New Summer Classics: 36 Reads for June

All of your favorite summer subjects are covered in this month’s roundup — road trips, beaches, romance, murder, if that’s your jam. No matter your preference, we have a summer read waiting for you. Use our booksellers’ picks to get your summer TBR started!

FICTIONRecommended by RJ Run for the Hills: A NovelKevin Wilson

Run for the Hills is a funny and fascinating family story, as well as one of the best road trip novels I’ve ever read. Readers are guaranteed to feel themselves swept along with the colorful cast of half-siblings as they follow the increasingly disjointed history of their shared runaway father.

Also loved by Aly, Jenness, Patsy, & Cat!

Recommended by Mac The Emperor of Gladness: A NovelOcean Vuong

Emperor of Gladness tells a tale of “kindness without hope,” as Vuong put it in an interview with the New York Times. Peeling back some of his expected lyrical approach, Vuong tells the story of Hai, a teenage addict who becomes friends with Grazina, an 82-year-old Lithuanian immigrant. You will see yourself and your loved ones in this story of community beneath our typical line of sight.

Recommended by Maddie Disappoint Me: A NovelNicola Dinan

I loved this book — an impressively realistic portrait of two young millennials struggling to find themselves and hoping the answers can be found within each other. Max and Vincent meet each other with a lot of skeletons in both of their closets, and the relationship that unfolds is tender yet prickly, heartwarming yet tragic.

Recommended by Rae Ann The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club: A NovelMartha Hall Kelly

A woman arrives on Martha’s Vineyard with questions about the past. A story unfolds of two sisters on the island during WWII, a special book club, a U-boat sighting, and a possible spy.

Also loved by Cheryl!

Recommended by Rachel A Language of Limbs: A NovelDylin Hardcastle

An exploration of the queer experience in 1970s Australia. Language of Limbs follows two women, one forced out of the closet and the other fighting to keep herself inside of it. Time after time they near-miss each other, lives braiding in and out of shared experience, finally culminating in a mind boggling ending.

Recommended by Chelsea The Road to Tender Hearts: A NovelAnnie Hartnett

This novel chronicles a life-changing road trip for all involved: PJ, who is trying to avoid his feelings about his ex-wife’s impending marriage, his grandniece and grandnephew who are freshly orphaned, his adult daughter who has no idea her next phase in life, and a cat who foretells death. I fell in love with every character, quirks and all, and didn’t want this book to end.

Also loved by Jenness!

Recommended by Kathy Lay Your Armor Down: A NovelMichael Farris Smith

Can these three desperate souls outrun the forces of evil that promise to overtake them if they don’t fulfill their mission? This one will have you reading into the night.

Recommended by Chloe Atmosphere: A Love StoryTaylor Jenkins Reid

It’s lesbians in space. It made me cry and gave me stress dreams. I loved it!

Also loved by Cat and Chelsea!

Recommended by Jenness Fever Beach: A NovelCarl Hiaasen

All of America is now Florida – with its political corruption, white nationalism, and ineptness. But Hiaasen still makes it laughable, even when you’re seething inside. Fever Beach is a joy and a balm in these times.

Recommended by Sarah A Sharp Endless Need: A NovelMarisa Crane

This one is for all you sapphic yearners out there. Bonus points if you’ve ever had a thing for a teammate.

Recommended by Jennifer The IncandescentEmily Tesh

As a magical headmistress, Dr. Walden, or Saffy as she allows her colleagues to call her, is a woman of distinguished and powerful magic. She is a dedicated professional (read: workaholic) doing what she loves: protecting and teaching students. But when a powerful demon and its strange love of the school challenges everything she holds dear, Saffy must rely on an unlikely ally to save the day.

Recommended by Katie Rules for RuinMimi Matthews

A brand new series from beloved historical romance writer Mimi Matthews, Rules for Ruin shows us just what a talent Matthew is in the genre. Brimming with action, drama and the swooniest romantic leads, I am so into this book! Can’t wait to see what’s next for the women of the Crinoline Academy. (Look closely at the cover!)

Recommended by Ashby Aftertaste: A NovelDaria Lavelle

Meals can provide momentary connections to those who have died. What if someone had the power to connect us through food? Kostya doesn’t see ghosts but tastes their favorite foods. He moves up in the restaurant world, opening Hell’s Kitchen Supper Club and offering to reconnect people with deceased loved ones, but there are rules about the afterlife. This book will make you think and connect to your memories.

Recommended by Chelsea Anji Kills a KingEvan Leikam

A sudden decision in an opportune moment changes Anji’s (and her kingdom’s) future, and now she’s being escorted to her trial by the Hawk, a member of the peacekeeping Menagerie. As external threats abound, Anji and the Hawk grow closer, and their ideals may be more alike than either of them expect. Deft worldbuilding and fascinating characters captured my attention early on, and I stayed for the unexpected plot twists.

Recommended by Cheryl The Missing Half: A NovelAshley Flowers

Two young women form a team to find their missing sisters from several years ago. It’s a small town with its politics, lack of resources and innocent people lying to protect their own secrets, thus hampering the search. Tense thriller.

