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I’m always daydreaming about summer books to read and the best summer reads of all time—because, honestly? I tend to find my favorite books in the summer.
My summer reading list in 2024 is all about entertainment. What makes me laugh, cry, swoon—the unputdownable books! The best summer reading in 2024 will also most likely be any books I can (1) read at the pool or (2) consume easily on vacation.
I can be a seasonal reader, and summer romance books and other cozy, fun page-turners make their way to my TBR during those summer months.
If you’re done with your spring reading list and you’re ready for something to immerse yourself in at the pool, here’s your 2024 summer reading guide!
Top Best Books to Dive Into This Summer
From short books to the best book club books to pick up this summer, these are all my top summer reading recommendations and what I would call the best summer books of all time!
The Best Books for Your Summer Reading List
Here are the 10 best books for your summer reading list, from thrillers and romance reads to complicated family dramas and literary fiction. These are all SUCH good books, and they would be perfect to pick up in the summer!
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
This is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and a New York Times Bestseller. The Guest List was published in February of 2020, but this book is perfect for summer. A wedding celebration off the coast of Ireland turns dark and deadly. Need I say more?!
The Guest List was published on February 20, 2020, from William Morrow.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! I thought Nora Goes Off Script was the perfect contemporary romance! It’s a little cheesy but very self aware.
If you need a palate cleanser from more hard-hitting books this summer, this is the perfect summer book to pick up next. I pretty much smiled the entire time I read this one.
Nora Goes Off Script was published on June 7, 2022, from G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! If you somehow haven’t read Book Lovers yet, it needs to be on your best summer reads 2023 romance list. As far as easy summer reads go, Emily Henry is always a great choice.
I found this to be the perfect rom-com, especially for (duh) book lovers. It has everything you could want in a summer book, in my opinion.
RELATED: Happy Place: Review of Emily Henry’s New Book
Book Lovers was published on May 3, 2022, from Berkley.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle has all the ingredients for one of the best beach reads of all time. The descriptions of Italy and the food?! Oh, if you have an itch to travel, this book will scratch it.
Also, it’s narrated by Lauren Graham, who is just phenomenal! This book is not the love story you think it is.
It’s contemporary fiction with a little magical realism thrown in, and it does explore some complicated feelings of grief and self-identity. But wow, it’s such a great read for summer.
One Italian Summer was published on March 1, 2022, from Atria Books.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Thank you to Doubleday for the complimentary book! Oh, this book! If you love a dysfunctional families story with secrets, love, rivalries, and intensely messy but tenderhearted characters, The Most Fun We Ever Had is for you.
This book is perfect for that “gossipy summer” vibe. I devoured it on a summer trip to Austin, Texas, and couldn’t put it down on the plane.
The Most Fun We Ever Had was published on June 25, 2019, from Doubleday Books.
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
If you want to add to your best summer reads 2023 nonfiction list, I Am, I Am, I Am is the one for you. This is a beautiful, deeply personal, fast-paced, hard-hitting, refreshing memoir.
Maggie O’Farrell shares snippets of her life and near-death experiences that have defined her life in one way or another. It’s absolutely lovely and precious and heavy and omg pick it up right now!
I Am, I Am, I Am was published on August 2, 2017, from Knopf Publishing Group.
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
Thank you to Libro.fm for the complimentary book! Look, no one is more surprised than I am that Little Weirds has become my favorite celebrity memoir, but here we are.
This is another great nonfiction book for summer if you haven’t read it (published in November 2019). It’s equal parts poetry, short story, and personal essay, and my God, I’ve become such a fan of Jenny Slate.
Little Weirds is, in fact, weird—strange and rambling and perfect in its own way. If you read it, get it on audio.
RELATED: 18 Best Audiobooks of All Time
Little Weirds was published on November 5, 2019, from Little, Brown and Company.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is a great author if you’re looking for summer books, and Malibu Rising could not be more perfect for your summer reading list.
This book is about four famous siblings throwing an epic party in the summer. Is there anything better than following the interesting lives of filthy rich and damaged young adults?!
Malibu Rising was published on June 1, 2021, from Ballantine Books.
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Ready for another compulsively readable, character-driven, dysfunctional family saga? All Adults Here, published in May 2020, has all of it, and it’s beautifully written.
