Summer Reading: 2025

“It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years―she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan―which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.”

“Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.”

Raynor Winn’s 2018 memoir explores themes of home, loss, and the healing power of nature. Just days after Raynor Winn learns that Moth, her husband of thirty-two years, is terminally ill, their house and farm are taken away, along with their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall. Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea, and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable and life-affirming journey.

In The Thing Itself, the boundaries of reality and perception become blurry in a sci-fi thriller that delves into Kant's concept of the "Ding an sich" (thing-in-itself). This novel at first seems like a fairly stock "psychotic killer" story when the protagonist narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by his research partner, Roy, who is fixated on Kantian philosophy and the Fermi Paradox. However, the author then takes the reader through a series of vignettes done in a variety of literary styles, introducing us to characters in several other places and times whose connection to the main plot does not become obvious until the twist ending. While I cannot say I love every element of this novel, the exploration of its central theme is fascinating.

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena--dazzling, poignant, and lyrical interwoven stories about family, sacrifice, the legacy of war, and the redemptive power of art.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing. When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

After You'd Gone follows Alice's mental journey through her own past, after a traffic accident has left her in a coma. A love story that is also a story of absence, and of how our choices can reverberate through the generations, it slowly draws us closer to a dark secret at a family's heart.

In The Royal Art of Poison, Eleanor Herman combines her unique access to royal archives with cutting-edge forensic discoveries to tell the true story of Europe’s glittering palaces: one of medical bafflement, poisonous cosmetics, ever-present excrement, festering natural illness, and, sometimes, murder.

A collection of short stories, structured as case-studies, and a form of love letter in solidarity with the women who have survived romantic relationships with men in Lagos….it deftly analyses the various archetypes women are likely to encounter in the dating scene in the city – from serial cheaters, to mummy’s boys, from the ‘fake it till you make it’ adherents to the ones who can’t commit.

A stunning collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, this middle grade historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother’s disappearance.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The Rose Code returns with a haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, DC, boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America’s defining moments―the Dust Bowl. It’s 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn’s only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn’s father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her “normal” convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey.

When Maizy and her mom arrive in Last Chance, Minnesota, for what’s supposed to be a short visit, she doesn’t expect to uncover generations of family secrets or find herself standing up for her heritage. This heartfelt and humorous novel weaves together Maizy’s modern-day experiences with stories from her family’s past, touching on Chinese American history, identity, and community. Full of warmth and mystery, this intergenerational tale is a celebration of family, resilience, and discovering where you truly belong.

This gripping true story follows a team of river guides racing down the Colorado River during the massive flood of 1983, attempting the fastest run through the Grand Canyon. Alongside the adventure, the book explores the environmental impact of dams and the fight to protect one of America’s most iconic natural landmarks. It’s a fast-paced and fascinating read for anyone interested in nature, history, or high-stakes adventure.

Set in the summer of 1999, this thought-provoking novel follows Michael, a quiet teen navigating Y2K fears, loneliness, and big questions about the future—especially after he meets a mysterious new neighbor who claims to be from the year 2199. Blending historical fiction with a twist of sci-fi, Erin Entrada Kelly delivers a heartfelt story about friendship, time, and finding your place in the world.

This book has been recommended to me by so many people, and I totally get it. It's a memoir by Lamya H, about their life as a nonbinary, queer observant Muslim immigrant. Lamya grapples with her desires growing up in a South Asian country, and then in the Middle East. However, when she moves to the United States they still struggle, this time to reconcile their religious beliefs with their queer identity. By using stories from the Quran interspersed with her story, the book provides a unique perspective on belonging and acceptance. As heavy and complicated as these themes are, Lamya's voice throughout the story is always positive, fun, and hopeful.

It's been ages since I first read The Hunger Games trilogy, and I’d forgotten why I tore through them—until this prequel reminded me how gripping they are. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes follows a young Coriolanus Snow, whose once-wealthy family is barely clinging to its status. His last hope lies in mentoring Lucy Gray Baird, a gifted and captivating tribute from District 12, whose unique talents might win the 10th Hunger Games—and save them both.

I’m no professional conspiracy theorist—just an amateur at best. But after seeing Luis Elizondo on The Daily Show promoting this book, I was hooked. A former Army officer and counterintelligence agent, Elizondo also worked with AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program). He shares accounts from pilots and radar operators who’ve witnessed unexplained aerial phenomena. I’m still not fully convinced, but this fascinating book, along with recent Congressional hearings, makes me wonder if something really is out there.

This a fun quick read from a Minnesota author.  

Beloved writer, William Kent Krueger, is not a native Minnesotan but he write a marvelous yarn about Northern Minnesota.  

Armstrong takes a look at four female pioneers in the early days of television whom she believes deserve far more credit than history has given them. Focusing on the late 1940s and early '50s, Armstrong deftly illustrates how this quartet of women battled
skepticism, sexism, and even the infamous Cold War blacklist to become vital players in the burgeoning days of the small screen. The four women are Gertrude Berg, radio comedian who brought a Jewish family into viewer’s living rooms; Hazel Scott, the first
African American to host a weekly variety show in prime time; Irna Phillips, daytime soap opera innovator who created the longest-running scripted show in history; and Betty White, who starred in both a sitcom and her own daytime talk show in the ‘50s. [Bookllist]

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living far from the city. But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles
into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard? [Amazon.com]

The discovery of an old photograph leads London archivist Elodie Winslow to a house from a bedtime story told by her late mother. The house is very real, and very haunted by the ghost of Birdie, a former pickpocket and model for Edward Radcliffe--the most underappreciated member of the Magenta Brotherhood, a group of artists of the 19th century aesthetic movement--who died in drug-addled obscurity after his fiancée was shot and a family jewel stolen. Morton proves once again that history is not a straight line but an intricate, infinite web. [Booklist]

Constance Haverhill is sensible and useful, but those admirable qualities aren’t enough for her to live on in post–WWI England. She is spending the summer in seaside Hazelbourne with Mrs. Fog, whom Constance nursed through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.
A chance meeting in the lobby has her taking up with rebellious Poppy Wirrall, who spent the war years as a motorcycle courier and now runs a ladies’ taxi service with all-women drivers. Constance is a quietly lovable heroine, a woman who longs for independence
but is stifled by society’s expectations. [Booklist]