My Summer Reading List 2026

You can never have too many books on your summer reading list – if you were looking for mine, pop in your email address below and I’ll send the printable list right to your inbox!

Everything Is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
If you’ve ever looked at a problem and thought, “Well, I have absolutely no idea how to fix this,” this just might need to be on your summer reading list too. Marie Forleo combines practical advice with plenty of encouragement to help you tackle big goals, work through setbacks, and start believing that maybe – just maybe – everything really is figureoutable. I am a huge goal setter, so this book really caught my eye!

Kin by Tayari Jones
This multigenerational Southern novel follows two best friends whose lives take very different paths after growing up together in small-town Louisiana. I’ve heard it’s a rich, character-driven story about friendship, family, and the choices that shape a life.

A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhert
This true story sounds absolutely unbelievable! A couple sells everything to sail around the world, only to find themselves stranded in a tiny life raft in the middle of the Pacific after a whale sinks their boat. Not only does the premise sound intriguing, but it’s been on all sorts of best seller and awards lists, so it must be good.

One of Us by Elizabeth Day
A powerful British family, a possible future prime minister, decades-old betrayals, and enough secrets to topple it all? I have a feeling this one is going to be packed with family drama, political intrigue, and all kinds of page-turning scandals.

The Take by Kelly Yang
I’ve loved everything Kelly Yang has written for middle grade readers, so I was excited to see her debut adult novel. Aspiring writer Maggie feels trapped between her dream of becoming an author and the expectations of her Chinese immigrant parents, while successful movie producer Ingrid fears she is losing her relevance, career, and marriage. When an experimental treatment brings the two women together, what begins as a mutually beneficial partnership quickly spirals into something far more complicated and unsettling.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
Jane plans to ask her husband for a divorce during their anniversary dinner at an outrageously expensive restaurant, but the evening takes a turn when climate activists storm in and take the guests hostage. As the chaos unfolds, Jane realizes the activists seem to be following the plot of her long-forgotten novel…a book that hardly anyone ever read.

The Half Life by Rachel Beanland
Twenty-three-year-old Eileen O’Malley falls for a charismatic naval officer and soon finds herself living on the sun-soaked Italian island of La Maddalena. As she navigates life among a close-knit community of Navy wives, Eileen (still grieving the loss of her brother in Vietnam) finds herself drawn to Italy for all the ways it differs from home.

The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
After a devastating house fire, April and Leo move in with her family and are forced to confront the cracks in their marriage that existed long before the flames. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, this emotional family drama explores love, loss, forgiveness, and what it takes to rebuild when everything seems broken.

Whistler by Ann Patchett
Because I loved Tom Lake so much, I really want to try another book by her. When a chance encounter at the Met reunites Daphne with the former stepfather who changed her life decades ago, long-buried memories and emotions resurface. This one sounds like it could be another good one!

Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi
I couldn’t have a summer reading list without a little fun, hilarious romance! When Simran returns home for her cousin’s lavish Indian wedding, the last thing she expects is for her new boyfriend to accidentally crash the festivities – think family drama and Bollywood matchmaking schemes, and what sounds like a very heartwarming love story.

A Founding Mother by Laura Kaye and Stephanie Dray
With the 250th anniversary of the United States this summer, I was looking for a historical novel that would bring that era to life, and this one fit the bill perfectly. It follows Abigail Adams—not just as a president’s wife, but as a sharp, influential woman in her own right—from the American Revolution through the earliest years of the nation.

Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
This is one of those fantasy‑romance books that’s everywhere right now: a slow‑burn, high‑stakes story about Princess Odessa, whose life gets completely upended when she’s betrothed to Prince Zavier and thrown into a world of ancient magic, monsters, and looming war. I am not a huge fantasy fan (or even romantasy fan), but I am trying to step out of my comfort zone and this one’s been a huge favorite in the fantasy community.

Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley
I really wanted to read something patriotic this summer in honor of America’s 250th birthday. I asked some friends (and of course Janssen) and she recommended this book they read for book club over a decade ago. I love a well written nonfiction book and this one about the men that raised the American flag at Iwo Jima looks great. I even convinced some friends to read it with me and have a little book club afterwards! Here is Janssen’s review if you want to check it out!

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez
Abby Jimenez has been one of my favorite chic-lit authors. I’ve read most of her other books so I am excited to read this new one that came out in March. I like that her writing is typically fun and fast paced. I also like that her book characters have random connections to characters from other books. You don’t necessarily have to read them in any order, but it is fun to draw the connections from different books.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
This one has been in my library hold line for weeks – I’m still about six weeks out, but I’ve heard such great things, and honestly, the massive hold line feels like a pretty good sign. It’s a Cinderella retelling told from the perspective of Lady Tremaine (the “evil” stepmother), which sounds so fun and different.

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage
I’m such a sucker for royalty/monarchy novels (American Royals is another favorite of mine!). Lexi Villiers is happily living in Australia and finishing her medical residency when a tragic accident suddenly makes her next in line for the British throne. She is given one year to choose between royal duty and the life (and love) she left behind. And it’s also not your current British monarchy, it’s told as an alternate British monarchy descended from the Villiers line, the family of one of King Charles II’s famous mistresses.

Strangers by Belle Burden
I listened to Belle on The Oprah Podcast and knew I wanted to read her memoir as soon as I could. It just became available for me and I can’t wait to dive in. During the beginning of the pandemic, Belle, her husband and two of their children went to Martha’s Vineyard to stay safe. And with one voicemail, Belle’s life was never the same.

P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
What is summer without a rom com book? After her brother’s death, Maddie sets out to fulfill his final wish of scattering his ashes at eight dream destinations—but she’s horrified to learn she must do it alongside Dominic, her brother’s best friend. Of course her and Dominic have history and naturally when they start spending time together, old feelings start to resurface. And I’m here for it! Can’t wait to dive in.

And if you’d like a printable copy of this summer reading 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!