From New Releases to Enduring Faves, Here Are All the Books on Our Summer Reading List

This new novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid (author of the 2017 best-seller The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) already has quite a bit of buzz around it — the story is already being adapted into an Amazon scripted series, produced by Reese Witherspoon!

Though a work of fiction, the narrative is framed as a tell-all biography of '70s-era rock goddess, Daisy Jones. It follows the formation of her band, their rise to fame, and of course, their legendary downfall.

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This romantic read is just as sexy as it is sweet. If you're a fan of Helen Hoang's 2018 debut, The Kiss Quotient, you'll have an idea of the steaminess that you're in for!

Khai and Esme live on opposite ends of the globe, and seemingly in two different realities — Esme in the world of starry-eyed romance, and Khai in a matter-of-fact, socially isolated viewpoint. The two are paired together through an arranged courtship, and must navigate through their differences to reach common ground together.

Yes, Sally Rooney's second smash-hit novel has a lot of hype around it, but it's well deserved. Normal People is a self-aware read that feels unbelievably hyper-real, following the fraught emotional lives of two Irish teenagers who pretend not to know each other at school.

Angie Thomas — author of the wildly popular The Hate U Give — is back with her anticipated second novel. On the Come Up is about a young aspiring rapper named Bri whose first song goes viral for the wrong reasons. As her family is on the brink of being evicted from their home, Bri knows she has no other choice than to see her ambitions through.

Susan Choi's writing is devastatingly descriptive, unflinching, and evocative. Her new novel, Trust Exercise, is a tragicomedy set in the early 1980s at a performing arts high school, and centers around the hyper-competitive relationships between the students and the world outside of the campus. It layers on so much tension with each brilliantly crafted sentence.

As if the hosts of the My Favorite Murder podcast couldn't get any more candid, their dual memoir is about to drop, spilling never-before-told stories that we can't wait to hear. 

As any loyal Murderino knows, the journey to Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark's astronomical podcasting success wasn't easy or instant, and this book details some of their darkest days and deepest fears that they overcame — and are still in the process of working through.

Evoking the lush, yet unsettling fugue-state feel of a David Lynch flick, Adam Foulds’ new novel, Dream Sequence, centers around the relationship and obsession that a fan has with her TV-star idol.

Consuming the late Anthony Bourdain's work now feels more heartbreakingly poignant than it ever has been. Reading his landmark memoir Kitchen Confidential now, we can almost hear it spoken in his voice. 

It's one of our favorite travel reads for Bourdain's masterful descriptions of the energy of each kitchen he trained in, and every life-changing dish that he enjoyed to the last bite.

What are you watching right now? Whatever your answer, The New Yorker TV columnist Emily Nussbaum has an extremely nuanced and erudite take on it. This collection of essays and profiles charts the modern TV revolution and grapples with how the medium has dealt with the various issues and conversations that are shaping our world today.

In the age of excessive digital connectivity, it can be difficult to discern what — or who — is even real anymore. This satirical novel follows Hark Morner, a mindfulness guru who catapults to icon status when his half-baked technique of "Mental Archery" captivates the technology-weary masses.

Former first lady Michelle Obama's memoir isn't just a book — it's a phenomenon. This personal, close-to-the-heart read chronicles the experiences — both public and private — that have shaped her into the woman of incomparable "soul and substance" that she is today.

Paul Shore's funny and engaging 2017 memoir Uncorked tells of his adventures spending a year in Provence. 

During his time in the small and picturesque village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, he learns to play the French game of pétanque, discovers the etiquette of the cheese plate, and falls for the works of surrealist artist Marc Chagall, who once walked those same streets.

This beautifully written debut collection of short stories from Xuan Juliana Wang centers around the Chinese millennial experience. Wang's moving and slightly surrealist narratives transport the reader from China to America and back again, reckoning with generational disparities, the ache of a secret love, and the privilege of having endless choices.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from Richard Powers speaks to the concerned naturalist in all of us. At once both larger-than-life and truly haunting, it is largely about the human impact on the environment, and the inner lives of ancient trees.

Jet-setting this summer? We have the read for you. Kristin Newman, who's written for That '70s Show and How I Met Your Mother, tells it like it is in her super funny and thought-provoking memoir. While her friends are getting married and having kids, she takes off for a few weeks each year to see the world. Unforgettable adventures ensue.

You may be tempted to take a snap of the gorgeous cover of Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing and post it on Instagram ... but that would be entirely missing the point. In her debut nonfiction book, Odell deftly critiques the omnipresent digital strategy known as the "attention economy," which is meant to keep users engaged, outraged, and constantly refreshing their feeds.

