta’s growth — not only in her relationships, but with herself — was a standout element of the book that I wasn’t expecting!

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by Jennifer E. Smith

ion on

while i love a family novel at any time of the year, there’s something so perfect about paging through a family saga that spans generations, preferably on the porch with a summer-y beverage. i love how these books show the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to dealing with pesky parents and stubborn siblings.

marrying the ketchups

by Jennifer Close

A comedy-drama about a big, messy family that owns a legendary Chicago restaurant? I mean, you had me at comedy-drama, but go off Jennifer Close! Throw in a bunch of food references, a little sports action, and the perfect pinch of political talk and you’ve bascially got my dream book. The Sullivan family holds a few perfect truths: the Cubs will always be the underdog, historical progress is inevitable, and their grandfather and restuarant owner makes the best hamburgers in Oak Park.

Suddenly, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump wins the election, and Bud drops dead, causing the family to re-evaluate everything they once believed to be true.

Close truly is close (hehe) with all of her characters, and their development shines through.

memphis

with teeth

by Tara M. Stringfellow

by Kristen Arnett

MEMPHIS is a gorgeously written novel about mothers and daughters. This novel follows the women of the North family. In 1995, Miriam takes her daughters and heads home to Memphis to escape her abusive husband. While there, Miriam’s daughter Joan begins to unpack the violence that has previously affected her family, and channels that rage into a series of portraits that allow her to see the ways she fits into her family’s legacy, and the ways she can break the mold. It spans 70+ years — from the 1930s to the mid 2000s, and touches on historical events like the Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of MLK, and 9/11.

The sense of place in this book also echoes so strongly throughout.

What I loved most about this book were the characters. They’re compelling, developed, memorable, and most importantly, flawed.

While most family novels have characters with big personalities, this novel is a master class in character-building. It’s a whip smart character study that follows a woman and her son through his tumultous childhood. Sammie stays home taking care of her son Samson, while her wife works and has a flourishing social life. Sammie grows increasingly resentful of her wife, especially as Samson, begins to display violent tendencies. This one was darkly funny — I laughed out loud several times and thought Arnett nailed the twisted humor.

I really enjoyed how the narrative followed Sammie + Samson from his childhood through his college years. I don’t always love reading about little kids in fiction, but Arnett’s pitch-perfect voice and incredibly twisted (but kind of fantastic) humor really elevated this one.

summer reading guide 63

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