What Summer Books Are You Reading?
I’m coming to you with something a little different from my Race Matters column: summer reading recommendations! I’ve been a book editor for more than 20 years; and reading is not just my career, it’s my passion. This summer is packed with stellar books, which is great for readers but also presents a challenge: how to know what to pick up. If you need some book ideas for your beach bag, porch hang, or road trip, I’ve narrowed down a list of eight that has something for everyone…
It’s A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan. If you’re already a fan of Annabel’s books (Same Time Next Year, Nora Goes Off Script, Summer Romance), then you know she creates the most endearing, relatable characters that you can’t help rooting for. Her newest heroine, Jane Jackson, is a former child star trying to outlive her past as a “wacky” sitcom character. She has her sights set on making a feature film from a rom-com script she’s fallen hard for. To entice her boss to greenlight the project, she promises that her old friend, mega pop star Jack Quinlan, will write an original song for the movie. The problem? Jack isn’t really a friend, more like someone who broke Jane’s heart years before. To track Jack down, she’ll need the help of the last person she wants to turn to, her co-worker Dan. He just may help with the broken heart thing, too. This novel goes down like a glass of cold lemonade on a hot day — easy, effervescent, entirely satisfying.
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. If you’re into audio books, I highly recommend listening to this novel – the narrator Adam Lazarre-White has such a smooth baritone, I’d listen to him read a toaster manual. King of Ashes doesn’t scream light beach read (there’s a gritty edge to Cosby’s work, plus a few dead bodies) but you’ll never read stories about gangsters, crime, and danger with richer characters and a stronger emotional core. A stand-out feature of Cosby’s work is his settings — evocative Southern backwaters where the language is colorful, the humidity thick, and the insects loud. Roman, our hero, returns home to rural Virginia to reckon with some high-stakes drama — a father in the hospital who is unable to run the family’s crematorium, a sister haunted by their mother’s mysterious disappearance, and a brother tangled in the local criminal underworld. The plot races along, but beyond the heart-pounding twists, the novel is a powerful reminder of how much we will risk to protect those we love.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m beyond blown away by Taylor’s range — she’s written over a dozen novels that explore different worlds, from competitive tennis to Old Hollywood. All of which has made her a “publishing powerhouse,” as Time magazine said in a recent profile. Now she’s taking readers to… space. Set in the 1980s, this novel follows two women in NASA’s second class of female astronauts who must navigate the competitive, sexist and exhilarating world of space travel as true pioneers in many senses. Hidden romance, new frontiers, and pulse-pounding adventure? Check. Check. Check. Think: Top Gun, Hidden Figures and For All Mankind vibes. One of my favorite reads of 2025.
The Names by Florence Knapp. Random fact about me: my parents planned to name me Stephanie during my mother’s entire pregnancy; then when I was born they made a last minute switch to Christine. Sometimes I wonder, would my life have unfolded differently if I had been “Stephanie”? That’s the premise of this novel. The Names comprises three different narratives – Sliding Doors style – that follow the life path of Cora’s son, if he were given three different names. Names are only part of the legacy we give our children, and Cora reckons with all she’s passing to her son – the resilience and the trauma.
Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera. There was bound to be a White Lotus comparison in this list, and this is it! This novel explores class and tourism at a high-end resort in the Dominican Republic, and the page-turning plot hits the spot. I adore a story about sisters, and here, dutiful older sister, Laura, realizes her wayward sister, Elena, is in deep trouble, the sort of trouble that could cost Laura her dream promotion and the escape the orphaned sisters have dreamed of. The explorations of family, wealth and striving are as rich as the people at this five-star resort. Coming, August 12th.
Everyone Is Lying To You by Jo Piazza. You’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard about the tradwife phenomenon. Journalist Jo Piazza (who also happens to be my writing partner) now brings us the quintessential tradwife novel. It’s a thrilling, fast-paced mystery — come for the plot twists, stay for the commentary about social media. The novel expertly captures all the feelings we have as we scroll through our feeds at 3 a.m. Coming July 15th.
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown could be the older cousin of Jo’s book. For all our love/hate of social media, this story takes us back to the eve of the internet in Silicon Valley. Our protagonist, Jane, grows up in a rural Montana cabin with her devoted but maniacal father, who’s prone to diatribes about the ills of civilization. Jane becomes disillusioned with her father’s world view, with a nagging sense that something is amiss with him and what he’s told her about their past. Eventually, she builds up to make a breathtaking escape, though not before being ensnared in an incident that will have life-long consequences. Her path takes her to San Francisco in the 1990s on the eve of the dotcom boom when the internet promised to be a great utopia. As soon as I finished the book, I wrote Janelle a gushing personal note. I was completely smitten with the voice and couldn’t put this one down.
