Last year I struggled with meeting my reading goal because I had set all of these rules for myself to try and expand my reading horizons. This year, I changed my approach to just read whatever I wanted to and it’s made reading a lot more fun. In this post, I’m sharing what’s on my summer reading list plus book recommendations from readers! I’m sharing which book I just finished & what books I have on my to be read list in case you’re trying to figure out what book to read next.
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What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | My TBR List
A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings (romantic comedy): “An unbelievably cute and funny debut about friendship, the expectations of family, and mental health. A Brush with Love fills that itch for a STEMinist rom-com with laughter, slow-burn romance, and toothy puns.”
Thank You, Next by Andie J. Christopher (romantic comedy): “Alex Turner is never The One—but always the last one an ex dates before finding love—and now she’s determined to find out why in this hilarious new rom-com.”
Dating Dr. DIL by Nisha Sharma (romantic comedy): “Bursting with character, spicy tension and laughs, Dating Dr. Dil is the enemies to lovers dream book!”
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore (historical romance): “A stunning debut for author Evie Dunmore and her Oxford Rebels in which a fiercely independent vicar’s daughter takes on a powerful duke in a love story that threatens to upend the British social order.”
Sharing what books are on my TBR! Click To TweetRELATED: 12 Mugs to Cozy Up With
A Spot of Trouble by Teri Wilson (romantic comedy): “Violet March and Sam Nash are as different as night and day and have been enemies ever since Violet accused Sam of dognapping her beloved Dalmatian. Sam knows that would never happen—his well-trained fire safety demonstration dog never steps out of line, whereas Violet’s problematic pooch has never met a command she didn’t ignore completely, much like her bubbly owner.”
Hook, Line, & Sinker by Tessa Bailey (romantic comedy): “In the follow-up to It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey delivers another deliciously fun rom-com about a former player who accidentally falls for his best friend while trying to help her land a different man…”
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (fantasy romance): “When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Fiction Books
Y’all were beyond generous in sharing what your recent favorite reads have been. I broke this down by genre and then included subgenre per Amazon in parentheses.
Honor by Thrity Umrigar (cultural heritage fiction): “In this riveting and immersive novel, bestselling author Thrity Umrigar tells the story of two couples and the sometimes dangerous and heartbreaking challenges of love across a cultural divide.”
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (dark humor): “Looking at real estate isn’t usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage.”
At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha (women’s fiction, medical fiction): “At Least You Have Your Health examines what we are brainwashed into believing and accepting as personal, professional, societal, and financial success. Maya, the daughter of immigrants, struggles to be the best mother, family steward, and physician.”
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (time travel): “If you could go back in time and make different decisions, would you? That question is at the center of Emma Straub’s big-hearted new novel, This Time Tomorrow. The protagonist, Alice, drunkenly falls asleep on her 40th birthday and wakes up in her childhood bedroom on her 16th birthday.”
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One’s Company by Ashley Hutson (absurdist fiction): “For readers of Ottessa Moshfegh and Mona Awad, this fearless debut chronicles one woman’s escape into a world of obsessive imagination.”
The Guncle by Steven Rowley (LGBTQ+ family life fiction): “A warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous gay sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew for the summer.”
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (comedy fiction): “Elizabeth Zott is an ambitious and accomplished scientist and is determined to be just that—and only that. But as we all know, life has a way of upending plans, and that’s exactly what happens to the inspiring (and at times, hilariously infuriating) Zott: Cupid’s arrow hits and the next thing you know she’s a mother and a TV cooking star.”
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin (coming of age fiction): “This book centers around April Sawicki, a sixteen year old singer/songwriter with a bad home life. Throughout the book we follow April’s journey for several years as she goes to new places and meets new people.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Fiction Books Part II
Don’t Cry for Me by Daniel Black (LGBTQ+ historical fiction): “A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness, for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robert Jones Jr. and Alice Walker.”
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson (Black women’s fiction): “Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.”
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (science fiction short stories): “A magical, timeless summer in the life of a twelve-year-old boy named Douglas Spaulding—remembered forever by the incomparable Ray Bradbury.”
The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel (comedic fiction): “A woman embarks on an unexpected journey into her past in an engrossing novel about identity, family secrets, and rediscovering the need to belong.”
Find your next read, no matter what genre you love: Click To TweetRELATED: Reader Approved Work From Home Favorites
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller (women’s literary fiction): “A story of summer, secrets, love, and lies: in the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades.”
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult (saga fiction): “Diana O’Toole seems to have it all: she’s on the cusp of a huge professional coup, her surgical resident boyfriend is about to propose, and she’s all set to take off on a romantic 30th birthday trip to the Galapagos. Then, the pandemic hits. Diana is suddenly stranded, alone, on her dream vacation.”
True Biz by Sara Nović (coming of age fiction): “This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy. Absorbing and assured, idiosyncratic and relatable, this is an unforgettable journey into the Deaf community and a universal celebration of human connection.”
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (coming of age fiction): “Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.”
City of Likes by Jenny Mollen (city life fiction): “A wickedly funny and sharply insightful novel about motherhood, female friendships, and the seductive allure of social media culture from the New York Times bestselling author of I Like You Just The Way I Am and Live Fast Die Hot.”
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley (friendship fiction): “The story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Historical Fiction Books
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (historical Scottish fiction): “The story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.”
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Black historical fiction): “Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.”
Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (Mothers and children fiction): “USA Today bestselling author Jillian Cantor reimagines and expands on the literary classic The Great Gatsby in this atmospheric historical novel with echoes of Big Little Lies, told in three women’s alternating voices.”
Rounding up five books to try if you're looking for a new historical fiction: Click To TweetRELATED: Reader Approved: Trader Joe’s Favorites
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (Mothers and children fiction): “In Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature.”
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (women’s divorce fiction): “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is “Tinseltown drama at its finest” (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Mysteries and Thrillers
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James (ghost thriller): “A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.”
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (women’s detective fiction): “All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.”
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole (women’s detective fiction): “Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…”
The Maid by Nita Prose (cozy mystery): “This cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.”
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry (terrorism thriller): “The acclaimed author of Under the Harrow and A Double Life returns with her most riveting novel to date: the story of two sisters who become entangled with the IRA.”
Searching for your next thriller? Check these out: Click To Tweet
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Verity by Colleen Hoover (psychological thriller): “Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us.”
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (teen & young adult law & crime fiction): “Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a thrilling and stunning debut novel that is part crime fiction and part coming of age.”
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins (mystery, thriller, and suspense): “With the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers worldwide in The Girl on the Train and Into the Water, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting story of deceit, murder, and revenge.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Non-Fiction and Memoirs
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (essays): “A deeply moving collection of personal essays from John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down.”
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Julie Smith (codependency): “Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith provides the skills you need to navigate common life challenges and take charge of your emotional and mental health in her debut book.”
Know My Name by Chanel Miller (sociology): “Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.”
Memoirs and non-fiction to add to your reading list: Click To TweetRELATED: What to See, Eat, and Do in Louisville, Kentucky
The Ugly Cry by Danielle Henderson (extended families): “‘If you fight that motherf**ker and you don’t win, you’re going to come home and fight me.’ Not the advice you’d normally expect from your grandmother—but Danielle Henderson would be the first to tell you her childhood was anything but conventional.”
Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero by Amanda Kloots (grief & bereavement): “Amanda Kloots bravely reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star, and Tony Award nominee Nick Cordero, whose public battle with COVID-19 and tragic death made headlines around the world.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Romance Reads
The Stand-In by Lily Chu (city life fiction): “Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.”
A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn (billionaire romance): “From USA Today bestselling author of The Highland Fling comes a brand new romantic comedy about a desperate billionaire seeking to find a fiancée. This modern day take on Pretty Woman is brilliantly clever and hilariously page-turning.”
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (romantic comedy): “After a decade apart, childhood sweethearts reconnect by chance in New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren’s touching, romantic novel Love and Other Words…how many words will it take for them to figure out where it all went wrong?”
Happily ever afters for your summer reading list: Click To TweetRELATED: Break Out the Sunshine Yellow and Stripes
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (romantic comedy): “New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners present a charming and laugh-out-loud funny novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.”
Ravenhood series by Kate Stewart (inspirational romance): “This trilogy is a gritty, modern day take on Robin Hood. It’s an unconventional love story—bad boys/antiheroes—filled with suspense, steam, major twists, a little action, and ALL OF THE FEELS.”
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren (romantic comedy): “A witty and effervescent novel about what happens when two people with everything on the line are thrown together by science—or is it fate? Perfect for fans of The Rosie Project and One Plus One.”
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly (bisexual romance): “The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite More Romance Books to Read
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (coming of age romance): “Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.”
Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (new adult & college romance): “When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman’s carefully calculated theories on love into chaos.”
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover (family life fiction): “A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.”
Romantic comedies for your next pool day: Click To TweetRELATED: Keep Palm & Carry On: the Bell Sleeve Dress
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (romantic comedy): “Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.”
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee (Mothers & children fiction): “There is no escapism like reading about a nearly middle-aged woman embarking on a glittering, global love affair with a thoughtful young sex god.”
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (folklore romance): “Best-selling author Jasmine Guillory’s achingly romantic reimagining of a classic is a tale as old as time . . . for a new generation.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Reader Favorite Science Fiction Books
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Black science fiction): “The visionary author’s masterpiece pulls us—along with her Black female hero—through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.”
When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo (cultural heritage fiction): “A mythic love story set in Trinidad, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo’s radiant debut is a masterwork of lush imagination and exuberant storytelling—a spellbinding and hopeful novel about inheritance, loss, and love’s seismic power to heal.”
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (hard science fiction): “As Ryland Grace awakens from a coma, he doesn’t know who he is or where he is, but a mix of calculations, deductions, and slowly returning memories enlightens him: He’s a junior high school science teacher on a small space ship. His mission? Save Earth.”
Escape with these sci fi reads! Click To TweetRELATED: Colorful Tassel Dress
Red Rising by Pierce Brown (fantasy adventure): “Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.”
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (galactic empire sci fi): “A fascinating space opera debut novel, Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire is an interstellar mystery adventure.”
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (LGBTQ+ family life fiction): “In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement.”
Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty (historical middle eastern fiction): “Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty perfect for fans of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.”
What’s On My Summer Reading List + Recommendations From You | Gingham Midi Dress for Summer Work Wear
My summer work from home uniform has been easy summer dresses. They’re easy to throw on and can be dressed up or down depending on what I need. Going into the office for the day? Put on a dress. Working from my couch and not leaving except to grab an Amazon package? The dress is perfect.
I’m wearing the small in this dress which has pockets as well as a side zipper. You can wear the sleeves in this square neck style or slip them down for a slightly (or very) off the shoulder look too.
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