If you want to get sucked into the lives of these imperfect-but-loveable family members with heartaches and truths to tell, All Adults Here could very well be your perfect summer read.
All Adults Here was published on May 4, 2020, from Riverhead Books.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
The Switch is a sweet, charming, romantic novel that I found delightful and perfect for summer. If a book that takes place in a sweet, quiet Yorkshire cottage and a flat in London sounds good to you, check this one out.
It has unlikely friendship, love, and the sweetest characters. (Can I say sweet any more here?)
The Switch was published on April 16, 2020, from Quercus.
5 New Romance Books: 2024 Releases for Your Summer Reading List
There are so many good books coming out this summer! These are the new 2024 summer books you should pick up ASAP, along with a few titles I’ll be adding to my own summer reading list.
I am a bit of a mood reader, so I’m leaving some room for other books to read in 2024, including new-to-me backlist titles. Check out my whole list of most anticipated books of 2024, too.
In general, though, it’s all about the romance for me in the summer!
Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Summer Romance is first on my summer 2024 reading list! I love Annabel Monaghan! This book is about healing from a broken heart and embracing the mess of a summer romance. What could go wrong?
Summer Romance will be published on June 4, 2024, by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
I know all the Abby Jimenez fans have this one on their radar for summer 2024. Personally, I need to pick up Part of Your World first, but I’m hoping to do all her books in a row. Nothing better than binging great books in a romance trilogy during the summer!
Just for the Summer will be published on April 2, 2024, from Forever.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Thank you to Berkley and @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! We all know I loved this book! Here’s my in-depth review with book club discussion questions and more! Of course multiple Emily Henry books would be on my summer reading list for 2024, haha!
Funny Story is a sweet, heartwarming rom-com with the perfect book boyfriend. Think a sunshine version of scruffy Nick Miller (no joke!). The setting is so lovely, too.
Funny Story will be published April 23, 2024, from Berkley.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
I love Tia Williams! And I love an epic love story that spans several generations, especially one centered on a Black man and Black woman.
Her latest novel is a historical fiction romance book set against the backdrop of modern Harlem and Renaissance glamour. Need I say more?
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde was published on February 6, 2024, from Grand Central Publishing.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Katherine Center is beloved in the romance reader community! And this one sounds SO GOOD. I’ve heard The Rom-Commers is tender, delightful, and so, so funny.
Many die-hard Katherine Center fans have said this one might be their new favorite!
The Rom-Commers will be published on June 11, 2024, from St. Martin’s Press.
6 New Book Club Books for Summer 2024
There are so many great book club books for 2024! For summer specifically, these are the titles that will keep your book club talking.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress is a fun gothic suspense novel that’s perfect for summer! The tension/suspense is soo good, and the family secrets and drama make it even better.
I loved this story so much. It’s part epistolary novel, and I wasn’t sure how I’d like that, but I ended up loving it even more because of Ruby’s letters.
The Heiress was published on January 9, 2024, from St. Martin’s Press.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
Thank you to Libro.fm for this complimentary book! The Cemetery of Untold Stories took my breath away, y’all. This. STORY. There’s so much to unpack in a book club, and I think it would be the perfect summer book club pick for a literary leaning group.
If you love history and magical realism, you will want to check out this book. It’s a beautiful portrayal of how the stories of our lives yearn to be told. Sometimes they make themselves known and sometimes they remain a mystery, but either way, they’re never truly finished.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories was published on April 2, 2024, from Algonquin Books.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
This is a buzzy debut that would be perfect for book club in the summer!
The plot sounds so interesting, and some reviewers are saying it’s fun, insightful, and twisty, which are all the best ingredients for the best book club book!
This is a magical realism, romance, contemporary fiction novel with a bit of a mystery thrown in, so it’s quite genre bending as well.
The Husbands was published April 2, 2024, from Doubleday.
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
I am so excited to read this book!!! I read her first book, The Most Fun We Ever Had, in the summer on vacation, and it was one of the best books to read on a plane. I also read it for book club, and it was one of my favorite book club discussions.
RELATED: How to Start a Book Club (of Your Dreams) in 2024
I think Same As It Ever Was will be another great vacation book to pick up in 2024. Another complex family drama?! Give it to meeeee! And the fact that it’s a chunky read means it’s best to dive into it on a plane when you have several hours to kill!
