My 2022 Summer Reading List
Once the Summer Reading Guide is out in the world, one of my favorite beginning-of-summer traditions is making a list of the books that I’m planning to read over the summer (2021 list here, 2020 list here, 2019 list here, 2018 list here, 2017 list here, and 2016 list here).
Never ONCE in all the years I’ve been making a list like this, have I actually gotten through them all – usually it’s not even half of them, but I love at least MAKING a list so I have somewhere to start.
And then I let the summer reading winds take me where they will.
Here are twelve books on my summer reading list this year:
My 2022 Summer Reading List – BOOKS TO READ FOR SUMMER
Meant to Be by Emily Giffin
I’m an Emily Giffin completist (although, I still think her first book, Something Borrowed, is her best) and I just snagged a copy of her newest one which definitely sounds like, from the description, that it has some Kennedy vibes.
Forbidden City by Vanessa Hua
I was a history major as an undergrad and my emphasis was Chinese history, especially modern Chinese history, so it’s VERY hard for me to pass up a brand new historical fiction novel set during the Cultural Revolution.
Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse
I think this is the only non-fiction book on the list (although that doesn’t mean I won’t read some this summer!) – I got this one from Book of the Month club and meant to read it over spring break but just never got to it.
The Silence that Binds Us by Joanna Ho
I absolutely love her picture books (you may recognize her name from Eyes That Kiss in the Corners) and I’m SO excited about her first novel that’s garnered about a million stars and rave reviews before it’s even come out!
So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow
One of my favorite Summer Reading Guide books last year was Jo & Laurie, so you already know I love a Little Women retelling. This one, like Jo & Laurie, is also a YA novel, and I cannot wait to pick it up!
American Royals III: Rivals by Katherine McGee
I’ve loved this fun series imagining the USA if George Washington had been a king and now had a modern royal family. The third one just came out and they feel like the perfect summer read for me.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
What if you were just trying to survive high school and win a scholarship but then a billionaire dies and . . . for no good reason that you can tell, leaves all your money to you? That is this book.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
I’d say that generally I’m not drawn to books with descriptions like “sweeping family saga”, but this one has such great reviews from readers that I trust that I’m putting it on my list!
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
My friend Kim mentioned this book recently and it sounded RIGHT up my alley (a blurb from Emily Henry didn’t hurt) about summer love that went so right and then went UTTERLY wrong. Is it too late to save this relationship?
Breathless by Amy McCulloch
I’ve really gotten into thrillers in the past couple of years and this one, about a treacherous mountain expedition is totally in my lane because I’ve always had a fascination with Everest (this one isn’t Everest, but similar themes).
The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
This one has been on my radar for months and summer seems the perfect time to pick up this thriller about magical maps (but first I need to check if there are maps in the endpapers!).
Upgrade by Blake Crouch
I don’t read a lot of science fiction but I’ve loved the last several Blake Crouch books (Dark Matter was a Summer Reading Guide title several years ago) – he’s just such an engaging writer and has the best premises!
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
What’s on your list of books to read this summer? I’d love to hear!
I am planning on reading This Time Tomorrow, Book Lovers, and Remarkably Bright Creatures ASAP.
Inheritance Games is so fun! The 3rd in the series comes out at the end of summer, so good timing. I have been waiting!
“… her first novel that’s garnered about a million stars and rave reviews before it’s even come out”?
If a book’s going to be raved about, I think it should be raved about AFTER people have actually read it. Rave reviews from before the book’s available to read mean nothing. And if the book turns out to be a load of dung, the “I haven’t read this but I’m going to rave about it anyway” reviews would muddy the waters.
Or have I completely misunderstood what you’re saying?
The rave reviews are from professional review journals that get advance copies and from reviews/bloggers/bookstagrammers who also get advance copies to read in full before the book is officially released. So none of these rave reviews are coming from people who haven’t read it.
Same as movie screenings for reviewers before regular people like us can go see it in theaters!
Does that make sense?
I think Meant to Be is Emily Giffin’s best book in awhile. Something Borrowed is still my favorite of hers but this new one was fun and enjoyable too!