40 Hottest Reads for Summer 2026

by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow

An unusual, compelling picaresque about a queer Asian woman evading arrest over many years and on several continents. Full review >

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by Ann Patchett

An evocative and moving tribute to the death-defying, heart-opening, infinitely redemptive power of storytelling. Full review >

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by Kennedy Ryan

Incredibly romantic and deeply human. Full review >

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by Jenny Jackson

This easy read combines a literary rom-com with an acute portrait of midlife among millennials. Full review >

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by Walter Mosley

Even in chaos, darkness, and hardship, this novel finds reasons to believe in the human spirit. Full review >

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by Deb Olin Unferth

A quirky, bold, and endearing masterpiece of climate fiction. Full review >

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by Ben Fountain

A comic masterpiece. The current administration is finally getting the book it deserves. Full review >

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by Carley Fortune

A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion. Full review >

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by Cassandra Neyenesch

Original and hilarious, this novel about a Gen X midlife crisis reveals that base instincts can coexist with the maternal. Full review >

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by Annabel Monaghan

A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth. Full review >

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by Douglas Stuart

With his gift for creating vibrantly specific characters and settings, Stuart again taps profound human truth. Full review >

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by Jessica M. Goldstein

A nuanced, biting cautionary tale about how not staying present can erase our very selves. Full review >

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by Tim Sullivan

A series that continues to set the standard in police procedurals. Full review >

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by Chris Bohjalian

Nabokov’s classic reinvented as a 1970s moral fable, with brilliantly developed characters and period detail. Full review >

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by Paul Rudnick

If wild queer comedy can somehow be used to thwart evil and bring about world peace, this is the book that will save us. Full review >

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