And, of course, I have to include my own. All The Men I’ve Loved Again, my solo debut, came out last week and is highly beach-friendly. It’s a story about a woman, Cora, who falls in love with two men in her twenties, and the same two men again as she’s about to turn 40. A wild premise ripped from my own life. It’s a fun, heartfelt, steamy coming-of-age story, heavy on nostalgia and a ‘90s music playlist. I’ll mail a signed book plate to any Cup of Jo reader who asks for one.
What books are at the top of your list this summer? Authors also love it when readers come to events. So, check out the tour info for these novels, put on a cute summer dress, and go make a friend.
P.S. Five sexy books we love, three favorite books of all time, and what’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever read?
(Photo by Dana Saparova/Stocksy.)
Comments
166 commentsMy local library system does a Summer Book Bingo every year and it’s my favorite season of reading. My most recent, and super summery, read was Friends To Lovers by Sally Blakely. We worked together years ago and I’m so excited to expand the “books by my friends” section of my book (Accidental Demons by my bestie Clare Edge is also there). Currently I’m reading Mediocre by Ijeoma Oluo. Other favorites this summer: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, and The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby.
Love, steam AND a ‘90s music playlist!?! Sign me up for a signed copy!! :)
Broken Country has been my favorite summer read so far. It was SO good!
Oh Christine your debut sounds amazing! I’m going to start it tonight! As a 38 year old black woman on the brink of divorce and coping with 90’s escapism and being supported by men who’ve been in my life for so 20+ years you’ve literally parked in my alley. I snagged the rest of the list because summer is fast expiring and I cannot be assed to make my own AND read them before Labor Day.
I usually scan book recommendations with mild interest, but every one of these titles sounds like a fantastic read! I’m just getting into audio books again during my commute, after being on maternity leave for 7 months. I wasn’t sure where to start, but now I will start with this list.
Thanks for all the wonderful book suggestions. I would enjoy a copy of your book as well!
I love these posts so much! 2025 has been a bit of a dud (so far) in terms of reading for me so I am happy to have all these great reqs. Some books that I have enjoyed lately (and all happen to be excellent audiobooks): Greenwood by Michael Christie Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
I would love a signed book plate!!!!! Thank you!!!
I recently devoured Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus) and The Familiar (Leigh Bardugo). If you’re frustrated and appalled by these unprecedented times, these books will remind you that women have always found ways to save our true selves and protect the people we love.
I just finished “Rules for Ghosting,” and it’s a gem! The book centers on a Jewish family that runs a funeral home, and the main character sees ghosts. But it’s not so much about the literal ghosts as about the ideas of fitting in, birth and found families, and gender identity/acceptance.
‘Sandwich’ was such a compelling quick & easy read and hit so close to home. Summer vacation, navigating grown kids and aging parents and a menopausal body with its own agenda – while making you laugh about it all, because wouldn’t we go nuts if we lost our sense of humor?
A friend of mine gave me The Husbands by Holly Gramazio about a woman with a magical attic where every time a husband goes in a new one comes out. If you too are skeptical of magical realism and think “this isn’t for me,” get it from the library and read the first 10 pages. It sucked me in immediately, and was SO funny and poignant. Really about a woman finding who she truly is and what is important to her, while commenting on our modern era of dating and companionship.
+1 loved The Husbands! The ending was perfect.
I LOVED this book! And yes, it was legitimately funny! So many books claim to be funny, but i laughed out loud so many more times than i expected. (The husband with the toe shoes! I snorted!) I had to quickly get over the magical realism of it all and gobbled it up.
Not that you only need to read books written by lovely people, but I know Annabel Monaghan a little bit and she is just the loveliest person!
Don’t know how I stumbled on them, but I’ve devoured almost all of Carla Kelly’s regency romances this summer. So much better than a lot of their ilk, with compelling women characters and soldiers returning from war. For those who care, her books range from closed door to fairly open (but the focus is on the characters, their development and relationship, and the narrative). I especially liked “Libby’s London Merchant,” and its followup, “One Good Turn.”