Recommended by Ashby The Love Haters: A NovelKatherine Center

What happens when Katie agrees to profile a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, but cannot swim? She gets swim lessons from him. A sign the two were meant to be? His enormous dog loves her. Throw in a hurricane, a dog stuck on a boat, and you have a delightful rom-com that takes you to the beach.

Recommended by Katie Dying to Meet You: A Domestic ThrillerSarina Bowen

The perfect book to take with you on vacation this summer. Set in coastal Maine, Rowen is a single mom with a high stakes commission restoring a historic mansion when she becomes a suspect for the murder of the man that just dumped her. GASP! This book is fast paced and full of rich people behaving badly, big elaborate lies, twists I didn’t see coming and a sneaky second chance romance. Such a fun time!

Recommended by Genevieve Two-Step DevilJamie Quatro

For fans of Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, and other weird Southerners. In Lookout Mountain, Alabama, The Prophet, an old man who paints his end times visions, sees a teenage girl named Michael zip-tied in the back seat of a car and decides to rescue her–or kidnap her, depending on who’s telling the story.

NONFICTION & POETRYRecommended by Rachel Things in Nature Merely GrowYiyun Li

A contemplation on loss and living. Yiyun Li writes about the hardest facets of life with intense intellectualism, allowing this memoir to go far beyond grief as a concept, instead facing the question: is life worth living?

Also loved by Jake and Ann!

Recommended by Andy The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank WisnerDouglas Waller

Everything you would want in a great spy novel but it’s all true. Frank Wisner was one of the most powerful men in the world as the Cold War developed. Douglas Waller provides a fascinating look at the career of Wisner and the personal toll it took on this CIA pioneer.

Recommended by Jake Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in CinemaWillow Maclay, Caden Gardner

An exploration of the trans image on film, Corpses, Fools and Monsters is an entertaining and deeply informative film history book. I found so much in this book that I had never heard of before, as it does a great job of shedding a spotlight on an entire canon of deserving films and filmmakers. This book is a powerful reminder that trans folks have always existed and always will, both onscreen and off.

Recommended by Lindsay JuveniliaHera Lindsay Bird

If your love poetry doesn’t include lines like “When I’m not with you I am like / a lonely wrestler with nobody to break chairs on,” then, sorry, I don’t want it! Shout out to Hera Lindsay Bird for writing poetry that’s equal parts brilliant, campy, and romantic.

Recommended by Elizabeth The Condiment Book: Unlocking Maximum Flavor with Minimal EffortClaire Dinhut

It’s Condiment Claire! If you are familiar with her work, you already know how lovingly and generously she talks about everything from Dijon mustard to chili oil. If you aren’t familiar with her, allow me to introduce you. In this book, Claire illuminates the myriad histories and uses of all of her (and your!) favorite condiments. Trust me: your kitchen will thank you!

Recommended by Andy Milk Street Backroads Italy: Finding Italy’s Forgotten Recipes (A Cookbook)Christopher Kimball, J. M. Hirsch

The Milk Street team scour small restaurants, local markets and visit home cooks throughout the Italian peninsula. They found that cooks in Italy throw away their garlic, they don’t stir their polenta and they never labor over pans of risotto. Filled with essays about their travel and over 175 recipes. Every page will inspire anyone who loves to cook or just enjoys good food.

Recommended by A.J. Mark TwainRon Chernow

Looking for a Father’s Day gift? Look no further! In typical Chernow fashion, get to know the paradoxical Samuel Clemens over the course of 1k+ pages, seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly of one of the U.S.’s most celebrated authors. Don’t be intimidated by the size–just like his novels, Twain’s life is more than entertaining enough to keep on chugging.

Recommended by Paige Life and Art: EssaysRichard Russo

How we view ourselves and the world may shift depending on the lens through which we are looking. In this lovely collection, the beloved novelist Russo is looking through the lens of a pandemic, but also the lens of age and hard-earned wisdom. With essays that delve into his personal life, and others that contemplate movies and music, we get to reflect alongside the author on the art of living.

Recommended by Andy The Playing Lesson: A Duffer’s Year Among the ProsMichael Bamberger

Bamberger chronicles a year looking for the essence of golf. Inspired by those who love the game from dusty driving ranges to The Masters. Caddying, playing in ProAms, interviewing the famous and unknowns, Bamberger reminds us that “no matter our level of play, golf gives us the freedom to make our own crappy decisions, along with some good ones.”

Recommended by Jenness Murder Ballads: Illustrated Lyrics & LoreKaty Horan

Gorgeous illustrations accompany and illuminate tragic, historic tales set to music. From folklore to true crime, murder ballads have woven their way into culture, and Horan’s dark, lovely images are the perfect complement.

Recommended by Treva Little Miss Diagnosed: A Surgeon’s Guide to Breaking Bones and Bending RulesErin Nance, MD

Dr. Erin Nance is an orthopedic surgeon with a large online following. She is a staunch advocate for women and others who feel unheard in medical settings, as well as for those with lesser known diagnoses that often go misdiagnosed. This is her story of working her way through the challenges of training in orthopedic medicine and becoming a successful surgeon who cares deeply for her patients.

