Goodreads Employees Share the Books They're Reading This Summer

Posted by Sharon on May 17, 2021

If you've got an overflowing Want to Read shelf of books that you keep meaning to get to (one day!), you're in good company. Our company, that is. As you can imagine, Goodreads staffers are no stranger to the "so many books, so little time" problem.

We asked our bookish colleagues to share three books they're bumping to the top of their reading lists for the summer. From up-and-coming page-turners to big biographies to thought-provoking nonfiction, these are the titles we'll be chatting about all season around our virtual watercooler.

Don't forget to add the titles that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf. And let us know which books caught your eye in the comments!

Marisha Murphy, Account Manager
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Priscilla S. Guido, Account Manager
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Roshni Patel, Senior Marketing Manager
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Margo Throckmorton, Senior Account Manager
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Cybil Wallace, Senior Editor
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Dana Epstein, Account Executive
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Megan Dormoy, Executive Assistant
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Navneet Sinha, Software Development Engineer
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Brooke Ginnard, Visual Designer
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Sharon Hsu, Associate Editor
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Danny Feekes, Managing Editor
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Jon Nguyen, Product Manager
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Lauren Deyce, Instructional Designer
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Jaclyn Woods, Program Manager
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Robin-Lee Moos, Support Team Manager
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Mimi Chan, Senior Marketing Manager
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Duane Carter, Goodreads Support Expert
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Mahesh Naidu, QA Engineer
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Veronica Moss, CEO
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Jayeeta Bhowal, Product Manager
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Manju Abburi, Software Development Manager
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Bryce Weitzel, Head of Sales Development & Marketing
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Steve Sarner, VP of Ad Sales
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Jeff Wong, Senior iOS Developer
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Alexander Reyes, Revenue Operations Associate
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Eric Asuncion, Senior Account Manager
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Heather Curran, Technical Account Manager
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Suzanne Skyvara, VP of Marketing & Editorial
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Justine Wheeler, Goodreads Support Expert
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Karen Bezuidenhout, Program Manager
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Shaun Ponting, Program Manager
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Lisa Jablonsky, Sales Director
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Mariana Gamboa, Goodreads Support Expert
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Daniella Jimenez, Revenue Operations Manager
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Ana Reddy, Customer Service Manager
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Ivanna Pérez Benavides, Revenue Operations Associate
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Heino Colyn, Program Manager
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Keanan Samuels, Goodreads Support Expert
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María Moreira-Álvarez, Goodreads Support Expert

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Sam Julian, Senior Product Designer
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Which three books from your Want to Read list are you hoping to get to this summer? Let's talk books in the comments!

 

Comments Showing 1-50 of 51 (51 new)


message 1: by Deb (new)

Deb The Woman They Could Not Silence, The Comfort Book, and The Kitchen Front.


Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* Don't think the Chuck Tingle love is going unnoticed, Sam.


message 3: by Eileen (new)

Eileen Acosta Billy Summers by Stephen King, Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica, Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith


message 4: by Laura (new)

Laura Caste, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, Come Fly the World


message 5: by Rachel (new)

Rachel Leigh *TBR explodes*


message 6: by Jordana (new)

Jordana Simon I love this post, thank you all for sharing :D


message 7: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer Stringer The Four Winds, World Travel, and The Firekeeper’s Daughter on deck...


message 8: by Nelle (new)

Nelle My TBR pile went through the roof thanks to this... :|


message 9: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa Dargain Nelle wrote: "My TBR pile went through the roof thanks to this... :|"

You can handle it . Chuckle


message 10: by *alexandra* (new)

*alexandra* This summer I have a lot to read, mostly classics, cause I am studying American Literature! I hope to read at least The Portrait of a Lady, Sister Carrie and Friederick Douglass narrative!


message 11: by Stan (new)

Stan Calculated Risks, Ham on Rye, The Light of Days.


message 12: by C (new)

C The top three that I really want to get to this summer (but there will be many many more):
The Bass Rock - Evie Wyld
The New Wilderness - Diane Cook
Bubblegum - Adam Levin


message 13: by Bob (new)

Bob Foote Can I please work at goodreads? Are you hiring?


message 14: by Tina (last edited May 26, 2021 12:10PM) (new)


message 15: by Brit (new)

Brit Lisa’s list is the only one that I had all 3 books on my TBR pile too! I also work as a Director of Sales - so perhaps great taste runs in the profession! 😋


message 16: by Sadia (new)

Sadia Afroj Nelle wrote: "My TBR pile went through the roof thanks to this... :|"

Haha...(me nervously looking at my pile(s) of tbr written and saved in various places)...^_^


message 17: by Christine (new)