My Friend by Fredrik Backman was so good. I loved it as much as a Man Named Ove.
Congrats on your book release! Currently re-reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (astoundingly good) Just finished Spent by Allison Bechdel (a group of liberal friends in Vermont try to make it through the pandemic- very, very funny).
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a while.
Just tore through Everyone Is Lying to You, loved it. Put a hold on All The Men I’ve Loved Again, sounds right up my alley! I love a second chance romance.
At some point in the last few years someone left a comment on a CoJ post about how they were reading food memoirs all summer… I loved the idea and have collected a bunch for this summer! Just finished Blood, Bones, and Butter, and am starting Save Me the Plums. After that it’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens, Hungry Monkey, and Animal, Vegetable, and Miracle. Congrats on your new book! I’d love a signed book plate. Will email about it! And thanks for the recommendations, I’ve put several on my list :)
All such good books!! I would also recommend Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop. Her writing is so evocative and captures such a unique perspective. That and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are my two favorites!
My favorite food writing of all time is MFK Fisher. “Gastronomical Me” has become a sort of litmus test of how kindred a spirit a friend is to me: would I give this person a copy of “Gastronomical Me”? Would i give her a copy with some of my favorite passages marked? Joanna and co, this might be a fun round up: what books have you handed out as gifts? There are a few books that I always grab extra copies of at used bookstores and then hand out to my faves, including: The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing The Gastronomical Me Man’s Search for Meaning (this is one I’ve handed out a lot in 2025) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Jitterbug Perfume
A couple of our local library branches were closed for different reasons and I was driven to Libby to get my reading fix. I found a couple great reads by filtering books by “available now” and ranked by “popularity” letting the masses do the sorting for me. I read “Here One Moment” by Liane Moriarty, I was hooked by the fact that Stephen King and Anne Lammott wrote blurbs for the book which felt like I HAD to take their recommendation. lol. The premise is that a woman stands up on a plane that is stuck on the tarmac awaiting takeoff and starts predicting the age and cause of death for a handful of passengers and then the fallout that ensues from these predictions. I loved it. Then I read “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman. This was a Reese’s bookclub pick and has been out for a while but was new to me and I really enjoyed it. It felt very unique, it’s told from the perspective of a very quirky woman and you’re wondering what the deal is with this bizarro woman, but watching her story unfold is sweet and sad and hits all the right notes. If you liked “A Man Called Ove” then you’ll probably like this. I’m now reading the new Hunger Games book and it is everything I wanted it to be. I’m looking forward to reading Jo Piazza’s book! I love a Philly author! “Long Bright River” was another riveting book based in Philly by Liz Moore. Ok that’s all. Bye!
I loved Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
this is such a great tip. thank you!
You can also search a book you know you like in Libby and then click ~similar and it will give more recommendations!
I’m going to offer up some bookish medicine. Given the state of the world, I’ve needed fun books, but I need my books to have a little substance and weight. I’ve found two very good books in this category recently and am passing them along in case you also need a lift. The Other Side Of Now by Paige Harbison. Sliding Doors theme, but female friendship at its core. And grief. Far and Away by Amy Poeppel. Last minute house swap between Texas and Germany. This one verges on feather-light, but Poeppel is good! Hope you’re all hanging in there.
Thank you for this! I came to this post looking for exactly what you describe and I am very excited to take your recommendations :)
I’ve just re-read Bridges of Madison County – so good!
I’ve decided my favorite books of all time are Demon Copperhead, Hearts Invisible Furies, and Song of Achilles. It turns out I’m a sucker for a plot line that features a character growing through much of their life; I love seeing the ups & downs and humanity through the years. That mixed with a dash of dry humor is *chefs kiss*. I’d like to find more books like these that I fall head over heels in love with. Any recommendations?! Also- I loved Margot’s Got Money Troubles and would love recommendations for other types of humorous books!
You would love the chef memoir, Blood Bones Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton and maybe Circe – I loved both!
I think you would like The Dutch House a lot. It is apparently a great audiobook (read by Tom Hanks) but I did the physical book and loved it.
You might also enjoy The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Kane an Abel by Jeffrey Archer, and All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. I love the same kind of books!
I was blown away by The Goldfinch. When I finished it, I put it down and said ” This book is going to win the Pulitzer. ” And it did ! That never happened to me before.
