Years ago I had to be talked into reading this one, as fantasy is not my go-to genre. I'm so glad I didn't miss it; perhaps spring is the perfect time for YOU to pick it up? Hobbits are cozy creatures: they love their burrows and their well-cooked meals and their close-knit community. In Tolkien’s world, these homebodies are compelled to embark on life-changing quests and fight earth-saving battles. In this prequel to Lord of the Rings, Bilbo Baggins sets off to steal treasure from the dragon Smaug; humorous and dangerous adventures ensue. More info →

This has been on summer reading lists everywhere, for good reason. It's the summer of 1968, and Delphine and her younger sisters are on a journey in more ways than one as they leave home in Brooklyn and set out to visit their estranged mother in California. When the girls arrive, they find a mother who is radically different from how they imagined she would now be like. Unenthusiastic about seeing them and seemingly annoyed by their presence, she sends them off to a Black Panthers summer camp to get them out of her hair. This is the story of a young girl trying to make sense of the world (and family) around her, forced to grow up too fast to cope with the difficult circumstances she finds herself in, set against the backdrop of the civil and political unrest of 1968 Oakland. More info →

From the publisher: "Dorothea Benton Frank novels are smart and witty fiction that readers want on their bookshelf: soulful, edgy stories about realistic characters familiar to us all that explore the most deeply felt moments of life with wry humor and heart." More info →

Jackson’s Southern story feels both exactly like the books her long-time readers know and love and like a total departure—and I loved it. Her domestic thriller (yes, really!) begins at a book club meeting in a quiet suburban neighborhood. These women live quiet lives revolving around family and sometimes work; they know each other well, and everything unfolds as usual … until a new guest arrives, one who has a score to settle based on long-buried secrets, and who won't rest until she makes the woman pay for her crimes. But what happened back then, and why does it matter now? I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough in my quest to discover the truth for myself. An absorbing, rewarding mystery that will delight her loyal readers and entice new fans. More info →

From the publisher: "A novel of money and secrets set among the famous summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, spanning over a century from the Gilded Age to the present day. 2019: Andie Figuero has just landed her dream job as a producer of Mansion Makeover, a popular reality show about restoring America’s most lavish historic houses. But Andie runs into trouble: the reclusive heiress who still lives in the mansion, Lucia “Lucky” Sprague, will only allow the show to go forward on two conditions: One, nobody speaks to her. Two, nobody touches the mansion’s ruined boathouse. 1958: Lucia “Lucky” Sprague has always felt like an outsider at Sprague Hall. When she and her grandmother—the American-born Princess di Conti—fled Mussolini’s Italy, it seemed natural to go back to the imposing Newport house Nana owned but hadn’t seen since her marriage in 1899. Over the years, Lucky's lost her Italian accent and found a place for herself among the yachting set by marrying Stuyvesant Sprague, the alcoholic scion of her Sprague stepfamily. But one fateful night in the mansion’s old boathouse will uncover a devastating truth...and change everything she thought she knew about her past." More info →

I've been on a roll with the Maine reads! When comments on this post featuring 12 recommended reads for those traveling to Maine (or who want to) mentioned that this Meg Mitchell Moore release was set in the tiny (and real) town of Owls Head, I dropped it into my bag. This family novel unfolds over the course of one summer and focuses on three generations of the McLean family. Every generation has its troubles at the moment—the progressing Alzheimer's of the family patriarch, the midlife crisis and struggling marriage of the adult daughter, the adolescent woes of the kids—but the Maine house has always been a respite. The family's precariously maintained balance is tipped when a surprise visitor shows up to the island—a love child of the family's respected patriarch, whose existence has been kept secret for twenty-three years. All is well by summer's end in this easy-reading tale of family secrets, forgiveness, privilege, reconciliation, and happiness. More info →

Brigid says: An innovative interactive tale with a killer premise and laugh-out-loud moments. Ernest Cunningham is a quick-witted expert on murder mysteries; he even writes books about the genre. All that knowledge soon comes in handy as he finds himself snowed in during a family reunion and learns that everyone has killed someone and there is a killer on the loose. There are lots of meta references like the “10 Commandments of Detective Fiction” and I absolutely adored all the times Ernest breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the readers. Important to note — the plot, deaths, and backstories might be grittier than one expects from the cover and title. In fact, after a particularly upsetting scene, I almost DNF’d the print book around the halfway mark. Luckily, a friend mentioned she tore through the audiobook narrated by Barton Welch, inspiring me to pick it back up in audio to find out whodunnit. I am so glad I did! Whispersync narration available. More info →

This riveting historical brings McCarthy-era Hollywood to life. In 1957, Isabella’s movie studio intends to make her the next Grace Kelly—if she can toe the line. But when she runs afoul of their plans, their “fixer” installs her at a cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea to wait for her situation to be handled. While there, she forms an unlikely friendship with the reclusive Leo, a talented screenwriter who’s living in exile because he’s been blacklisted. A complementary 2017 storyline makes it clear that the past era’s struggles are very much present in Hollywood today. I loved this story for its propulsive plot and riveting period details, most especially the numerous lovely portrayals of people finding love and family even when they’d given up hope of it happening for them in an unkind world. A 2025 Summer Reading Guide selection. More info →

