25 Perfect Summer Reads To Dive Into This Year

Summer is for going to the beach, hitting the pool and soaking up the sun—often with a book in hand. If your definition of a dream day is catching rays while you immerse yourself in another world, then you need to know the best books for summer. A number of high-profile authors have new tomes coming, while some novels and nonfiction works drawing big buzz are from first-time authors. The best summer reads offer an element of escape, inviting your imagination to take over. Whether you seek beach reads, something to make you think, or books about summer love, you will find the right fit with this list of top summer reads.

Good Books For Summer

Summer books don’t have a strict definition. They may be written about summer, take place in summer, or simply provide the sort of enjoyable escapism we associate with beach reads. Common themes include romance and suspense, usually featuring more light-hearted fare than you get from fall and winter releases.

Well-known authors releasing summer books in 2025 include Stephen King, R.F. Kuang, Ocean Vuong, V.E. Schwab, S. A. Cosby, Susan Choi and Ron Chernow. All the books have an April or later release date, great timing for throwing in your summer tote. The works on this list are ranked based on early critical praise, descriptions of the book, past commercial and critical success of the authors, and advance buzz.

25. Hot Girls With Balls by Benedict Nguyen (publishing July 1)

A satire that takes on the controversy over trans women in sports, Hot Girls With Balls follows two gifted trans women’s volleyball players who happen to be dating—and who are about to make their debut on the men’s pro circuit. There are some surrealist twists on everyday life, too, that make this unique.

This book is best for those who love romance with a dash of real life. Benedict Nguyen’s Hot Girls With Balls is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

24. The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown (publishing June 24)

Romance novels are one of the most popular summer genres, and this love story from former Bachelorette contestant Hannah Brown has a fun premise. Sybil Rain lands in Hawaii to take what should have been the honeymoon for her called-off wedding—and runs into her ex, so she claims to have a new beau—another ex.

This book is best for fans of second-chance romance books. Hannah Brown’s The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain is available from publisher Hachette Group.

23. These Heathens by Mia McKenzie (publishing June 17)

Seventeen-year-old Doris Steele needs an abortion, and she needs to keep it quiet in 1960 Georgia. In this propulsive historical fiction novel, Doris calls on her favorite teacher for help, and they road trip to Atlanta, where they encounter Coretta Scott King and a cast of vibrant characters.

This book is best for those who crave a smart coming-of-age novel. Mia McKenzie’s These Heathens is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

22. The Compound by Aisling Rawle (publishing June 24)

Imagine Big Brother set on a deserted island—and with much higher stakes. Lily desperately wants to outlast her 19 opponents and has no desire to return to the depressing real world. But when the reality show contestants are put in deadly situations, is she willing to play those desperate games?

This book is best for reality TV lovers and fans of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Aisling Rawle’s The Compound is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

21. Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend by Jason Bailey (published April 29)

James Gandolfini was one of the most celebrated actors in the world when he died suddenly in 2013 at just 51 years old. Critic Jason Bailey revisits the life of the Emmy-winning star of HBO smash The Sopranos, speaking to his friends and co-workers and building a new portrait of the sometimes-challenging actor.

This book is best for those who love reading the most buzzed-about summer biographies—it’s already getting tons of press coverage. Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini is available from publisher Harry N. Abrams.

20. Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld (publishing July 8)

When April makes a split-second decision to protect a friend, she gets expelled from school. She begins to put her life back together when she marries an upstanding attorney, whose run for office 15 years later threatens to unravel the picturesque life they’ve built because of the secrets Amy has kept.

This book is best for anyone who wants to read the most-buzzed-about summer literary novel. Amy Blumenfeld’s Such Good People is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.

19. The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman (publishing Aug. 12)

A Ukrainian tween struggles with his feelings for another boy, feelings forbidden in his country. But soon he has a bigger problem—the Russian invasion, which destroys his family and forces him and his brother to flee from their grandfather’s sunflower farm. They hope to reunite with their father, but mainly they want to survive.

This book is best for those who want a beautifully written dramatization of a terrible current event. Sam Wachman’s The Sunflower Boys is available from publisher HarperCollins.

18. The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward (publishing June 3)

Time and Publishers Weekly both named this book one of the most-anticipated of 2025. It follows a pair of Black twins who were adopted by different families after their mother vanished. The kicker? Decades later, one twin swears she sees their mom on the street, looking the same as she did when she disappeared.

This book is best for those eager for literary suspense. Yrsa Daley-Ward’s The Catch is available from publisher W.W. Norton.

17. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang (publishing Aug. 26)

The acclaimed author of Babel returns with another high-concept pageturner. Rival graduate students in the field of Magick find themselves journeying to hell in an attempt to save their professor, who was killed in an accident one of them may have caused. Dante and Orpheus also factor into the imaginative quest.

This book is best for fans of new twists on classic novels. R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis is available from publisher HarperCollins.

16. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab (publishing June 10)

In the follow-up to book club favorite The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V.E. Schwab uses three historical timelines to tease out a story about immortality and the limits and challenges of being a gifted woman. Love, rage and a deep hunger collide as the timelines reach a fever pitch.

This book is best for speculative fiction fans. V.E. Schwab’s Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is available from publisher McMillan.

15. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (published May 13)

As the latest Oprah’s Book Club selection, Ocean Vuong’s novel about memory and chosen family seems destined for commercial success. Hai is about to kill himself when an elderly widow’s cry pushes him to a different path: caretaker. As she fights dementia, he learns how to exist on society’s fringes while staying true to himself.

This book is best for anyone who loves celebrity book club picks with substance. Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness is available from Penguin Random House.