Maybe you’d enjoy “The Signature Of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans is the best book of 2025. So much so that I wrote the author an email immediately after finishing the book. I’ve never done that before! If you’re a fan of Olive Kitteridge, you’ll love meeting Sybil!
Authors LOVE when you do that– it means so much. And I got to meet Virginia not too long ago and she’s so lovely. I know she’ll appreciate your kind words!!
Congratulations on your debut! I can’t wait to read it, and would love a book plate!
Email me your address: christine@Christine Pride.com
Reading is my “treat” for living through our dystopian times. Best book I’ve read this year – Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore Absolute WOW of a “light” read – Jessica Stanley’s Consider Yourself Kissed Every word an ache (in a haunting and beautiful way) – Claire Leslie Hall’s Broken Country Best book club discussion – Miranda July’s All Fours Would never miss a book in this series – Hawthorne & Horowitz (Close to Death is the latest) Best nonfiction – Sharon McMahon’s The Small and the Mighty Best read aloud with your kid – Dave Eggers’s The Eyes & the impossible
Ethan Hawke’s reading of _The Eyes and the Impossible_ is *amazing.* I highly recommend the audiobook for family road trips. It was fun for kids, teens, and adults.
Love your superlatives, Varina!
Agree with the Ethan Hawke audiobook version! Amazing.
Consider Yourself Kissed is so underrated imho.
First, love that lead photo so much… I just finished one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to: Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy. There is a team of narrators, all excellent, especially the lead male Dominic. Talk about sultry baritones, his voice was almost over the top but just amazing amazing amazing, lol. Brings a glow just thinking about it. But also, he plays a feeling man, which, in combination with that baritone, just curls your eyelashes in the BEST way, lol. There is a heavy Aussie accent, btw, but it still works. And the story was also very very good – highly recommend the audiobook, it builds as you get to know the characters and I was rivited, listening on my very long commute in rush hour was a joy. Have ordered almost your entire list, thank you! Can’t wait to read them : )
Going to recommend an oldie but goodie from childhood – The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. It was always kept on the spinner rack at the library, not in the kids section but not in the adults section either, and when I graduated from the kids section I remember quite clearly choosing it from the spinner and checking it out, hoping it wasn’t going to be too scary (it wasn’t!) It holds up, still chills, and is on constant rotation in my reading list.
Yes! I love The Westing Game and have read it a few times since childhood. And will now be reading it again this summer :)
I still think of Turtle and her closet! My sister and I sat in the back of our station wagon on a road trip, writing all the clues into our tiny little spiral notebook, trying to solve the mystery . . . .
I just finished Volume 8 of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, a series no one I tell has ever heard of, but one I am an absolute evangelist for. These books ~ set in 1880s London ~ are just so deeply clever and smart and wholesome and good. I truly don’t know what to do with myself while I await Volume 9 ~ perhaps I’ll start again from the very beginning.
I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS SERIES and also an evangelist for as well! ultimate comfort read with the BEST characters.
Y’all I don’t buy books ever, but believe me when I say this series is WORTH buying!!!!!! The writing is wonderful and every single character is wonderful in their own way!
Erika and Emma, I have found my people!!! <3
I keep seeing references to this and wondering about it! Thanks so much for the tip!
What season should I read these during?
You might like the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear – a fantastic cozy mystery series set in 1930’s London where a woman becomes a private detective and uses psychology to solve the mysteries. All the characters become like old, beloved friends.
Thank you so much for this suggestion. I bought the first one, and I don’t buy a lot of books. I’m mostly a library girl but this wasn’t available, and I took a chance. It was just fantastic. A definite autobuy for the rest of the series. I’m on #3 right now and trying to savor it. The dialogue! The characters! St. Crispian’s! The Tenant! The Duke! The poignancy! Sheer and utter delight.
Life is so unstable due to DOGE (still impacting our household in dozens of ways every single day) that my refuge of reading just wasn’t working for me. I have turned to steamy fiction….it has been literally life changing. I can turn my brain off for a bit, enjoy a fun story, and give my spouse a blushing look or handsy hello which in turn keeps my brain off the ridiculousness of the current events. I just finished The Idea of You by Robinne Lee which was wonderful. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!
I wish I had a recommendation that could top The Idea of You, but I do not! I has stayed at the top of my favorites list for years. I’ve never read anything quite like it.
Try Seven Days in June and You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty.