Same As It Ever Was was published on June 18, 2024, from Doubleday.
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is known for writing some heavily researched, twisty, creepy gothic novels, with some mystery and romance thrown in. What could be better for book club?
I’ve heard there are so many layers to this book, so discussing it in a group would really be ideal. And anything set in 1950s Hollywood has my attention.
The Seventh Veil of Salome was published on July 16, 2024, from Del Rey.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
This book kind of slipped under the radar for me, but I’ve heard great things about it from authors and readers I trust, so I definitely want to give it a go!
I’ve heard it’s disarmingly funny and completely unpredictable. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I think it will be the perfect 2024 summer book.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles will be published on June 11, 2024, from William Morrow.
10 Best Books of 2023 to Read in Summer 2024
If you’re looking to catch up on some backlist books this summer, these are some of my favorite really good books (great books!) published last year that give me those summer vibes.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Thank you to Libro.fm for this complimentary book! Well, you know I loved this heartwarming cozy mystery with unlikely friendships; a hilarious, unique, and strong protagonist; an entertaining cast of funny characters, and so much more.
Hint: This book is incredible on audio. If you’re looking for one of the best audiobooks this summer, this one will make you laugh and (maybe!) tear up.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was published March 14, 2023, from Berkley.
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! Happy Place is my favorite of Emily Henry’s books, and it’s a great pick for summer since it takes place in a coastal Maine cottage.
Harriet, our protagonist, has been visiting her best friend and close friend group at this cottage for years. There’s a good bit of travel in the book, which is also fun.
Make sure to check out my full in-depth review of Happy Place if you’re curious about this lovely rom-com!
Happy Place was published on April 25, 2023, from Berkley.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Okay, this is quite the shift, but this was one of my favorite books published in 2023! It’s a pretty short, fast-paced read, so I think it could be perfect for your summer reading list. This novel is inspired by America’s first celebrity serial killer, Ted Bundy.
I loved the different POVs in this book, and it was so well written. If you like crime fiction, you definitely want to check this one out.
Bright Young Women was published on September 19, 2023, from Simon and Schuster.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
The Berry Pickers is an incredible Indigenous separation story of a young girl’s disappearance in the blueberry fields of Maine one summer in July 1962. Here’s my in-depth book review.
The book spans multiple years and deals with family secrets, trauma, and the specific ways Indigenous families were treated during this time. If you want an important, short book that still packs a punch this summer, The Berry Pickers is the one for you!
The Berry Pickers was published on April 4, 2023, from Catapult.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
The Secret Book of Flora Lea is one of my all-time favorite books! This historical fiction book has everything you could ever want in a summer read. It’s an ode to story that’s heartfelt, bittersweet, and so well paced.
We picked this book for book club and really enjoyed hearing Patti Callahan Henry talk about the research process for this lovely book!
The Secret Book of Flora Lea was published on May 2, 2023, from Atria Books.
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! The Burnout is a fun contemporary romance/general fiction book that would be perfect for spring or summer reading. It’s just such a heartwarming book about self-discovery, learning to say no to the wrong things, and learning to say yes to the risks worth taking.
The Burnout is short, the audio is fantastic, and while it’s light on the romance, I still found our main protagonist, Sasha, to be so endearing. It’s a great “palate cleanser” book.
The Burnout was published on October 10, 2023, from The Dial Press.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
This is a wonderful family drama if you’re looking for a “Gossip Girl for grown-ups” vibe. Old money family in New York City with multiple POVs and interesting sibling relationships and family dysfunction.
There’s not a ton of action in this book, and if it bothers you to read about flawed characters, maybe don’t read this book, because they are definitely complex. But if you like that sort of thing, check it out!
Pineapple Street was published on March 7, 2023, from Pamela Dorman Books.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book! This is a road trip story (perfect for summer!) that happens to be one of my favorite reads from 2023. Unlikely friendship, cozy mystery, very funny, and downright delightful.
The voice and characters were refreshing and fun, and the reader definitely gets to go on quite the adventure with an elderly woman and her twenty-something caregiver—an unlikely duo.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise was published on March 28, 2023, from Berkley.
