Pilcher's novels are sometimes categorized as romance, but if you're not a fan of the genre, don't let that scare you off. This family saga tells the story of three generations of a modern British family, brought together again during a time of crisis, all of whom have been burned by love and must figure out how to move forward. Full of interesting, well-developed, flawed-but-likable characters. This is a great beach/travel read, but it's LONG, making it perfect for your ereader library. I love this one so much, I included it in Volume II of my short-form podcast One Great Book and it's one of the top 100 novels in the BBC's Big Read. More info →

I love this book and am so happy to see it on sale. Elaine Aron seriously changed my life. (More about highly sensitive people here.) If you're an HSP, your nervous system is more sensitive to physical and/or emotional stimulation than the general population, and about 20% of you fall in that category. If that rings true for you (or someone you love or interact with) this book is life-changing. More info →

I love Kingsolver; this is one of her best. Southern Baptist Missionary Nathan Price heads off to the African Congo with his wife and 4 daughters in 1959, and nothing goes as planned. Though they bring with them everything they think they will need from their home in Bethlehem, Georgia—right down to the Betty Crocker cake mixes—the Prices are woefully unprepared for their new life among the Congolese, and they all pay the price. A previous Summer Reading Guide pick. More info →

I started my first Daniel Silva novel, the 16th book in this series. The books stand alone, but I enjoyed it so much that I was inspired to go back and start here, at the beginning of the series, where Silva first introduces his readers to Israeli intelligence operative Gabriel Allon. More info →

Readers who couldn't get enough C. S. Lewis as a kid are often urged to move on to his Space Trilogy as they get older. Once again, he sets his fantasies against the backdrop of classical mythology and biblical imagery; his characters encounter extraordinary creatures, fight epic battles, and come face to face with deep wisdom. The first book in the series tells the story of Dr. Ransom, a Cambridge professor who discovers after he's abducted that he's been taken from the "silent planet" of Earth. J. R. R. Tolkien inspired Lewis to write this story, and the character of Dr. Ransom is largely based on him. More info →

This stunning anthology embodies the collaborative spirit it celebrates. "We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond." This line from a Gwendolyn Brooks poem serves as the epigraph and guiding spirit of this magnificent collection, which includes essays, poems, photographs, and conversations from fabulous contributors like Michael Twitty, Joy Harjo, Elizabeth Alexander, Margaret Wilkeron Sexton, and Ross Gay. In addition to gathering beautiful poetry and reflective essays, the author of Queen Sugar travelled the country to interview Black farmers, winemakers, and culinary experts about the African American land-owning and farming experience, both past and present. Their wide-ranging and richly varied stories make for life-giving and community-changing reading. More info →

From the author of Meet Me at the Museum, a story of three women brought together by a small narrowboat who embark together on a journey through the river canals of rural England. One woman anxiously awaits a surgery, one has given up her ordinary life to become a free spirit, one is unsure if she'll return to her husband when the journey is done—but until those looming realities need to be faced, they'll spend the summer together (along with one small dog) enjoying the scenery as they wend their way down the river at 4mph. More info →

College student Alice is very much done with dating since her girlfriend broke up with her after Alice came out as asexual. She’s going to focus on having a fun summer, outside of working at the library. Then she meets Takumi at work one day and starts to wonder if maybe there could be something more between them. An enjoyable New Adult romance that explores acephobia and microaggressions with a refreshing, effervescent character you can’t help but root for. More info →

This historical novel centers two young Black women in the 1950s: Ruby is an ambitious high school sophomore in a single-parent family of limited means in Philadelphia; Eleanor is a promising student at Howard University who, despite her working class upbringing, soon finds herself moving in the upper echelon of DC’s Black society. Both women have big hopes and dreams for their futures: they want love and marriage and family, as well as college degrees and satisfying careers. But shortly after each falls in love, big changes happen—and hard choices have to be made. A good story, well-told, with a satisfying ending. Be sure not to miss the author’s note! More info →

Beanland's sophomore novel (following Florence Adler Swims Forever) is based on the very real Richmond Theater fire that killed 72 people on December 26, 1811. Beanland tells the story through the eyes of four survivors, some of whom are more fictionalized than others: the teenage stagehand whose mistake causes a backdrop to ignite, a wealthy young widow who survives by jumping from a window, an enslaved blacksmith who helps many white women escape the blazing theater, and a young female slave who wonders if she might use the fire as an opportunity to escape. Whispersync narration available. I enjoyed listening to the full-cast narration of this steadily-paced, thoroughly researched historical tale. More info →

The true story of architect Daniel H. Burnham who designed the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and serial killer H.H. Holmes. One of these things is not like the other! While Burnham navigated the recent death of his partner while planning the fair, Holmes lured his victims by pretending to be a doctor and used the fair as a cover. It’s a fascinating history of the city, the fair’s success, and the notable figures who attended. More info →

