8 Essential (Newish) Books For Summer.
Murder. Intrigue. Affairs. Confessions. You know, just some totally light beach reads!
Historically, when I think of summer book recommendations, they tend to err on the frothy side. Like, the beach read equivalent of a Mai Tai: synthetic, sweet, and sure to leave you feeling a little questionable the next day. And that’s fine! That’s fine and great and good and dandy because when you’re in the mood for a trad tiki drink, you should go for it.
But weirdly this year, while I was on the hunt for literary Mai Tais, I ended up with a batch of books that feel more like mezcal palomas. Meaning: A touch tart and with a complexity that might not be apparent at first glance. But still, very very delicious.
So here’s my most recent round up, plus I’ve got a whole lot of new contenders that I’ll write up (if they’re any good) a little later this summer. ( Currently in my TBR stack: Hello Beautiful, This Bird Has Flown, Same Time Next Summer, Love, Theoretically (which I think is my favorite of Ali Hazelwood’s books thus far), Foster Dade Explores the Cosmos,)
And before you ask: Yes, I am a big Emily Henry fan. No, the most recent one (Happy Place) didn’t make my heart sing its fullest song (that would be the deceptively nuanced Beach Read for me), but it’s still good and you should get it if you love her work. I also very much like Curtis Sittenfeld, but I didn’t swoon for Romantic Comedy, though once again, I do not regret buying it.
Yellowface ($20) by R. F. Kuang
When I tell you that this is one of my favorite reads of the year, I absolutely mean it. Flawlessly written, with a wholly engaging plot that kept me engrossed every single second, this is an absolutely must-buy book. It’s equal parts dark humor/satire and mystery/thriller, with thought-provoking commentary on female friendships, competition, appropriation, and the publishing industry. I gorged myself on it, consuming it in huge gulps, only slowing down as I got to the end, when I realized too late that the novel was almost over. (Also worth noting: It’s an uncomfortable read at many points, which I loved, but thought worth pointing out.)
Wildflower ($17) by Aurora James
I wrote about Wildflower earlier this year, but wanted to re-up it again, as Aurora James truly wrote a beautiful, sometimes painful, astonishingly intimate memoir that is 11/10 worth reading. It’s also a really inspiring testament to the power of perseverance, forgiveness, duality, and reinvention.
Bad Summer People ($20) by Emma Rosenblum
Full disclosure: I love a society thriller, especially one that involves affairs, wealthy people behaving badly, and Manhattan social caste discussions. Bearing that in mind, it’s probably no surprise that I very much enjoyed Bad Summer People, which is the first novel from Emma Rosenblum, the Chief Content Officer of Bustle Digital Group. Set in a picturesque town on Fire Island, this novel is full of backstabbing best friends, manipulative people left and right, and of course, tennis drama. Best read outside with a glass of something cold, but delicious no matter where you consume it.
On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good ($25) by Elise Loehnen
As a long-time admirer of Goop’s former Chief Content Officer, Elise Loehnen, I will admit that I was predisposed to like her first solo book. (She’s ghostwritten 12 books, including a slew of New York Times bestsellers, too.) It also happens to be about a topic that intrigues me, specifically, the way women link self-denial with being good. So, though totally biased in these described ways, I still think you absolutely should buy and read this book, especially if you’re interested in interrogating and dismantling your own internalized misogyny (which is actually weirdly…fun?).
The Guest ($19) by Emma Cline
If you, like me, very much enjoyed Emma Cline’s 2017 debut novel The Girls, then I can say pretty confidently that you will not regret getting her new book, The Guest. When I posted The Guest on IG, I was flooded with comments from folks who either adored or didn’t care for this book at all—nothing in between. I personally recommend it, especially if you like spare, sharp novels with self-destructive heroines doing performative femininity in the style of Joan Didion’s Play It As It Lays or even Jay McInerney’s Story of My Life.
Tell Me Everything ($20) by Minka Kelly
My other favorite recent memoir comes from actress Minka Kelly. Tell Me Everything isn’t an easy read, but is incredibly gripping. The New York Times bestselling author chose to be astonishingly candid about her challenging childhood, with a complicated, dysfunctional mother who struggled with addiction. The book is beautifully brave, unflinchingly honest, and truly worth your time and money.
The It Girl ($19) by Ruth Ware
I’m a straight-up sucker for any novel set at Oxford, let alone one about a complex group of friends, one of whom is murdered at the end of their first term. This book toggles between two timelines: Today, and the year of the murder, which happened a decade prior, as the protagonist slowly unspools what really happened to her bright, beautiful, privileged best friend. A good yarn, all around.
I Have Some Questions For You ($21) by Rebecca Makkai
If you liked Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and binge-listened to the podcast Serial, then this book is right up your alley. The story focuses on Bodie Kane, a celebrated journalist who goes back to her New Hampshire boarding school to teach a two-week podcast seminar to current students. Bodie’s also obsessively thinking about her junior-year roommate, who was murdered just before graduation, 20-plus years earlier. (YES I realize this sounds like The It Girl, but it’s not at all.) Unsurprisingly, the seminar students decide to focus on the long-ago murder case, and…well you’ll just have to read it to find out.
The Boys’ Club ($11) by Erica Katz
Okay so this one came out in 2020, but I only recently discovered Erica Katz and I”m obsessed. I loved her last one, Fake, which is about forgery in the art world, so I went back and just bought this one. Set in a fictitious major law firm in Manhattan, it feels a little bit like The Devil Wears Prada meets The Firm, as the protagonist subsumes her personal priorities and principles as she’s slowly seduced by the win-at-any-cost culture of the Mergers and Acquisitions department.
And now I turn the question to you: What have you read this summer that you really really love? Will you please help me out (and this lovely community) by putting your suggested reads in the comments below. If there are enough of us who want to read the same thing, maybe we can start a virtual book club? IDK, just an idea!
Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.
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Meet me at the lake. As you would say, it’s a 11/10. I didn’t want to start reading another book for the next two weeks after I finished this one so I could hold onto this story longer. Strong recommendation.
Just finished Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. It was so such a good novel about wealth and NYC. The characters weren't perfect, but you were still rooting for them.