Guess what? It’s official! School’s out for summer! You know what that means? You can totally stay up way past your bedtime catching up on all those books you’ve been dying to read all year long. Don’t have a TBR pile a mile long? No worries, my friend. I have your summer reading list for adults right here, filled to the brim with all the fabulous tomes you need for beach reading, lazy days on the deck and, of course, those late night binge-reading sessions.

2016 summer reading list for adults 2

I read like a fiend during the summer and love staying up until well after everyone else has gone to bed to finish a good book.  The house is so still and quiet (except when The Fuzz gets all wound up). It’s just magical. Unless I’m reading a scary book. Then it’s a little terrifying. Anyway, this summer reading list for adults consists of books I’m personally dying to read as well as highly-recommended books in other genres that you might like. Ready to check it out?

Summer Reading List for Adults

I started out trying to divide this list into categories, but there are just so many genres out there, and so many books cross genres. It got too complicated! You’ll still notice a sort of symbiotic relationship emerge between the books on the list, but I gave up on trying to shove them all into perfectly headed categories.

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support! I also just got a fancy schmancy Amazon plugin (but I’m not entirely convinced that it will always work), so if you notice little tables after the “other books you might like” and wonder why I’m listing them in two different ways, it’s because the plain links are my backup plan in case the plugin fails. 😀

Young Adult Reads

The Outliers

The Outliers47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long is a breakneck thriller about one girl’s race to find and save her friend. When Wylie’s friend Cassie goes missing, she receives a text saying Cassie needs help. Instead of just telling Wylie where she’s at, though, she sends cryptic clues and insists that Jasper- a boy Wylie doesn’t even know- join her in the search. As Wylie and Jasper race to find Cassie, Wylie begins to think that finding her friend may only be the beginning. Sounds pretty awesome to me!

The Last Star (Final Book in the 5th Wave series)

The 5th Wave series47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long has been on my TBR list for a long time. Now that the final book is out, I’m ready to check it off that list. I love reading a series when all the books are available. That way, I don’t have to wait to find out what happens next!

A Court of Mist and Fury

This sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses is perfect for fans of Fae-fiction (I think that should be a genre, don’t you?). Update: at this point, all of the books are out in this series, so get ready to binge!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Box Set
  • Hardcover Book
  • Maas, Sarah J. (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 09/05/2017 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury USA Childrens (Publisher)

Everland

Everland47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long is Peter Pan meets steampunk meets plague fiction, and wow, does it look cool! Definitely high on my summer reading list!

More YA books to read this summer:

The Selection Series Box Set: The Selection, The Elite, The One
The Selection Series Box Set: The Selection, The Elite, The One
Cass, Kiera (Author); English (Publication Language); 1056 Pages - 05/05/2015 (Publication Date) - HarperTeen (Publisher)
$40.68 Amazon Prime
Sale
The Star-Touched Queen (Star-Touched, 1)
The Star-Touched Queen (Star-Touched, 1)
Hardcover Book; Chokshi, Roshani (Author); English (Publication Language); 352 Pages - 04/26/2016 (Publication Date) - St. Martin's Griffin (Publisher)
$17.62 Amazon Prime
Sale
Julia Vanishes (The Witch's Child)
Julia Vanishes (The Witch's Child)
Hardcover Book; Egan, Catherine (Author); English (Publication Language); 384 Pages - 06/07/2016 (Publication Date) - Knopf Books for Young Readers (Publisher)
$2.20
Sale
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
Hardcover Book; Simonson, Helen (Author); English (Publication Language); 496 Pages - 03/22/2016 (Publication Date) - Random House (Publisher)
$14.21 Amazon Prime
Sale
With Malice
With Malice
Hardcover Book; Cook, Eileen (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages - 06/07/2016 (Publication Date) - Clarion Books (Publisher)
$12.97 Amazon Prime
Descendant Prophecies
Descendant Prophecies
Amazon Kindle Edition; Ting, Mary (Author); English (Publication Language)
Schism
Schism
Amazon Kindle Edition; Holewinski, Britt (Author); English (Publication Language); 274 Pages - 03/14/2016 (Publication Date) - Delirious Pixie (Publisher)
$0.99

Romantic Reads (Mostly Suspenseful)

Haunted Destiny

Heather Graham’s Haunted Destiny47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long is part of the Krewe of Hunters series. Graham always does a great job of bringing together romance, paranormal and suspense in a fun ride. I can’t wait to check this one out.

The Obsession

Nora Roberts is like the queen of romantic suspense, although I’ve always liked her paranormal romance better. Lately, though, it seems like she’s lost her touch for it. The last couple of trilogies just didn’t hook me the way her Three Sisters, Key trilogy and so on did. The Obsession47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long got much better reviews than her latest paranormal series (as far as I’ve seen), so I’m going to give it a try and see if she can’t get me hooked on her romantic suspense the way she did on her older paranormal romance.

Something Magical

Leighann Dobbs writes such fun cozy paranormal mystery romances. The love stories are woven into the plot perfectly and feel so realistic. Her characters don’t fall in love at first sight. It’s very refreshing! I’m definitely looking forward to reading Something Magical47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long this summer! It’s also categorized as a “clean read” on Amazon, for those who look for that sort of thing.