The title isn't meant to encourage readers to delete their accounts, but to be more careful and selective of how they choose to engage with various technologies, so that they can "stand apart" from the endless online cacophony.

Curtis Sittenfeld is a master at constructing fictional worlds in which things on the surface are never really what they appear to be. Her latest book — and her first short-story collection — is an astute take-down of lifestyle gurus, ambitious Ivy Leaguers, and our own politically divided nation. Thrilling and scintillating, this is one to discuss with your besties over drinks.

The narrator of My Year of Rest and Relaxation is an attractive, intelligent, seemingly well-off young woman living in New York City during the Giuliani era. Though on paper she seems to have it all together, her bitter unhappiness leads her to seek out a very unorthodox psychiatrist. She's prescribed a cocktail of drugs to help her deal with her reality, when in fact, it's pulling her further and further away from it.

In the classical music community, the people you perform with may be your competitors, but they're your family above all. This riveting debut novel follows four string musicians and best friends that make up the Van Ness Quartet, illustrating their triumphs, heartbreaks, the drama that's always around them, and the passion for their art that keeps their bond strong.

The horror master is back with one of his most chilling and gruesome tales yet. Stephen King's The Outsider details life in a small town, where everybody knows everybody. When a little boy's body is found in a town park, the police and townspeople immediately point to only one person — his Little League coach. A combination of narration and police interview transcripts weave a complicated, unbelievably compelling story.

As smart, hilarious, and as over-sharing as the most active friend in your group chat, Samantha Irby's Meaty is a refreshing break from all of the BS. This follow-up essay collection to last year's We Are Never Meeting in Real Life speaks just as candidly on bodily functions and sexual misadventures as it does on gut-wrenching topics like childhood trauma and loss.

So you sped-read through Meaty, now what? Michael Arceneaux's I Can't Date Jesus may be the only worthy book to follow it. This humorous, yet highly affecting memoir chronicles his life growing up gay, black, and religious in Houston, with all of the challenges and absurdity that comes with embracing his identity in a bigoted world. The constant unpacking of life's baggage is exhausting, but necessary, and Arceneaux does it brilliantly.

A modern take on the epistolary novel, Hey Ladies! is told through the medium of emails, texts, DMs, and other forms of digital communication. It's the ongoing conversation of eight 20- and 30-something female friends centering around gossip, dates, breakups, summer plans, and one particularly drama-filled wedding.

Rachel Kushner's newest novel is a harrowing look at a life sentence in a women's prison. The protagonist, Romy Hall, observes the bleakness of life, and the myriad of codes, signals, systems, and hierarchies that surround her. Packed with astute social commentary and wry criticism, this read is as luminous as it is dark.

Did watching The Shape of Water leave you feeling a little ... thirsty? Melissa Broder's newest novel furthers the fish-man fantasy. On the heels of heartbreak, Lucy heads to Venice Beach with the hopes of patching up her emotional wounds, and also immediately rebound. She becomes enchanted by a mysterious swimmer one night, sparking her desires while leading her into uncharted waters of a truly different kind.

Jessica Knoll's Luckiest Girl Alive is a tough act to follow, which is why we're doubly impressed by her new release, The Favorite Sister. Five successful women appear on a reality show, pitting their achievements and character against one another. The already-tense relationship between sisters Brett and Kelly is heightened ... then tragedy strikes and one of the castmates ends up dead.

Recently released in paperback, John Hodgman's Vacationland is a humorous memoir, tinged with post-2016 sadness. The former Daily Show correspondent brings his signature wit and irreverence to the page once again, only this time with surprisingly poignant reflections on fatherhood, aging, his place as an older white man in Trump's America, and, of course, the topographically ruthless beaches of the Northeast.

Fundamentalism, political extremism, and terrorism make for a perfect storm of doomsday scenarios, and The Incendiaries is a compelling look into the darkest timeline. College students Phoebe and Will find themselves pulled into an underworld cult with ties to North Korea. Both students try to patch the profound sense of loss in their lives through acceptance by this group ... even when they're forced to commit some truly horrific atrocities.

Celebrated essayist Sloane Crosley is back, on the 10th anniversary of her first story collection, with her latest — and arguably best — book yet. Her topics and observations span from everyday-relatable to weirdly-specific-yet-oh-so-compelling. Searingly witty, erudite, and original, Crosley wins our affection all over again.

In Lauren Groff's Florida, the region's sultry climate is the backdrop for a collection of slow-burning stories. Both transportive and evocative, Groff's prose is equally electrifying in all of the myriad characters — and creatures — she inhabits.