I am also so grateful for romance as an escape in these trying times. Some favorite books/authors: Red,White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Emily Henry (especially Beach Read and Book Lovers) Talia Hibbert Carley Fortune Rachel Lynn Solomon Cat Sebastian (We Could Be So Good in particular) Evie Dunmore Alexis Daria Ali Hazelwood
The photo at the top of this piece is mesmerizing. Sincere congratulations to Christine on the release of her book! I am currently finishing up Demon Copperhead, and have about a dozen books waiting for me, but enough is never enough with me and books, so I am putting a list together from this post and the comments. Thanks, everyone!
I agree, the photo is truly something. I usually just skim over the picture to get to the article, but this one made me beautifully stop and appreciate it so so much.
agree, charlotte!!
Just finished broken country by clare leslie hall, SO good. It was a change from my usual romcom books but worth the read!
My favourite reads of the summer so far: Wild Dark Shore (absolutely a must-read), Pachinko (so, so good) and The Surf House (best beachy atmospheric thriller ever).
Yes to Wild Dark Shore! Best book of 2025 for me. Pachinko is one of my all time favorites as well!
I was listening to Atmosphere on Spotify audiobooks, and with 39 mins left in the book, I ran out of minutes for the month. With 7 days until my billing cycle re-upped my minutes, you already know that I paid the $11 for the “top off” hours so I could finish it right away. SO GOOD! Right now, I’m listening to a Carley Fortune book and reading Sandwich by Catherine Newman. Sandwich is in the running for BOTY for me. Funny, real, heartbreaking, joyful. I have 20 pages left, and I’m savoring them.
I’ve been on a memoir kick lately. I recommend Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention by Donna Freitas. It’s a tragic account of SA but it so important at discussing what consent means and how abuse affects the victims.
I’m on the wait list for your book, Christine. I can’t wait to read it!
I really enjoyed What Kind of Paradise! Starting The Amalfi Curse and then will go on to a classic, The Thornbirds.
FYI – I’ve seen a few people post about wishing there were some indication of trigger warnings in books. The app Storygraph does have a section where people can add/view content warnings! They have it broken out as graphic, moderate, and minor. I discovered this after reading The Wedding People which is marketed as a very light and fun read, but the first several chapters are very heavy with suicidal ideation. I ultimately enjoyed the book, but was caught very unprepared. As someone who has had a friend die by suicide, I need to be in the right headspace to read about that.
I recently finished “Food Person” which was a fun easy read. Currently muddling my way through “Sandwich” which I am really struggling to get into even halfway through. “The Farmer’s Wife” is sitting on my kitchen table to be tackled next and I need to pick up “The Road to Tender Hearts” from my hold list at the library.
Looking forward to reading „Greta & Valdin“ for my summer vacation!
Ooh that’s a good one!
Just a quick note: the link to It’s a Love Story also goes to All The Men I’ve Loved Again :)
Thank you for flagging!
I adore the premise for your solo debut novel. Sounds like the perfect read. I sometimes look back, and wonder what if… I would love a signed copy to read on the beach this summer and let dreams take flight. Naomi x
Fabulous post, I love a new list of books to read. Recent books that I have read and loved include: The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier The Williams book talks about how language is different for women but what is valid and valued is decided by men. Chevalier writes about a place with such intensity that I wanted to go to the cathedral and see the kneelers, sadly it’s not possible as it is fiction but it was so believable. Very little actually happens to Leonard and Hungry Paul but it is the most thoughtful quiet book which I read this year, it explores friendships and a gentle life.
I sent Leonard and Hungry Paul to my East Coast friend for her birthday last month. I forget where I read about it, but it looked so good. I have not read it yet. My entire library system doesn’t have it and actually her book was a little hard to come by. But I will read it !
Thank you for these, Kay! Several look like ones I’d thoroughly enjoy and I’m fortunate that my library DOES have the Ronan Hession book. I’ll start there.
I’m on holidays in a small village in Dordogne in France. I don’t know the English owners of the house we’re staying in but they have an beautiful collection of books. One book was in there twice, the Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater, and as the house is called the Olive House so I started reading that. The Olive Farm is about an Irish woman who buys an olive farm in the French countryside and I like to imagine that it inspired the owners of this house to make their purchase as well. It sure inspired me to check real estate prices in the region. I feel like I’m starting to get to know the owners of this house by browsing their book shelves.
Just finished “Be Ready When Luck Happens”, Ina Gartens memoir….loved it! The Book Club of Troublesome Women was wonderful, and Kate & Frida is a delightful story about friendship in letters. I always like to revisist a childhood favorite in the summer…just re read Ramona the Brave!