Christine I wasn't expecting David Sinclair here, good read!
Thanks for sharing, Goodreads! (TBR pile increased :D)


message 19: by Heather Button (new)

Heather Button Malibu Rising, Survive the Night, and The Maidens


message 20: by Ann (new)

Ann The Home Place by J. Drew Lanham
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
The Nature Principle by Richard Louv

Currently finishing The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith.


message 21: by gh11 (new)

gh11 recommend The Orchard by David Hopen


message 22: by Betty (new)

Betty I love Chris Bohjalian I have not read them all but I really like his writing and his books are all different. I am reading the Flight Attendant right now, they made a movie from it. Maybe it is on Netflix. I am waiting to get his newest one which sounds really good.
Pick up any one of his books and you won't be sorry!


message 23: by Ernie (new)

Ernie Brill This list AMAZES ME. I know from long experience as a fictionwriter, teacher, bookrevewer and champion of about thirty small presses, that most americans strongly prefer nonfiction because we have such a factoid, datadriven culture and are sso emotionaly blind and stunted towards the arts. Americans are especially cynical about poetry. Part of the reason for this is the fault of many American poerts who consider themselves bettter than the average personie ( REGULAR READERS DONT MATTER. Add to that the fact that too many teachers on all levels do not have slightest or skill in teaching people about poetry or, for that matter, lliterature. Thus whole generations are alienated from some of the finest, most beautiful and most moral and magical worlds witiin our world.
HOWEVER, I do not think in the list of ovAer one hundred books and thirty or forty people I just went throuogh, I dodnt think there is ONEbook of poetry on the list of wants. And there are very few plals or novels or short sstory collectiion conc.
with all due respect to all , many of thesesbooks arelightweight, "eah" eadings. Says who? So much of theses books are written quicckly, to makemoney, to be seen as a wristesr. And ninety nine percenst of both the books and thewriters arewhite. So let me ask:WHY DOES GOODREADS CONISISTENTY HAVE SO MANY VOLUMES WHERE THE BOOKS AND THE WRITERS ARE WHITE AND WHERE IT SEEMS THAT LIVES DONTMATTER??


message 24: by Nan (new)

Nan Who is Maud Dixon?, The Plot, and The Other Black Girl


message 25: by Sharon (new)

Sharon I really enjoyed Swimming Back to Trout River, My Year Abroad, Cold Millions, the Love Story of Missy Carmichael, Simon the Fiddler and lady in the Lake.


message 26: by Peacejanz (new)

Peacejanz I enjoyed reading the list and seeing what book I love/hate - wonder why it is on the list? Was happily surprised to see bell hooks. Some of the books are to be expected, some are not worth the bother. I would like to see the list again with each employee noting WHY they chose such a book. For example, I read Michele Obama's Becoming and recommend it because of the beautiful writing and the joy of knowing that a former first lady of the US can write in English and be understood.
I know putting the list together was hard work. Thank you for doing it. Some I loved, some I did not. Added some to my TBR list but overall , I loved it. Thank you for putting it together. peace, janz


message 27: by Peacejanz (new)

Peacejanz Ernie wrote: "This list AMAZES ME. I know from long experience as a fictionwriter, teacher, bookrevewer and champion of about thirty small presses, that most americans strongly prefer nonfiction because we have ..."

Not all of these authors are white. Look again. And there is little or no poetry (What do you call the book by Amanda Gorman?) because Americans do not read much poetry. Wake up. And I do not agree that most Americans prefer nonfiction. What are you reading? Give us some data if that is true. peace, janz


message 28: by Carolyn (new)

Carolyn Unsettled: what climate science tells us, what it doesn't, and why it matters, by Steven Koonin

Luncheon of the Boating Party, by Susan Vreeland (I loved the Girl in Hyacynth Blue)

Snatch Racket: the kidnapping epidemic that terrified 1930s America by Carolyn Cox.


message 29: by Ernie (new)

Ernie Brill Gortion man's book is a "hotitem". Most "lists' includidddsng many of the lissts about learning how not to be racist are sociology or other nonficttion and written after 2015. In other words, very new books, some awfull writen like White Fragility. Why do so many educators and people with "good politics" write so poorly, so clumsily?
You want to write better? Read Alice Walker, or Gwendolyn Brooks or Toni Morrisonn. Find all the black classics written way before the bignames now


message 30: by Ernie (new)

Ernie Brill Meridian- Alice Walker
The Echo Tree And Other Stories- Henry Dumas
The Seabirds Are still alive - Toni Cade Bambara( and Gorilla My Love)
Jubilee- Margaret Walker
The Man Who Cried I Am- John A. Williams
If He Hollers Let Him Go- ChesterHimes
Lonely Crusade- Chester Himesim
The Chosen Place The Tlimeless Peoplle- Paulie Marshall


message 31: by Peggy (new)

Peggy Krueger The Henna Artist, The Garden of New Beginnings and The Downstairs Girl


message 32: by Ken (new)

Ken Marc *Dark Reader of the Woods* wrote: "Don't think the Chuck Tingle love is going unnoticed, Sam."

