16 Books to Read this Summer! |
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| Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia ArmfieldTrapped: A deep-sea research sub malfunctions, stranding marine biologist Leah on the ocean floor for six terrifying months. Leah returns home but isn't at all the same loving partner that her wife Miri knows. Are they just drifting apart? Or is something stranger happening?
Read it for: a "moody and intimate debut novel, both a portrait of a marriage and a subtle horror fantasy" (Publishers Weekly).
Try this next: Ally Blue's Down stars complex LGBTQIA characters confronting (less subtle) oceanic horror. |
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The Perfect Marriage
by Kimberla Lawson Roby
From the outside, Denise and Derrek look like the perfect couple. They've got successful careers, a nice house, a strong marriage, and a lovely teenage daughter. But they've also got a serious problem with drugs. Derrek wants to quit; Denise doesn't think their use of cocaine and prescription drugs is dangerous. But increasing dependence, a crisis, and their unwillingness to face the facts means that they could lose everything that's important to them. With plenty of drama and a fascinating look at how addicts keep up appearances, The Perfect Marriage is a quick, enjoyable read.
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| Either/Or by Elif BatumanStarring: Selin -- the brainy daughter of Turkish immigrants -- who's in pursuit of love, sex, and booze at Harvard during the 1990s.
What it is: A sardonic own voices story with a likeable, introspective yet unpretentious protagonist (think Bridget Jones with an obsessive love of Russian literature).
Reading notes: Elif Batuman's earlier novel The Idiot introduces Selin. While readers can jump in here, they may enjoy getting her backstory. |
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The Idiot
by Elif Batuman
Embarking on her freshman year at Harvard in the early tech days of the 1990s, a young artist and daughter of Turkish immigrants begins a correspondence with an older mathematics student from Hungary while struggling with her changing sense of self, first love and a daunting career prospect.
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| Counterfeit by Kirstin ChenFriendship and fakery: Ava Wong bumps into former college roomie Winnie Fang. Ava is quickly drawn into Winnie's designer handbag scam to earn money for her son's school fees.
But who's hustling who? Narrated by Ava and Winnie in turn, this witty caper novel leaves readers guessing who they can trust.
Reviewers say: Counterfeit is a "sly and subversive... examination of motherhood and an incisive look at culture and class" (Booklist). |
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Portrait of a Thief: A Novel
by Grace D. Li
A Chinese American art history major at Harvard, Will Chen is offered a (very illegal) chance to reclaim five priceless treasures China lost centuries ago and assembles a team of fellow students, chosen for their skills and loyalty, to help him on his missionand make history.
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| Cult Classic by Sloane CrosleyWhat it's about: Sloane, on the verge of marrying her "perfect guy," is suddenly tripping over her (still pretty darn attractive) exes. Her former boss -- a self-styled, wanna-be psychology guru -- is using her for one of his experiments... but to what end?
A mashup of: "your favorite rom-com meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with a light soupçon of Ghostbusters" (Booklist).
Further reading: The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen or Emily Henry's Book Lovers. |
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I Do Love You Still
by Mary B. Morrison
A power couple famed for their talents and passion-driven clashes face an ultimate test when one is given a rare chance to move her fashion brand to New York City at the same time the other secures an Olympic spot.
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| Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott DarkWhat it's about: the luminous lifelong friendship of octogenarians Agnes and Polly, whose families jointly own the pristine slice of coastal Maine known as Fellowship Point.
Hidden secrets... put them at odds while developers eye their land.
Want a taste? "There wasn't time for withholding, not in this short life when you were only given to know a few people, and to have a true exchange with one or two."
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Sea of Tranquility: A Novel
by Emily St. John Mandel
Hired to investigate the black-skied Night City, Detective Gaspery-Jacques Roberts discovers an anomaly in the North American Wilderness, where he encounters a strange group of individuals who have all glimpsed a chance to do something extraordinary that could disrupt the timeline of the universe.
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| Nuclear Family by Joseph HanHawai'i, 2018: Family and international tensions collide as North Korea boasts nuclear weapons. Siblings Grace and Jacob Cho (third-generation Hawaiian Korean) face the fallout.
What happens: Jacob makes an ill-timed effort to enter North Korea (to be fair, he's possessed by his grandfather's North Korean ghost). His antics draw unwanted attention to the whole family and sink the family business that Grace tries to keep afloat. She gives up and turns to drugs.
Reviewers say: "Filled with campy humor, Han's novel will be appreciated by readers looking for a light, fun, yet meaningful read" (Library Journal). |
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The Last Story of Mina Lee
by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Suspecting foul play in the wake of her mothers accidental death, Margot Lee investigates her mothers past as a Korean War orphan and undocumented immigrant before uncovering profound secrets. A first novel. 50,000 first printing.
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| Ways the World Could End by Kim HooperStarring: Dave, a neurodivergent widower now solo-parenting the baffling creature that is his teen daughter; and 15-year-old Cleo, who's grappling with both her mother's death and her attraction to a new girl in class.
Read it for: A touching portrait of love's many forms (parent and child, husband and wife, same-sex teen romance) and the deep grief that emerges after a traumatic death.
Reviewers say: "This memorable and stirring story of survival brings the goods" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Donut Fall in Love
by Jackie Lau
Back in Toronto after a promotional tour for a bombing film, actor Ryan Kwok grieves the loss of his mother and bonds with a donut baker who agrees to teach him how to bake for an upcoming tv show. Original.
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| Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinWhat it's about: A chance encounter launches a 30-year friendship between brilliant video game designers Sadie Green and Sam Masur. Mistakes are made, lessons are learned, and video game fortunes rise and fall.
Is it for me? Do you like ability diverse characters, Oregon Trail, Neal Stephenson's Reamde, gaming fandom at large, and/or the ride-or-die friendships forged therein? If yes, then smash "play" on this.
Read this next: The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker, or Jason Rekulak's The Impossible Fortress. |
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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry: A Novel
by Gabrielle Zevin
When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A. J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life. 75,000 first printing.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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