Recommended by Patsy The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-LachaiseBenoît Gallot

Fascinating look at Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, by its resident caretaker. The history of this final resting place of 1.3 million souls (Piaf, Wilde, Proust, Molière, Chopin, Jim Morrison …) with emphasis on the rich biodiversity and wildlife: foxes, cats, and birds; funerary monuments; and tales of those who visit, seeking connection with the dead.

Recommended by Andy Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom, and a Forever Promise Forged in World War IIRobert M. Edsel

Opening with Hitler’s invasion of the Netherlands, it’s a story of losing your freedom and then regaining it. Edsel illustrates the horror of war and power of gratitude, showing the extraordinary measures the Dutch have taken to thank their liberators.

CLASSICS & BACKLISTRecommended by A.J. In Tongues: A NovelThomas Grattan

Certified Weird Boy Fiction. A 24 y/o gay man moves to Manhattan and begins working as a dog walker for The People who Lunch, only to be hired by a gay couple to be their assistant, and lines quickly start to blur. Clever, well-written, and compelling.

Recommended by Elizabeth Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the WorldAnthony Doerr

If you find yourself traveling to Italy or dreaming about Italy this summer, add this memoir to your reading list! Exactly no one is surprised, but it turns out that Anthony Doerr’s nonfiction is as poetic and grand as his fiction, and he has written quite the love letter to Rome.

Recommended by Lindsay The Line of Beauty: A NovelAlan Hollinghurst

It’s been twenty years since Alan Hollinghurst published this novel about class, politics, and sexuality in London under the regime of Margaret Thatcher–I’m happy to say The Line of Beauty holds up and hits just as hard in 2025 America. A combination of queer coming-of-age story and social satire, The Line of Beauty is an incredible reckoning with the fallacy of being apolitical in your day-to-day life.

First Editions Club: June Selection Endling: A NovelMaria Reva

A novel that starts with malacology is bound to be a hit with me. Still, I recognize that some readers need more than snails to hold their interest. Endling has everything. First, there’s Yeva, the loner biologist who drives her van / mobile lab through the wilds of Ukraine, looking for snails to save from extinction. To fund her research, Yeva dabbles in “romance tours,” a sort of dating service for hapless foreign bachelors hoping to find beautiful Eastern European brides. That’s where Yeva meets Nastia and Solomiya, two sisters in search of their radical activist mother. When Nastia comes up with a plan that will bring about enough publicity to entice their mother back, the sisters, in need of a van, team up with Yeva. They want to kidnap some bachelors. Yeva just wants to save the snails before it’s too late.

But then the Russians invade, and everything is too late.

At this point the book, which is strange to begin with, gets a whole lot stranger. What if in the middle of writing a novel about snails and a sketchy dating service, your home country is invaded by Russia? How would that change the trajectory of the story? Maria Reva was born in Ukraine and lives in Canada. One imagines that when her life turned upside down she had no choice but to turn her novel upside down as well.

An endling is the last of its kind, a creature like Yeva’s beloved snail Lefty who has nothing but its own life to forestall extinction. As the tanks roll into Kiev, the fate of some snails serve as a harbinger for the fate of Ukraine. Endling is funny, smart and timely, full of science, longing and adventure, all the while reminding us what the world stands to lose, and what it’s already lost. This is essential reading.

Enjoy.

Ann Patchett

More about our First Editions Club: Every member receives a first edition of the selected book of the month, signed by the author. Books are carefully chosen by our staff of readers, and our picks have gone on to earn major recognition including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Plus, there’s no membership fee or premium charge for these books. Build a treasured library of signed first editions and always have something great to read! Makes a FABULOUS gift, too.

Love, Parnassus: June Selection A Rare FindJoanna Lowell

Elfreda Marsden has finally made a major discovery—an ancient amulet proving the Viking army camped on her family’s estate. Too bad her nemesis is back from London, freshly exiled after a scandal and ready to wreak havoc on her life. Georgie Redmayne is everything Elfreda isn’t–charming, popular, carefree, distractingly attractive, and bored to death by the countryside. When the two collide (literally), the amulet is lost, and with it, Elfreda’s big chance to lead a proper excavation. Now Elfreda needs new evidence of medieval activity, and Georgie needs money to escape the doldrums of Derbyshire. Joining forces to locate a hidden hoard of Viking gold is the best chance for them both.

Marsdens and Redmaynes don’t get along, and that’s the least of the reasons these enemies can’t dream of something more. But as the quest takes them on unexpected adventures, sparks of attraction ignite a feeling increasingly difficult to identify as hatred. It’s far too risky to explore. And far too tempting to resist. Elfreda and Georgie soon find that the real treasure comes with a steep price… and the promise of a happiness beyond all measure.

The Love, Parnassus box is a monthly subscription box for romance readers curated by the experts at Parnassus Books. Each month you will receive a first edition book (which is sometimes signed), a letter from the author, a custom sticker, and a bookmark to track your reading. The Love, Parnassus selection will focus on debut and new-to-you romance authors. Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite romance reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.