Hi, my bookish friend!
Finally, it feels like summer! I’m so excited to start spending more time outside reading! Whether it’s in my favorite Adirondack chair (see here in this note) or on the beach or poolside, it’s pure joy to slip on my sunglasses, kick off my sandals, and get lost in a story!
So, if you’re looking for new summer reads to enjoy now, I rounded up the best new fiction just released this May! I’m also featuring several new books coming out on June 2nd that I’m sure you’ll be seeing in front of a lot of faces this summer!
Happy Summer Reading!
Your friend,
Audry
P.S. Today’s Bookish News Updates include: A new book club pick that’s also super perfect for summer reading, a booklist for Mental Health Awareness Month, and what Jenna Bush Hager had to say about banning books!
I thought about creating another “most anticipated” post for all the great books coming out this summer.
However, I ran into two problems: First, that book list would be wayyyy too long. And, second, I’m always disappointed when I find out a book I’m excited for isn’t coming out for several weeks or months!
So, all this summer, I’m listing the sensational new reads you need to know about as they become available, or are released before my next post!
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune | Romance
Frankie and George have been best friends since childhood, but their bond has always been as messy as it is strong. When Frankie’s wedding falls apart, George decides he’ll take her on her honeymoon trip to the rugged coast of Tofino on Vancouver Island in Canada. What starts as one last chance to fix their friendship turns into a heart-tugging escape full of secrets, old feelings, and maybe (definitely) love. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Land by Maggie O’Farrell | Historical Fiction
In 1865 Ireland, Tomás and his young son Liam are helping map the country for the Ordnance Survey when a strange encounter changes everything. As the weight of the Great Hunger, colonization, and family secrets closes in, Liam must figure out how to survive a father who is no longer the man he knew. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
June Baby by Shannon Garvey | Literary Fiction/Romance
After losing her mother to cancer at seventeen, Ruth’s father sends her to Block Island with only the name of a famous photographer, Diana Beckett. Ruth finds Diana, who gives her a summer refuge full of beauty, writing, and her first love with Diana’s nephew, Charlie. Now, ten summers later, another tragedy and a shocking discovery from Diana force Ruth to rethink everything she thought she knew about her past. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn | Rom-com
Renley Gossage has one chance to save her favorite candy shop and prove to everyone in Cape Meril that they’re wrong about her and her family, even if that means doing the hard work alone. Then Theo Williams, a posh runaway dealing with a fake engagement mess and way too much confidence, ends up next door. Between the chaos, the gossip, and all their forced closeness, things get a lot sweeter than either of them planned. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
The Midnight Train by Matt Haig | Fantasy/Romance
When Wilbur boards the Midnight Train, he gets a chance to revisit the moments that shaped his life, including his honeymoon in Venice with Maggie, the love of his life. But as he begins to wish he had made different choices, he learns that changing the past could cost him everything. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson | Mystery/Romance
Harriet Baker thought she’d left Logan Island behind for good. But after losing her dream job, she’s reluctantly back home in her beach town. When her birthday party ends with a dead body, and her ex-fling’s sister is marked as the main suspect, Harriet teams up with Nic to uncover the truth. In the process, they dig up old secrets, messy feelings, and a hometown that’s not as picture-perfect as it seems. (Amazon | Bookshop.org) (Sent to me by Claire McLaughlin at Terrace Public Relations for review.)
Safari Murder Party by Rachel Moore | Mystery/Thriller
After three years of brutal hours as assistant to a terrifying media CEO, Fletcher Spence finally lands a spot on her company’s luxurious retreat, where she hopes to win the promotion of her dreams. But when her boss dies and leaves the whole company to whoever survives the week, Fletcher finds herself trapped on a private island full of coworkers who are suddenly willing to do anything to come out on top, even if it means hunting her down! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
You only have to wait until next Tuesday to grab up these most anticipated new books!
Whistler by Ann Patchett | Literary Fiction
When Daphne Fuller spots her old stepfather, Eddie Triplett, at the Met, she’s suddenly pulled back into a part of her life she thought was long gone. Their reunion opens up memories, regrets, and a powerful connection that shows how one brief relationship can shape a whole life. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Let’s Not Go Overboard Here by Erica Hendry | Mystery Thriller
After the death of her best friend, Mel joins a yacht trip in Greece, hoping for a break from her grief. Only, she gets pulled into a glamorous mystery when she thinks a fellow passenger has been murdered. But as no one else seems to believe her, Mel has to untangle the truth fast before the danger on board sinks her too. Watch this funny video the author made about the book! (Amazon | Bookshop.org) (Sent to me by Jes Lyons at Grand Central Publishing for review.)
Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews | Contemporary Fiction
Sisters, Maeve and Therese Dunigan, have spent years living very different lives. But their mother’s death throws them back together when they inherit a mysterious painting that could be worth a fortune. As they travel to Ireland to uncover the truth, the sisters face family secrets, old grudges, and a few charming surprises that might change everything they thought they knew. (Amazon | Bookshop.org) (See Mary Kay Andrews’s book tour dates here!)
A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray | Historical Fiction
When Eunice Carter, Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, goes after mob boss Lucky Luciano, she realizes the usual crimes won’t be enough to bring him down. With help from Polly Adler, a powerful madam who’s ready to protect her girls, the two women build a daring case that could change New York City forever. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang | Science Fiction
Dr. Jo Ness would rather keep company with jellyfish than people. After losing her best friend, Aldo, she’s been hiding out at an aquarium and clinging to the notes they left behind. But when an old friend calls from a tiny island in Maine with a wild story about a giant jellyfish terrorizing the residents, Jo goes in search of answers. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
View the booklist on Bookshop.org!
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan | Contemporary Romance
Dolly Brick is the kind of woman who can handle almost anything, from her mom disappearing when she was twelve to now, at thirty-nine, moving back home to save her family’s house. So when she helps Stewart Whitfield after a flat tire and a very public breakup, the last thing she expects is for their fake arrangement to turn into real chemistry and a whole lot of feelings she’s not sure she can trust. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Note: Right now, I’m listening to Annabel Monaghan’s It’s a Love Story on audiobook, and it’s such a cute rom-com! I’ve actually laughed out loud … really! The narrator does a great job, but it would be equally enjoyable to read in print or as an ebook.
May has been Mental Health Awareness Month! Back in October, I put this helpful book list for this serious topic: 6 Mental Health Books (To Help You Feel Seen!)
Jenna Bush Hager recently joined the Apple podcast, Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, for an amusing discussion and “an impassioned rant against book banning.” You gotta watch this Instagram Reel to hear what she had to say!
“A summer away from everything, where I could read my books without worrying about being called a freak and swim whenever I wanted to, felt like heaven.”
― Carley Fortune, Every Summer After
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