Hi, my bookish friend!
For the longest time, I would scrunch up my nose at books labeled as literary fiction. For some reason, I had it in my head that this genre included extra-long, overly descriptive paragraphs and characters who spent most of the story staring out windows deep in thought. Yawn.
I had it so wrong! Ever since I discovered what literary fiction, or “lit fic” as it’s recently affectionately called, is really like, it’s become one of my favorite genres.
Over the past year or two, I read Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and James by Percival Everett, and consider them among the best books I’ve ever read! These books will stay with me for the rest of my life, no exaggeration!
So, today …
I’m sharing five fantastic new literary fiction books that landed on former President Obama’s 2026 reading list. And I’m also consulting Ann Patchett for ten more book recommendations in this underappreciated genre!
Plus, any one of these lit fic book recs would be perfect to pair with the Bookish AF Summer of Reading mini-challenge #14 🌅 Sunrise Reading Session!
And, finally, as promised, I’ve rounded up the August 2026 Book Club Picks! Yay, more can’t-wait-to-read lit fic titles!
Happy Reading!
Your friend,
Audry
P.S. Hurry! New or current Annual or Founding Members qualify to win a $50 Bookshop.org gift card! The winner will be announced on August 26th!
If you want to give literary fiction a try, or already love it and are looking for a new read, you can’t go wrong with any of the books on Barack Obama’s 2026 Summer Favorites Reading List! (He also includes a summer playlist, too!)
This book, about two motherless women who were friends since birth, growing up together in 1950s Louisiana, just may become the readers’ favorite book of the year. Everyone from Oprah (watch her book club interview with Tayari Jones here) to your favorite bookish friends (including this well-done Substack article by Jennifer George that covers it all) can’t stop praising this book! Now add Obama to the fan list! I’m going to have to read it soon! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
This story of a middle-aged woman who recently reconnects with one of her stepfathers will touch your heart. Yes, there’s a horse on the cover, but the horse is only in it a little! And, yes, Whistler is known for skiing, but again, it’s not about skiing! I saw in an interview that Ann Patchett wrote this book inspired by the love she still felt for a close friend who recently passed. I will be listening to the audiobook (narrated by Ann Patchett herself!) as soon as my hold becomes available on Libby! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
This unique, at times, chaotic story is told from the point of view of the guardian angel tasked with comforting a wealthy oil tycoon in his final hours. Despite living a vile life of greed and contributing gravely to climate change, the old man lies waiting for death with no regrets. However, the spirits who visit him work to convince him otherwise. Readers love it for its dark humor, thought-provoking topics, and imaginative descriptions. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
You may know Elizabeth Strout from her 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Olive Kitteridge. So, it’s no surprise that her novel released in May of this year caught the former president’s eye. In this story, we follow a late 50s high school history teacher living in Massachusetts as he comes to terms with his life and a recent revelation about his marriage, all while the tense 2024 presidential election unfolds. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Perhaps because it’s the third book in the popular Harlem Trilogy, this crime novel set in the 1980s has captured readers’ curiosity and rave reviews. It’s the kind of book that pulls you into its gritty New York City storyline and keeps you turning pages as the main character pulls off one last heist. The stakes are high as family redemption hangs in the balance. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Discover this booklist on Bookshop.org! (And support local independent bookstores!)
Besides Whistler appearing on Obama’s book list, Ann Patchett is one of the best, if not the best, literary fiction authors out there! So far, I’ve enjoyed The Dutch House and Tom Lake, narrated by Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, respectively, on audiobooks.
In an Elle Magazine interview, Ann Patchett shared, “2026 is the best year for fiction I’ve seen since I opened a bookstore 15 years ago. Amazing, amazing books this year.”
While also highly recommending Kin and Cool Machine, here are the rest of her recommendations:
John of John by Douglas Stuart
The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Sorrow and Bliss (and the soon-to-be-released, Sophie, Standing There) by Meg Mason
Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett
Absolution by Alice McDermott
And, in the same interview, Ann also added, “The best book is coming out in October. Yiyun Li’s Music Against the Night.” You heard it here! Now go pre-order it! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
This summer, add whimsy to your reading habit! Follow along with the Bookish AF Summer of Reading 2026 here!
I was just discussing with a friend how sunrise and sunset look so similar but have distinctly different vibes. The morning sun feels hopeful and fills you with possibility for the new day.
How you spend this time tends to set up your day, so make it count with this mini-challenge! We’re getting up early to watch the sunrise and pairing it with a quiet reading session. (If you’re not a morning person, reading first thing when you wake up still counts!)
To create a sunrise reading ritual:
📚 Keep a “morning basket” with two or three books ready to read.
☀️ Find a cozy spot with natural morning light or sit outside if the weather allows.
📖 Read at least 5–10 pages before reaching for your phone.
☕ Pair your book with a cozy beverage (like you’d forget this step - LOL!)
The beautiful language and gentle pace of literary fiction make it the perfect pairing for a sunrise reading session. However, to quote one of last week’s cookbook recs: you do you! A thriller can be the book version of a double shot of espresso!
Except for the first book club pick, these novels all match this week's literary fiction theme!
In St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1949, 17-year-old Nora falls head over heels in love with Leonard, who was originally from New York. However, Leonard’s father’s suspicions about Nora break them apart and eventually lead Nora to leave the family she loves. Jenna calls it “the perfect summer read.” (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Annie MacLeod grew up on a sailboat that her family navigated by the stars in the Pacific Northwest. As a young girl, Annie swam with sea creatures alongside her parents and Evan, her best friend. But when a tsunami strands her on land, she must confront how different she is. Her relationship with Evan then becomes strained by a strange new connection with a mysterious man. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
Set at an elite boarding school, 15-year-old Lenny Winter moves into a houseboat in Washington State with her parents. Soon she’s enrolled in a boarding school where she joins an elite secret society and finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. According to Katie, “It’s got grief, privilege, and intrigue — all the makings of hypnotizing fiction.” (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
*Watch for Katie Couric to interview author Eli Raphael on Substack on Thursday, August 27th!
This Pulitzer-winning collection of nine stories follows Indian immigrants and their children, who are caught between two worlds. They suffer quiet yet heart-wrenching maladies, including homesickness, distant marriages, and hurtful secrets. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)
*Make sure you RSVP to the virtual book club meeting, which will feature Chef Cheryl Perry’s tutorial for potato samosas!
“Did you ever want to be a writer?” “No,” she said, and she would have told him. “I only wanted to be a reader.”
― Ann Patchett, Commonwealth
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