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
Thank you to @PRHaudio for this complimentary book. Another road trip book in the United States! And a surprising one, at that. This is a romance book about a young girl navigating grief. It’s quite spicy, so know that going into it. But this book is cozy, sweet, charming, and heartfelt.
The main protagonist goes on quite the journey of self-discovery, and it feels perfect for summer reading.
Mrs. Nash’s Ashes was published May 23, 2023, from Berkley.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
This fantasy/time travel book is a fun book with a unique premise, and it will instantly transport you to another time—perfect for summer reading!
I loved this book! It was also magical realism and historical fiction with the sweetest romance, so definitely a genre-bending story.
The Unmaking of June Farrow was published on October 17, 2023, from Delacorte Press.
5 Best Audiobooks for Summer 2024
Out of this list of the best summer books of all time, these are the 5 best audiobooks to listen to this summer:
- Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
- The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
- The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
- Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
- The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Summer Reading Ideas for 2024
Here are some summer reading ideas for 2024 to make sure you make time for reading in these hot months!
- Join a summer reading challenge.
Joining a summer reading challenge can keep you accountable to your reading goals—plus it’s so fun to read with other readers! Reading can be an isolating experience. Why not make it more social for summer?
A lot of bookish influencers host 24-hour readathons, monthly reading challenges, etc. See which one aligns with your reading goals and interests.
You can also check your local library for summer reading challenges or author events. Getting plugged into your local author community can inspire you to read more this summer!
- Host a reading party.
Another way to make reading more social! I like to host reading parties in the summer—I invite reader friends over and have snacks, maybe some cocktails or themed drinks, and everyone brings their own books.
You could also keep it low-key and buddy read a few books with your best friend!
You can have a cozy reading night all together and do reading sprints. That way, you have bookish talk to catch up and discuss what everyone’s reading, but you also have dedicated reading time in the presence of other readers.
We do this virtually every month for my book club. Join us if reading sprints sounds like a fun idea for you!
- Make reading selections and goals that align with your summer bucket list.
Have you ever made a summer bucket list at the end of the school year? Try thinking about how your reading life can complement your summer bucket list! If you have specific travel plans this summer, research if there are any books about that place or set in that place that might interest you.
Maybe one thing on your list this summer is to walk every day before it gets too hot in the morning. Why not commit to listening to an audiobook during that time?
RELATED: How to Listen to Audiobooks: Beginner’s Guide
Or maybe it’s on your summer bucket list to get to know your neighbors better. Why not start a neighborhood book club? Maybe you want to start a family book club if you’re raising a young reader. Think about how you can be intentional with your reading and find new ways to sneak reading into your schedule.
- Plan bigger reading “chunks” or days.
If you’re like me (a busy mom who doesn’t always have much time to read), it can be hard to sit and read for several hours a day. Maybe you don’t have several hours! I would encourage you to think of reading and self-care and go ahead and plan a few “reading days” or “reading afternoons” this summer.
RELATED: Books for Busy Seasons: What I Read in Early Postpartum Days
Put them on your calendar and inform your family that those days are set aside for reading (or at least, a few hours of the day). Trust me, having themed reading days is so fun.
I often struggle to prioritize reading because of all the other things that deserve my attention. But when it’s on my calendar, I try to honor it as much as possible.
- Revamp a reading corner or space in your home.
Do you have a dedicated space you like to read? If you don’t—or you do and it needs a little facelift—take the time now to make this space the best reading space it can be!
I have a little basket I keep in my living room with my current physical book, my kindle, my reading journal, other book annotation tools like highlighters and book tabs and sticky notes, and bookmarks.
Something about having all of these things together in a basket makes it so much easier for me to sit down and start reading! And I love that I can carry everything with me upstairs, downstairs, in my bedroom, or on our back deck. It feels like a luxury, and it’s so convenient.
And side note: If you don’t have a Kindle yet, I strongly recommend taking the plunge. It’s so nice to have a Kindle at the pool or while you travel on summer vacation!
RELATED: Annotating My Books Part 2: My Digital Note-Taking System
What’s on your summer reading list for 2024? Any summer books you’re excited to get to this year? I’d love to know—send me all your book recommendations! Happy reading! x
So good!