Summer Reading: The Hottest New Books of the Season

Here’s some trivia for your next vacation get-together: The concept of the summer “beach read” book goes all the way back to the Victorian era, when advances in transportation made it possible for city people to escape to coastal areas and resort getaways during the summer months.
 
The publishing industry targeted this new category of potential customers by marketing books as “summer reads” ideal for the beach, or the cabin, or the Adirondack chair, or what have you. In fact, this cultural shift sent books in a whole new direction. The novel, previously considered rather vulgar, was now an acceptable pastime for those who could afford such leisure time.
 
Here at Goodreads, we’re always happy to participate in historical tradition. At the beginning of each summer, the Goodreads Editorial team gathers information on upcoming books published in the U.S. We also track early reviews and crunch the numbers on how many readers are adding these books to their Want to Read shelves.

This time around, we've got new fiction from Rachel Yoder and Zakiya Dalila Harris, new mysteries from Paula Hawkins and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, new horror from Mona Awad and Stephen Graham Jones, and new sci-fi/fantasy from Matt Bell and Shelley Parker-Chan. Plus YA! Nonfiction! Romance! 
 
Be sure to add anything that catches your eye to your Want to Read shelf, and let us know what you're reading and recommending in the comments.