22 Summer Reads From 2022 That Need to Be in Your Beach Bag

Release date: June 21

In this twisty novel from Riley Sager, a widowed actress hoping to escape the limelight retreats to her remote lake house in Vermont. There she develops an intense fascination with her neighbors across the way, whose marriage is apparently not as perfect as it seems. It's a familiar plot, but Sager still manages to make it feel totally fresh.

Release date: June 21

Ottessa Moshfegh's latest is set in a medieval village, revolving around a v unfortunate young shepherd boy who—through a strange twist of fate—ends up living in the home of a cruel lord whose estate looks over his village. In classic Moshfegh fashion, Lapvona is bizarre, grotesque, and wildly entertaining.

Release date: June 28

This imaginative novel takes place in the year 2085, following a motherless young woman as she learns how to harness her powers as a carrier (aka someone who can use certain objects to carry her back and forth through time, duh). This one is 100 percent not a ~light read~ but it'll definitely transport you to another world.

Release date: July 5

Paul Tremblay's latest psychological thriller follows the unusual friendship between Art, a former high school dork with some dark interests, and the cool older woman who likes the fact that he hangs out in funeral homes...maybe a lil too much. And when Art goes to chronicle these peculiarities in his memoir several years later, his friend isn't too happy about it. Expect the unexpected with this one.

Release date: July 5

Sopan Deb's debut revolves around a broken Bengali-American family brought together again by an unexpected discovery: an unfinished play written by Keya, the youngest member of the Das family who was killed in a car accident before her family could truly accept her coming out. Ya, this one will def make you shed some happy tears.

Release date: July 5

Set in a Native community in Maine, this debut story collection from Morgan Talty (who's a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation) explores themes of tragedy, perseverance, survival, and what it means to be Penobscot over the course of 12 gorgeous stories.

Release date: July 5

Told over the course of nine menstrual cycles (yes, really), this darkly funny book revolves around singer-songwriter Aviva who find herself struggling with infertility but desperate to have a baby. The problem: She's already made her (not so positive) stance on IVF very clear through her music...particularly in her forthcoming new album, which is suddenly getting a LOT of attention.

Release date: July 5

Looking for some rom-com action? Look no further than Bolu Babalola's Honey & Spice, which follows a popular college radio show host as she enters a fake relationship with one of her school's biggest players after publicly denouncing him...and then very publicly hooking up with him. It's messy, it's sexy, and it's a must-read.

Release date: July 5

In this expansive novel, two childhood best friends (who, despite loving each other, have never actually dated) create a blockbuster video game together as college juniors, and overnight, they find themselves thrust into a world of fame and fortune—though ofc, that wild success ends up putting a major strain on their bond.

Release date: July 12

If you're in the mood to cry, then Julia Armfield wrote the perfect book for ya. Our Wives Under the Sea revolves around a woman named Miri, whose marine biologist wife returns from an expedition gone wrong and suddenly seems like a different person, one who Miri no longer recognizes. Armfield breaks your heart over and over (but in a good way, promise).

Release date: July 12

Chinelo Okparanta's long-awaited second novel is set in small-town Pennsylvania, revolving around a white teen with deeply hateful parents and a burning desire to live in a place that's tolerant and accepting. Eventually, he moves to New York City, where he falls in love with a young Nigerian woman, and through her, he finally confronts some hard truths about his privileged upbringing.

Release date: July 19

Set in 19th-century Mallorca, this deeply wild debut follows the unconventional love triangle that unfolds between real-life French novelist George Sand, her lover Frédéric Chopin, and the teenage ghost who died over 400 years earlier and pines after George from afar.

Release date: July 19

This imaginative retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau takes place in 19th-century Mexico, revolving around the sole daughter of a reclusive researcher (who may or may not be a madman) and the unexpected guest whose curiosity compels Carlota to question things herself. It's got action, romance, and even monsters—what more could ya want??

Release date: July 19

In this creepy gothic thriller, a young woman reluctantly returns to her childhood home to care for her sick mother, even though the house is filled with memories of her late serial killer father. To make matters worse, a nosey artist has moved into the guesthouse, and he may or may not be the one leaving notes for Vera in her dead father's handwriting...

Release date: July 19

Felicia Berliner's seriously juicy debut takes place in a Brooklyn Hasidic community, following a young woman named Raizl on her quest to find a husband, despite her college degree...and her secret addiction to the world of online pornography. Prepare yourself for lots of graphic sex, laugh-out-loud moments, and Yiddish vocab.

Release date: July 26

What happens when a woman breaks things off with her cheating fiancé one month before her wedding (and her 30th birthday)? She takes advantage of the already-paid-for wedding venue to throw herself a second quinceañera, ofc—and that's exactly what happens in this ridiculously charming rom-com.

Release date: August 2

In the mood for a lil historical fiction? Then you'll wanna check out Zoe Sivak's debut, which tells the story of Sylvie, a privileged heiress from Haiti who must flee to Paris in the midst of the Haitian Revolution. There Sylvie becomes fascinated with that country's own revolution—as well as its leader, Maximilien Robespierre—and she must decide which side of history she really wants to be on.

Release date: August 2

Emiko Jean's adult debut revolves around the titular Mika, a 30-something woman in a slump who unexpectedly receives a call from Penny, the daughter she put up for adoption 16 years earlier. When Penny expresses her desire to have a relationship with her birth mom, Mika must scramble to put her life together...but naturally, things don't exactly go according to plan.

Release date: August 2

In Mohsin Hamid's latest novel, a world is introduced where people who were once white find that their skin has turned brown overnight, and as you can probably guess, society doesn't know how to handle this shifting dynamic. Is it a fun and flirty beach read? Lol, no. But it's definitely an important one.

Release date: August 16

This truly terrifying novel follows the story of Shay, a woman who, eight years after escaping a violent cult, learns that the friend who escaped with her is now dead. Shay must then return to the old life she'd thought she'd put behind her in order to avenge her friend...and also rescue the women who are still in danger.