A great round up, S always! Congratulations on your book, Christine! I’d love a signed bookplate. The best books I’ve read recently are: North Woods by Daniel Mason and The Mitford Affair. Looking forward to checking the recommendations out & love the fact yours was based on your own experiences. Intriguing!
Hi Meghan! Email me your address for the book plate! christine@Christine Pride.com. Happy to send and hope you love the book!
God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer by Joseph Earl Thomas. Just finished…Mind. Blown. Not so much a lighthearded summer read? And yet..the stream of consciousnessness of it made it an addictive and immersive experience. Could not look away. My mother passed away in June and I feel lost. I found this book jarring and comforting.
Sumi, I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother. I know I’m late to this post, but on the off chance you see this, please know a fellow COJ’er is thinking of you and sending warm thoughts your way. Treat yourself well – the road ahead may be lonely as life without your mom takes shape. I know mine was.
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life (the audio version) and Margo’s Got Money Troubles were both fantastic, tender and moving. I was dog-earring pages to go back to re-read and I rarely do that!
Opposite of a summer rec, but I’d love to ask: If you were on a train across Norway, perhaps looking through a rain-splattered window, what book would you read? Asking for my future self this autumn. If it helps, my two favorite books are The Master & Margarita and The House of the Spirits. Thank you!
Oh how I would love to be on a train across Norway, looking through a rain-splatter window! I would read “The Winter Garden” by Kristen Hannah and “Year of Wonders” by Geraldine Brooks.
Yes to Master and Margarita! I don’t come across many who flag this book as a favorite. Great taste, Allie! :)
Stoner by John Williams. It’s concise, incredibly beautifully written, and sets he right tone of melancholy for a rainy train ride. One of the few books I’ve read multiple times. Life-affirming and sad and wonderful. Not about drugs (Stoner is the protagonist’s last name).
Try this one. It’s set in Iceland not Norway but I loved it https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333319
Wild Dark Shore, the audiobook. Moody and set on a tiny sub arctic island, with brilliant narration. Enjoy!
Embers by Sandor Marai. Gorgeous.
A few years back, when I visited Norway (not via train though) I read a Jo Nesbo novel (he’s Norwegian) and one of the books from the Girl With a Drsgon Tattoo series.
For moody, well-written magic realism, I’d suggest the Snow Child Eowyn Ivey and Weyward by Emilia Hart. Also: Wild Dark Shore is getting a lot of (well deserved) praise here today, but for you I’d recommend her earlier book, Once There Were Wolves. Scottish Highlands, gorgeous, brutal. Safe, magical travels to you!
All the Men I’ve Loved Again sounds so good! I’m excited to read it!
Oo everyone please go read my friend’s book Endling: A Novel. It’s about a Ukrainian malacologist (scientist who studies snails!) who funds her research by working as an escort. She and her colleague are in the midst of a heist of sorts when Russia invades Ukraine and the war begins. It’s a very special book with an important perspective on this horrible war. The audiobook is excellent as well, with the author making an appearance as herself. Check it out!
Sounds amazing, Jenny–thanks for the rec! And congratulations to your friend! :)
This is our book club book this month!
I’m in the middle of Endling now! So far (about 3/4 through), I’d also recommend it.
Congratulations on your novel! The Names was great, as well as The Emporer of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell (I adore Irish literature), Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks and The Burrow by Melanie Cheng (I tend to prefer sadder story lines!) I’m about to start Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven.
Oh forgot to mention We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry! Such an important and emotional read. Whew! It’s a slow burn mystery packed with family drama. Loved that Kristen shed light on missing Black girls in America and how these cases are handled by law enforcement and the media. Themes of family, marriage and motherhood women throughout.
This looks great! Thanks for the rec, it’s on my tbr now!
Thanks for the recs! I read The Names and It’s a Love Story last month. Just finished The Women on Platform Two by Laura Anthony and I cannot stop thinking about it! Inspired by a little-known true story. Set in 1970s Dublin when all forms of contraception are illegal, this is story of a group of women fighting for bodily automony. Themes of female friendships, family, and marriage. A must-read!
I just finished “Writers and Lovers” by Lily King and I LOVED IT. I’ve never heard of her. I read a lot. I have read so many disappointing novels this year and that was was a lovely surprise. Set in the 90’s. My favorite book I read this year was a tie between “Tom Lake” by Anne Patchett and “The House of Eve” by Sadeqa Johnson about the sometimes hard road to motherhood.