In this long-awaited memoir, Well-Read Black Girl founder Edim describes her love story with the books that shaped her, saved her, and became the foundation for her life’s work. I loved learning the origins of her book club, and how she discovered the magic of connecting with others through a shared love of reading. She also shares about her family of origin: her father’s return to Nigeria when she was young, her mother’s unhappy second marriage, and her mother’s deep depression. Books were a solace throughout, and the comfort and joy she found in cherished writers like Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, and many others is palpable in these pages. This love letter to books and reading will inspire deeper reading and reflection for those who pick it up. More info →

From the publisher: "Would a proper adult ignore the spilt milk under the fridge for weeks? Would a proper adult take three years to post a solitary Christmas card? Would a proper adult have decades-old underwear in active service? Mike Gayle is nowhere near being a proper adult - even though his tenth wedding anniversary is looming; his second child is due any moment; and in less than twenty-four hours he is going to be officially closer to forty than he is to thirty. Appalled by this lack of maturity, Mike draws up a To-Do list containing every single item he's been meaning to do but just keeps putting off... He's got a lot of stuff that needs doing. But unlike previous To-Do lists, he promises himself that this one will actually get DONE. And along the way, Mike will learn stuff about life (323), love (999), friends (1004) and family (9) and finally work out what it means to be a grown up (846)." More info →

GingerGinger says: Yes, Dan Brown. Many of his stories take place, or at least start, in the capital. But this one is underrated and too often forgotten in favor of his more popular titles that take place in Washington, The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol. This spy novel delves into national intelligence and coding. There’s a whole etymological exploration of the word “sin-cere” that was just good nerdy fun. The perfect page-turning distraction if you need a break from politics. More info →

Cross The Holiday with Sliding Doors and you’ll get a sense of Harbison’s adult debut. After a disastrous thirtieth birthday party, Meg books a getaway to the quaint Irish village where she had once dreamed of moving. That’s when things get weird: everyone seems to know her already. She has an apartment and friends and a hot ex who’s none too pleased to see her. Most shocking of all: in this version of her life, her best friend, who died in a car accident just before college, is alive and well. So why isn’t Meg happy? Harbison asks important questions about choice, contentment, and what makes for a meaningful life. I found it utterly unputdownable. More info →

Brigid says: The best way to describe this endearing sci-fi/ horror is Dracula, Frankenstein, and more in space! Delightfully filled with callbacks and Easter eggs inspired by classic monsters, I quickly fell in love with the found family of both human and non-human crew and passengers. There is the ship’s main AI, Demeter, who awakes after deep space travel to a ship full of dead passengers and a monster on board. Stewart, the snarky med bot, who is just trying to keep a tidy medical bay. And my favorite character I’ve met in recent years, the extremely charming and hilarious “Steve” who may not be there for the right reasons. With a full cast narration, the audiobook is fabulously immersive but heads up: there are binary code sequences read out loud at the beginning of chapters that can be easily sped up if they become tiresome. Unique, fun, and a tad bit gross, this is the type of entertaining read that I just want to push into readers' hands or earbuds! More info →

Trust John Green to make anything interesting, even tuberculosis. This deep dive into the curable yet deadly disease covers the history, healthcare inequity, and science. Green befriended Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient in Sierra Leone in 2019 and has been an advocate for treatment and prevention ever since. I loved the audiobook as narrated by the author. Whispersync narration available. More info →

A previous Summer Reading Guide pick! This nail-biter unravels the story of two girls who disappeared from the same tiny North Carolina town a decade apart. Ten years ago Nicolette Farrell left her hometown for good after her best friend vanished without a trace. The real twist here is the interesting format: after a short prologue, the story is told in reverse, starting with day 15 of the mystery and workings backwards to day 1. This would feel like a cheap trick if done poorly, but it wasn't, and I loved it. A dark kind of fun. More info →

I read this back in April out of pure voyeuristic curiosity and it was a really good book. This is a big personal story, but more literary in nature. From the publisher: "In Awake, Jen shares for the first time what happened when she found herself completely lost at sea-and how she made it to shore. In candid, sur­prisingly funny vignettes spanning forty years of girlhood, marriage, and parenting, Jen lays bare the disorienting upheaval of midlife-the implosion of a marriage, the unraveling of religious and cultural systems, and the grief that accompanies change you didn't ask for. And, drawing on all resources-from without and within-Jen dares to question the systems beneath the whole house of cards, and to reckon with the myths, half-truths, and lies that brought her to this point. More than one woman's story, Awake is a critical analysis of the story given to all of us: the story of gender limitations, religious subservience, body shame, self-erasure. With refreshing candor, Jen explores a midlife renaissance-grieving what's lost, cherishing possibility, and entering the second half of life wide awake." More info →

Recommended for fans of Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn. From the publisher: "In Boston's North End, four immigrant women leave childhood behind—but never one another. Escaping tradition doesn’t come easy. The friends face family clashes and romantic entanglements, career struggles and cultural prejudice. But through their unfailing bond, forged through their weekly gathering, they'll draw strength—and the courage to transform their immigrant stories into the American lives of their dreams." More info →