More romance novels you might like:

A Toxic Trousseau (Witchcraft Mystery)

51CsU6b5pKL47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long

Juliet Blackwell is my favorite paranormal cozy mystery writer. I’m anxiously awaiting the July 5th release of A Toxic Trousseau47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long. I’ve read every other book in this series, and they just keep getting better! If you want a great series to binge on, start with Secondhand Spirits47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long, then work your way through while you wait for this one to come out!

The Haunted Heist

I read this one the day it came out. In one sitting! I discovered Angie Fox earlier this year and read the first two books in her Southern Ghost Hunters Mysteries series in one day. Verity’s pet skunk is probably the sweetest pet in the literary world. While I thought the first two were a little more satisfying than the third one, this was still a fabulous read. I hope Fox continues writing about Verity!

Loyalty: An Avery Barks Dog Mystery

47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long

Small town living can be murder…In Loyalty, county deputies are on edge after an influx of drugs invade a peaceful mountain community.  Avery Barks and her fun-loving Golden Retriever, Chevy, are suddenly thrust into the middle of a dangerous mystery. In order to prevent losing her best friend, Avery will have to rely on her keen instincts to catch a murderer.

More great Cozy Mysteries to read this summer:

General Fiction Reads

The Weekenders

The Weekenders47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long sounds like just the type of sweet, warm and funny book you’d expect from Mary Kay Andrews. A relaxing read for people who aren’t looking for complicated story lines or pulse-racing thrillers.

All Summer Long

All Summer Long47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long answers the burning question “can money really buy happiness?”

A House for Happy Mothers

A House for Happy Mothers47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long brings together two women from very different backgrounds and explores both sides of India’s rising surrogacy industry. Despite the serious subject matter, it’s touted as being “full of wit and warmth.”

More great “general fiction” reads

(Amazon calls these literature & fiction, as if the rest of the genres aren’t either. Weird, but whatever).

Sale
Sweetbitter: A novel
Sweetbitter: A novel
Hardcover Book; Danler, Stephanie (Author); English (Publication Language); 368 Pages - 05/24/2016 (Publication Date) - Knopf (Publisher)
$15.95 Amazon Prime
Sale
Eligible: A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Eligible: A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice
New York Times Bestselling Author of "Prep" and "American Wife"; Hardcover Book; Sittenfeld, Curtis (Author)
$14.65 Amazon Prime
Sale
Lilac Girls: A Novel (Woolsey-Ferriday)
Lilac Girls: A Novel (Woolsey-Ferriday)
Hardcover Book; Kelly, Martha Hall (Author); English (Publication Language); 496 Pages - 04/05/2016 (Publication Date) - Ballantine Books (Publisher)
$16.44
Sale
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
The Summer Before the War: A Novel
Hardcover Book; Simonson, Helen (Author); English (Publication Language); 496 Pages - 03/22/2016 (Publication Date) - Random House (Publisher)
$14.21 Amazon Prime
Sale
The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel
The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel
George, Nina (Author); English (Publication Language); 416 Pages - 03/22/2016 (Publication Date) - Ballantine Books (Publisher)
$11.15 Amazon Prime
Welcome, Reluctant Stranger (Between Two Worlds Book 3)
Welcome, Reluctant Stranger (Between Two Worlds Book 3)
Amazon Kindle Edition; Journey, Evy (Author); English (Publication Language); 314 Pages - 05/01/2015 (Publication Date) - Sojourner Books (Publisher)
$2.99
47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long

Historical Fiction Reads

Postwar Drifter

Postwar Drifter47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long is based on a true story and follows the life of Harold Kellner, a character first introduced in Horst’s Children to a Degree47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long novel. After the end of WWII, Harold found himself in the middle of the Cold War, working for the KGB. Although this is the first book in a new series, I highly recommend reading the books in order starting with Children. Fun fact: my mom designed the covers for the entire series and did all the formatting, among other publicist-type duties. My mom rocks.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven


Everyone Brave is Forgiven tells the story of WWII through the eyes of two young Londoners who managed to find love in a time of terror. It is inspired by real-life love letters between the author’s grandparents.

The House by the Lake


Rounding out the WWII fiction, The House By the Lake47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long alternates between present day and WWII times, as a young woman discovers that she has an unexpected family legacy when her grandfather asks her to retrieve a lost memento from their estate in old Prussia.

More historical fiction reads.

Medical Thrillers

Just Life


When a virus spreads throughout NYC that may have originated with animals, the National Guard orders a quarantine of all the dogs in the city. Veterinarian Samantha Lewis knows that a quarantine may just be the beginning, so she works with an odd assortment of supporters to help figure out the real cause of the virus before panicked people cause a tragedy that can’t ever be taken back. Just Life47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long is high on my list of medical thrillers to read this summer.

The End of Miracles

The End of Miracles47 Books That Will Keep You Reading Past Your Bedtime All Summer Long hits me a little close to home, as I can only imagine what I would have become if my pregnancy ended in miscarriage after so many years of trying.

More medical thrillers:

 

With about 47 books in just about every genre, these should keep you busy throughout the summer! Pick a few and make a plan to stay up past your bedtime at least one night. That’s one of the best thing about summer, after all!

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What’s on your 2016 summer reading list? I’m always looking for more suggestions! 

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API