I’ve been disappointed by novels a lot recently too – thanks for this rec!
Love Writers & Lovers! Loved Tom Lake! I’ll put the house of Eve on my list, sounds like we like the same things
Writers & Lovers is one of my favorite reads of all time. Pretty much anything Lily King writes is a winner!
Writers and Lovers is so so good, reminds me of my younger days in and around Harvard Square. Totally cried at the end!
I also loved Writers and Lovers. I’m anxiously awaiting her new novel (I think it comes out in September).
I loved Euphoria by Lily King. It was so atmospheric! Give it a read if you haven’t yet.
Writers and Lovers made me SOB. Her new book sounds so good too.
I’m reading the sisterhood of Ravensbruk currently – I swear it’s been my summer of WW2. I did The Nightingale not too long ago, then this one. I have All the Light We Cannot See coming up, but in between I have The Perfect couple and Great Black Hope among others on the list. At some point, i’m going to do Les Miserables in all its thousands of pages of glory as well.
Two new ones I’ve loved: The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker. Her book The Age of Miracles is one of my favorites and this one is even better, I think. It feels a little like If, Then, but in NYC and less doomsday-y (plus Karen is a fabulous writer). I also loved Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven (with a cover that looks like a sepia, photo version of The Road to Tender Hearts, which I’m reading now and am loving—and it has the best acknowledgements I’ve ever seen (I always read those to find out what writers are friends with each other because I’m nosy like that! Annie Hartnett thanked Rufi Thorpe—my #1 author crush—so that felt like a good sign) I also read Tilt by Emma Pattee, which was good but I found the narrator kind of unlikable (and I don’t think that was the point). I’m excited to comb these comments for recs. My library holds won’t know what hit ‘em!
I LOVED Karen’s first two so I am happy to read that re these two. I also read the acknowledgements and dedications.
My favourite new summer books are The Paper Palace by Miranda Crowley Heller, Sandwich by Catherine Newman & my all-time favourite summer book, that I’ve reread nearly every summer for the past 20 years is Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. I’m a librarian & enthusiastically recommend it every time someone asks for a good dimmer read.
Good summer read, not good dimmer read! Summer Sisters shines brightly!
One quick note — TJR hasn’t written more than a dozen novels (she’s written a lot l, though!). I know because I’ve read them all haha
I believe it’s 9 and a short story?
Just finished Demon Copperhead and about to start the Heaven and Earth Grocery Store! Reading is my source of peace, happiness, and comfort in these distressing times.
I loved Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and also Deacon King Kong by same author, James McBride.
I loooooooooved both of those!
I have loved every McBride book I’ve read, but “The Good Lord Bird” is my favorite. What a voice!
Sunny Side Up was very good! Love a badass lady… esp plus size!
Agreed! It was so fun and heartwarming. Great for summer vacations.
I’m 2/3 through The View from Lake Como and it’s so good! I thought it would be nice, but it’s better than expected… and learning all about Italian marble is a random plus!
I’m staying near lake Como next week & in Milan this week, will be downloading this book to read during my trip! Thanks for the recommendation Sara :)
Rosa, I hope you are pleasantly surprised and have the best vacation ever!
Just added your book to my Libby! Can’t wait!!!
I scored Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson in a little library and had no clue what I was about to read because I had never heard of it. Oh my god what amazing and hilarious writing! I’m now looking for more of his books.
The Family Fang is my favorite of his. He is very talented and kind.
I loved this book and everything else I’ve read by him!
Yeah all his books are really good and he has a new one out ( well, this past May, time flies.) It’s called Run for the Hills. Congrats on your Little Free Library find ! Love them !
His newest one, Run for the Hills, is a delight!
I just read his book Run For The Hills, and really enjoyed it!
I love Kevin Wilson!! Highly recommend Nothing to See Here by him as well.
Ah I meant Now Is Not the Time to Panic. So beautiful.
Kevin Wilson is a treasure! Love all of his books and his very unique take on art, family, American culture. They go down easy but have so much to say and he has such a unique take on the world.
I also found this book randomly and was so exhilarated to read something so different. It was fantastic!