How crude can you be?


message 33: by Ken (new)

Ken Alexandra wrote: "This summer I have a lot to read, mostly classics, cause I am studying American Literature! I hope to read at least The Portrait of a Lady, Sister Carrie and Friederick Douglass narrative!"

Alexandra wrote: "This summer I have a lot to read, mostly classics, cause I am studying American Literature! I hope to read at least The Portrait of a Lady, Sister Carrie and Friederick Douglass narrative!"

Peacejanz wrote: "Ernie wrote: "This list AMAZES ME. I know from long experience as a fictionwriter, teacher, bookrevewer and champion of about thirty small presses, that most americans strongly prefer nonfiction be..."

Does "american literature" exist? I thnk not .

Try Anthony Trollope.


message 34: by Emily (new)

Emily Justine's picks are a MOOD. I love it!


message 35: by TMR (last edited Jun 07, 2021 02:25AM) (new)

TMR I think these books are fine, despite some people’s complaints.


message 36: by Jon (new)

Jon Thorsen Three Men in a Boat (Not to Mention the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome; Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Weather by Jenny Offill. These are the next three on my list.


message 37: by Amy the book-bat (last edited Jun 07, 2021 03:49PM) (new)

Amy the book-bat Ernie wrote: "This list AMAZES ME. I know from long experience as a fictionwriter, teacher, bookrevewer and champion of about thirty small presses, that most americans strongly prefer nonfiction because we have ..."

After trying to decipher your rants, I want to remind you that this particular list is made up of books that the people liked and want to recommend to others. As there are billions of people in the world, there are the same number of opinions about which books are worth a read. I am sure that the books I prefer are likely vastly different from the books you prefer, and that is o.k. I noticed that this list had a variety of authors: white, black, Asian, LGBTQ+, etc. I think you need to take a breath and relax a bit. These are only suggestions. If you aren't interested in them, you can read something else that you are interested in.


message 38: by Amy the book-bat (new)

Amy the book-bat Jon wrote: "Three Men in a Boat (Not to Mention the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome; Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Weather by Jenny Offill. These are the next three on my list."

Interesting collection of titles. I feel like you read like I do... a little bit of everything, lots of variety.


message 39: by Sophie (new)

Sophie 1984 by George Orwell, Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop


message 40: by Giulia (new)

Giulia For me, that would be "The Master and Margarita" by Michail Bulgakov, "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune, "Elatsoe" by Darcie Little Badger, "The Whale at the End of the World" by John Ironmonger and which was already included by a few others "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. Sorry, three just weren't enough


message 41: by Donnisha (new)

Donnisha Dawson I've seen lots of interesting titles that caught my eyes. I picked too many to list here.


message 42: by Rosie-Willow (new)

Rosie-Willow Well I'm reading the A song of Fire and Ice series through the summer x


message 43: by Christina•M• (new)

Christina•M• Top 3 for this summer:

Desolation of devil's Acre- Ransom Riggs
Fate of Storms- Wild & Payne
Thunderhead- Peston & Child


message 44: by Forked (new)

Forked Radish Coincidentally, all the book are monetizable i.e. none are in the public domain (pre 1923).


message 45: by Jessica (new)

Jessica Robinson A Poem for Every Summer Day by Allie Esiri
Growing Boldly - Emily Ley
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family - Miep Gies


Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* Ernie wrote: "This list AMAZES ME. I know from long experience as a fictionwriter, teacher, bookrevewer and champion of about thirty small presses, that most americans strongly prefer nonfiction because we have ..."

I saw plenty of diversity in this list, so not sure where that part of the rant is coming from.

And I don't know many readers who prefer non-fiction. Some, sure, but the majority? No. Fiction is popular, but even if not, why does it matter? There is a mix of non-fiction and fiction on here, so again not seeing a back-up basis for this rant.


message 48: by Alana (new)

Alana Heather should check this list out!!!


message 49: by Rabiatu (new)

Rabiatu Ruma Please check out my book A Prophecy of Dawn. I've had amazing reviews... so don't miss out.


message 50: by Michelle (new)

Michelle McGrane ‘The Secret Keeper of Jaipur’, ‘The Plot’ and ‘The Magical Language of Others’.


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