This was a tad sentimental for my taste (as was Cronin's debut, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot) but nevertheless a winsome and enjoyable read. How could I not root for protagonist Eddie Winston? Ninety years old, with his academic career long behind him, he spends his days volunteering at a charity shop in Birmingham. He finds purpose in stewarding donated items that he suspects, though they may have been hastily dropped off for donation, that the donors aren't truly ready to part with—and he keeps them safe until their owners return for them. It's this secret mission that bring Eddie and twenty-four-year-old Bella together; the two subsequently strike up a friendship that leads places neither could have foreseen. The two are good for each other. Bella especially enjoys having an older friend whose company she can enjoy, and whom she can help in practical ways—and when she finds out that ninety-year-old Eddie Winston has never been kissed, she resolves to help Eddie finally find the love he's been missing in his life. What Bella doesn't know yet is that Eddie has known great love, though the timing has been all wrong. Through their quest they learn more of each other's stories, widen their new circle of friends, and set out to finally find the love Eddie has been yearning for all his life. This would be a promising pick for fans of stories featuring second chances, seasoned protagonists, and found family. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kim Durham, Clare Corbett, and Natalie Nightingale. Whispersync narration available. More info →

From the publisher: "Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures. Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books. The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?" More info →

"Joy," David Brooks writes, "is a byproduct experienced by people who are aiming for something else. But it comes." From the publisher: "Blending psychology, politics, spirituality, and confessional, The Road to Character provides an opportunity for us to rethink our priorities, and strive to build rich inner lives. With the wisdom, humor, curiosity, and sharp insights that have brought millions of readers to his New York Times column, David Brooks has consistently illuminated our daily lives in surprising and original ways. Responding to what he calls the culture of the Big Me, which emphasizes external success, Brooks challenges us, and himself, to rebalance the scales between our 'résumé virtues'—achieving wealth, fame, and status—and our 'eulogy virtues,' those that exist at the core of our being: kindness, bravery, honesty, or faithfulness, focusing on what kind of relationships we have formed." More info →

My family listened to this Newbery-winning novel in verse and LOVED it, after Caroline Starr Rose raved about it on Episode 14 of What Should I Read Next. This coming-of-age story revolves around two twin boys, both basketball stars, raised by an ex-NBA star, and the plot features plenty of action on and off the court. You don't need to enjoy or even know anything about basketball in order to get swept away by the rhythm of Alexander's poetry. A heads up to those who think they aren't poetry types: when read aloud, this story doesn't sound "poetic." It just sounds awesome. Whispersync narration available. Booked, the second in the series, is also on sale. More info →

Weisberger fans know the drill: we start with a naive good girl out of her depth, this time in the world of professional tennis. After an on-court disaster at Wimbledon, nice girl Charlie (as in Charlotte) Silver hires a new coach, who believes that nice girls finish last, and rebrands Charlie as the "Warrior Princess." Soon she's wearing black and partying hard, but no big change comes without a cost. More info →

It’s just a few days before Christmas when the five Vanderbeeker children find out their landlord will not renew the lease on their Harlem brownstone apartment. The thought of leaving the home (and neighborhood) that they love puts a damper on their Christmas spirit, but the siblings come together with a plan: convince their Scrooge-like landlord to let the family stay. This perfectly heartwarming middle grade novel with diverse characters and a charming setting will bring home the spirit of the season into your home. Don't let the winter setting dissuade you from reading this delightful series at any time of year. More info →

I spoke with Kate DiCamillo about her love for this book on episode 213 of WSIRN. In this modern classic, 10-year-old Kenny and his family head south from their home in Flint, Michigan to visit Grandma in Birmingham—right as the church bombings are about to happen. This award-winning middle grade novel has both humor and depth, and LeVar Burton excels at highlighting the funny and the tragic with his excellent narration in the audio version. Whispersync narration available. More info →

Isabel "Belly" Conklin lives for summers at the beach with her family—and her mother's best friend and her two sons: Jeremiah and Conrad. They've always been her summer companions, extra brothers to annoy her from June through August. But this summer, everything changes as Belly experiences a love triangle plot reminiscent of Sabrina. Jenny Han writes such delightful YA romances novels: humorous and charming, totally swoon worthy. This is the first in a trilogy you can easily finish in one week at the beach. All three are on sale. More info →

The Bloggess delivers another collection that will make you laugh till the tears flow. By writing about mental health, Lawson has learned how much it benefits readers for her to "go first." Her trademark wit and humor permeates this collection of vulnerable stories about her long-standing experience with depression and anxiety, making readers feel seen and understood in their own struggles. The topics run the gamut from the decidedly light hearted, like "Six Times I've Lost My Shoes While Wearing Them: A List That Shouldn't Exist" to the deadly serious, "An Open Letter to My Insurance Company," in which she details the active harm its policies cause her and others. There aren't enough content warnings to cover the bases here, so consider yourself broadly warned. 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 →

The reviews on this graphic novel rendering of the 1972 classic about a brave band of rabbits in the English countryside and their quest for survival against the threat of humans are fantastic. This British classic powerfully probes love, courage, loyalty, and human nature. More info →

Sasha Cruz is unlucky in love—until she falls for her seatmate on a flight to Paris. But before they can exchange information, they’re separated into different taxis. Thinking he may be a colleague, Sasha drunk emails a work friend for help finding the handsome stranger—but instead accidentally emails the company listserv, leading employees worldwide to help her hunt for Seat F. Things take a turn when Sasha turns to a friendly PI from her past for help. Readers may find Sasha hard to root for due to her persistent boundary-crashing, but I wanted to find out what this chaotic woman would do next, and if she’d get her happy ending. Extra fun provided by intercut When Harry Met Sally-style love stories and a brief Ricki Wilde cameo. For fans of Jasmine Guillory’s Drunk on Love and Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us. More info →