Last week my daughter found a copy of The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver in a little free library – one of two Kingsolver books I have yet to read. So I checked out a copy from the library… and we’re our own little book club of two this week. :)
I think that’s my favourite of all her books. Don’t Miss Pigs in Heaven, the sequel.
The Bean Trees is my fav by her ! And it’s her debut novel ! I have several copies. I sent one to my daughter years ago too :)
LOVE The Bean Trees! (And Barbara ❤️)
ME TOO! I read the Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven when I was in HS, and I recently re-read them along with the basically the entire Kingsolver canon. Love her so much. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is great if you’re looking for thoughtful non-fiction. And I also loved Prodigal Summer and Unsheltered and almost every single thing she’s ever written. Except the Lacuna. I couldn’t get into it, but it could have been a problem with my head space at the time. Another author I LOVE is Jane Smiley. I have read and loved everything she’s ever written. Two summers ago I read her The Last 100 Years trilogy, and it was excellent.
The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams will always be my fave Kingsolvers. Pigs in Heaven is the sequel to Bean Trees and it is great, too.
I just finished Unsheltered and it quietly blew my mind. She isn’t delivering a unique message in this book, but she is delivering it with such humanity and love. I was transfixed.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I recommend the audio version which she narrates!
Great recs in this post (and the comments)! Thank you all. My library hold list is bursting!
Ladies, please recommend summer / autumn reads for a first time mom-to-be (26th weeks pregnant currently, yay!). I recently loved „Crossing to Safety” recommended here by many. I also enjoyed reading Annie Ernaux, David Sedaris, Emanuelle Carrere… What should be my next read?
I also just read Crossing to Safety and LOVED it! Congrats on your pregnancy. I really liked Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall; The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (anything by Abraham Verghese!) and The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.
ANGLE OF REPOSE, another great book by Stegner
Congrats on your baby! Are you wanting Fall vibes? Have you read ‘The Dutch House’?
I love Annie Ernaux as well! Have you read Elif Batuman? Her book “The Idiot” is basically auto-fiction about her undergradruate years at Harvard. It’s hilarious and fun and sad and moving. Congrats on your pregnancy! I also enjoyed everything I’ve read by Italo Calvino
Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott!
Congratulations! As a first time mom 6 years ago (how does time fly by??) I saw someone here recommended Great with Child by Beth Ann Fennelly, and oh my God, how that book soothed my heart and spoke to my soul. I’m going to reread it even though my once baby is now 6 years old, along with my beautiful 5 year old.
All first-time moms should read “Operating Instructions” by Anne Lamott! But the following books have Crossing to Safety vibes (for me, at least): “The Whistling Season” by Ivan Doig and “Fates & Furies” by Lauren Groff.
When i was on mat leave with my first, she would nap on me for hours so I had a lot of time to read. I read the 4 Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante (My brilliant friend), and though these were NOT the fun girly read I thought they would be, the story is absolutely beautiful. Also loved gripping historical novels like All the light we cannot see. Congratulations and enjoy!!
I second the recommendation for the Frozen River! The main character is a midwife in New England in the late 1700’s so filled with pregnancy and postpartum stories and the details of life at that time are fascinating.
Thank you, thank you, thank you : )))
Thank you! And congratulations on your newest novel!
Congrats on publishing your novel, I’m adding it to Libby! The best book I’ve read this summer is Mizuki Tsujimura’s “Lonely Castle in The Mirror” about a group of 7 teenagers who skip school and somehow find themselves in a castle in a mirror and are given a year to complete one task- it weaves fantasy with a compassionate look at mental health and friendship. I’m about to start Miranda July’s All Fours- curious to see what all the hype is about. Also, can I just recommend StoryGraph as a way to track reading- it creates little graphs/pie charts of data and is independently owned compared to the other big book tracking website. I started using it last November and love it… I’ve read 32 books so far this year, over half way to my goal of 50!
I started All Fours having no idea what it was about…. I thought it was excellent. So incredibly well written and raw and honest. It’s going to be a 180 from what you just read, but I imagine that every Cup of Jo reader would appreciate the book or find it worthy of discussion even if they didn’t enjoy it!
Yes to StoryGraph! I love the little graphs!
I did not want to like All 4’s, but ending up agreeing it was brilliant writing. The story is so awkward and uncomfortable, but her writing! She is a master with words; a literal wordsmith. It was fascinating to experience her art, so much so that the story became irrelevant for me, thank goodness. Would love to read something else by her to see if her writing style is her normal voice! The writing was magical.