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.
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 Outliers
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 series
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!
- Hardcover Book
- Maas, Sarah J. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/05/2017 (Publication Date) - Bloomsbury USA Childrens (Publisher)
Everland
Everland
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 Boxed Set
: if you’ve been waiting to read this series, now is the time! Grab the first four books in one box set and binge away. - The Star-Touched Queen: Looks like a gorgeous tale of Indian folklore. With all the Greek and Roman mythology books out, it’s exciting to see the stories of other cultures brought to life.
- Julia Vanishes (The Witches Child)
- With Malice
- The Descendant Prophecies Series (see more about it here)
- Schism (check out book blast here)
: if you’ve been waiting to read this series, now is the time! Grab the first four books in one box set and binge away.
: Looks like a gorgeous tale of Indian folklore. With all the Greek and Roman mythology books out, it’s exciting to see the stories of other cultures brought to life.
(The Witches Child)
Series (
(
Romantic Reads (Mostly Suspenseful)
Haunted Destiny
Heather Graham’s Haunted Destiny
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 Obsession
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 Magical
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:
- The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
- Spring Rush: Raven Harbor Romance: Olivia Sarlin’s first love has come back into her life. She thinks it might be fate. But her love is keeping secrets, and two forces are trying to tear them apart: The ex who wants him back and the twisted stranger who’s hell-bent on starring in Olivia’s future.
- When I Lost You
- Forbidden Trails
: 
A Toxic Trousseau (Witchcraft Mystery)
Juliet Blackwell is my favorite paranormal cozy mystery writer. I’m anxiously awaiting the July 5th release of A Toxic Trousseau
. 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 Spirits
, 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
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:
- A Kiss And A Cappuccino: Hannah is an English young woman, madly in love with a man she hardly knows. unaware of the danger and mystery behind this man Hannah finds herself drawn deeper. Will she wake up in time to smell the coffee or will she find the taste of truth all too bitter?
- Greensmith Girls: Supernatural Witch Cozy Mystery (Lainswich Witches Book 1)
- Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse (A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Book 1)
- Reading Up a Storm (A Lighthouse Library Mystery)
- Vanilla Beaned (Cupcake Bakery Mystery)
- The Cracked Spine: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
- The Art of Murder (Dead-End Job Mystery)
: Hannah is an English young woman, madly in love with a man she hardly knows. unaware of the danger and mystery behind this man Hannah finds herself drawn deeper. Will she wake up in time to smell the coffee or will she find the taste of truth all too bitter?
(Lainswich Witches Book 1)
(A Cape Bay Cafe Mystery Book 1)
(A Lighthouse Library Mystery)
(Cupcake Bakery Mystery)
: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
General Fiction Reads
The Weekenders
The Weekenders
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 Long
answers the burning question “can money really buy happiness?”
A House for Happy Mothers
A House for Happy Mothers
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).
- Sweetbitter
- Eligible: A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice
- Lilac Girls
- The Summer Before the War
- The Little Paris Bookshop
- Welcome, Reluctant Stranger
: A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Historical Fiction Reads
Postwar Drifter
Postwar Drifter
is based on a true story and follows the life of Harold Kellner, a character first introduced in Horst’s Children to a Degree
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 Lake
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.
- Children of Earth and Sky (Renaissance Europe)
- As Close to Us as Breathing (Mostly 1948 Connecticut)
- At the Edge of the Orchard (1838 Ohio & 1853 California Gold Rush)
- Titans (Texas, Early 1900s)
(Renaissance Europe)
(Mostly 1948 Connecticut)
(1838 Ohio & 1853 California Gold Rush)
(Texas, Early 1900s)
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 Life
is high on my list of medical thrillers to read this summer.
The End of Miracles
The End of Miracles
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!
Check out 47 #summerreading books that will make you want to stay up late!What’s on your 2016 summer reading list? I’m always looking for more suggestions!
Last update on 2024-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I don’t read, but this is a reading lovers dream list right here. Hope you have fun reading them all.
What an awesome list! I have several friends that would love this, too! Thanks so much for taking the time to put it together!
So many great books to choose from. I love a good read that keeps me up late at night because i just can’t put it down. I just finished Eligible in 2days, even though I knew how it would end, because it was such a fun read.
These are some wonderful recommendations. I think I’d like to read a mystery novel next and a lot of these sound interesting.
These are all very exciting and interesting stories. It’s nice to be able to read at least 3-5 books this summer! I wish I have that kind of luxury, but I make sure I finish at least 1-2!
This is so amazing list.I do needed some suggestion for this summer.
The Haunted Heist sounds interesting to me. I would love to read it, I hope I have time for reading a book.
I am not into reading but I will try to read one, I think this will ease my boredom for summer.
Amazing book list. I found some of it really interesting to read. Will check more info about them.
I don’t read but this is the awesome list to read and I like the horror
I love reading about new books to check out, Just pinned a few of these to my book board on Pinterest.
Such a great list for this summer. glad you share this
These are all a great read and perfect to those always at home.
Wow! I love book summaries that give me a heads up. I found a few titles I haven’t read yet and I’m adding them to my list!
I love to read and there are some really good looking ones on this list! Thank you!
Great lists of books, I have already read some of them.
These are some great books and I love to read. Thanks for telling about each of the books. That is very helpful in deciding which ones I want to be sure to read.
how can i read these books on pinterest???