14. All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta (published May 6)

New York Times bestselling author Domenica Ruta spins a tale about single mother Sandy, who’s struggling to get her ex to do his share—and she’s shocked to find he has fathered another child. The “other mother” isn’t who Sandy expects, and they form a gradual friendship that could just save them both.

This book is best for fans of “chosen family” books. Domenica Ruta’s All the Mothers is available from Penguin Random House.

13. Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin (publishing June 5)

Smith is a Black, queer Stanford student whose life comes tumbling down when he’s arrested for cocaine possession shortly after his best friend’s traumatic passing. He struggles to connect with his uppercrust family and searches for resolution on his own, starting a journey to rediscover hope that may not end well.

This book is best for those who enjoy gritty realism and gorgeous writing. Rob Franklin’s Great Black Hope is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.

12. Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (published May 13)

A thick biography of someone who lived more than a century ago as fun summer reading? Yes, please, when the author of the book is Ron Chernow (Alexander Hamilton). The Pulitzer Prize winner uses meticulous research to examine Twain’s desire for fame and his dark later years.

This book is best for anyone who enjoys biographies or a juicy celebrity memoir. Ron Chernow’s Mark Twain is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

11. We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle (published May 6)

On their wildly popular podcast, We Can Do Hard Things, spouses Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle and her sister, Amanda, examine life’s little questions. But they had to confront something bigger recently when all three confronted serious health emergencies or losses—and came out the other side. Here, they give others a recovery roadmap.

This book is best for anyone who loves self-help books. Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle’s We Can Do Hard Things is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

10. The Tiny Things Are Heavier by Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo (publishing June 24)

Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue both named this literary fiction debut to their top books of 2025. Sommy, a Nigerian immigrant, struggles to find her place in America while feeling guilty about leaving her brother, who just attempted suicide. She enters a promising new relationship that is threatened when the couple returns to Nigeria.

This book is best for anyone who loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah. Esther Ifesinachi Okonkwo’s The Tiny Things Are Heavier is available from publisher Bloomsbury.

9. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (publishing July 22)

The much-anticipated adult debut of bestselling young adult author Holly Jackson introduces Jet Mason, a well-off young woman trying to solve her own murder before she actually dies. An attack by an unknown assailant creates an aneurysm that could trigger at any moment as Jet fights to figure out who did it.

This book is best for anyone who loved Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book series. Holly Jackson’s Not Quite Dead Yet is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

8. King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (publishing June 10)

One of the most acclaimed noir writers of the past decade returns with a family drama where the line between good guy and bad guy isn’t always clear. Prodigal son Roman returns home to help his brother, determine who put his father in a coma, and solve his mom’s long-ago disappearance.

This book is best for anyone who loves Southern mysteries. S.A. Cosby’s King of Ashes is available from publisher Macmillan.

7. Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson (published May 13)

Time and People named this to their most-anticipated books of 2025 lists, and for good reason. Kevin Wilson (Nothing to See Here) trains his droll eye on Madeline Hill and the trio of half-siblings she never realized she had. When they decide to take a road trip to find their deadbeat dad, chaos and laughs ensue.

This book is best for those looking for a humorous read. Kevin Wilson’s Run for the Hills is available from publisher Harper Collins.

6. Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz (published May 13)

In the follow-up to Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders, editor Susan Ryeland returns to England, ditching her idyllic life in Greece to become a freelancer whose first project revives the one character she wants to avoid: Atticus Pünd. Anthony Horowitz once again uses the story-within-a-story device that proved so effective in the first two books.

This book is best for those who love books set in the UK. Anthony Horowitz’s Marble Hall Murders is available from publisher HarperCollins.

5. Flashlight by Susan Choi (publishing June 3)

National Book Award winner Susan Choi (Trust Exercise) follows a family through the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy. Ten-year-old Louisa and her father take a nighttime walk on the beach where he disappears. Told from different family members’ points of view, the book examines what may have happened that fateful night.

This book is best for those who enjoy family drama. Susan Choi’s Flashlight is available from publisher Macmillan.

4. Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid (publishing June 3)

The reigning queen of the summer beach book returns with the tale of Joan, who is training to be one of NASA’s first women scientists in the space shuttle program. She falls in love not only with the job but also with one of her fellow astronauts, yet their mission threatens to change everything.

This book is best for anyone who loved Jenkins Reid’s previous books, including The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Atmosphere is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

3. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (published May 6)

Any new book by Chilean National Literature Prize winner and international bestselling author Isabel Allende is cause for celebration. In the late 1800s, a pioneering female journalist and her boyfriend set off from San Francisco to Chile to cover the civil war and maybe find her long-lost father.

This book is best for Allende’s legion of fans or anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Isabel Allende’s My Name Is Emilia del Valle is available from publisher Penguin Random House.

2. The First Gentleman: A Thriller by James Patterson and Bill Clinton (publishing June 2)

Will it be great literature? No. Will it be a thrilling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat? Absolutely. Publishing giant James Patterson and former President Bill Clinton team for a second time on a book about the first female president—whose husband has been charged with murder.

This book is best for those who love pulse-pounding mysteries. James Patterson and Bill Clinton’s The First Gentleman is available from publisher Hachette.

1. Never Flinch by Stephen King (publishing May 27)

For summer reading at its finest, you can never go wrong with Stephen King. The author revives popular character Holly Gibney, who’s hired as a bodyguard for women’s rights activist Kate McKay. Holly’s also helping the police with a bizarre threat that may tie into her new bodyguard gig.

This book is best for Stephen King fans. Stephen King’s Never Flinch is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.

Bottom Line

You can’t go wrong with any of these books, which will enhance your beach trips and vacations and give you the summer reading experience you’re looking for, no matter what your favorite genre.