120 Book Recommendations for (Nearly) Every Kind of Summer Reader

Here at Goodreads World Headquarters, we take summer reading seriously. Summertime is especially conducive to the book-reading lifestyle: You’ve got more vacation time, better outdoor-reading conditions, and expanded daylight hours to make it all happen.
As part of our annual Summer Reading initiative, we’ve compiled this specially curated collection that takes a lateral-thinking approach to book sorting. Our intrepid editorial team has waded into the stacks to organize recommendations based on Reader Type. As you shall see, our approach is highly unscientific, somewhat improvised, and exceedingly practical.
Perhaps you’re the kind of person who likes a long book for summer reading. May we suggest a doorstopper selection from The Deep-Focus Reader collection. Maybe it’s just the opposite and your attention span suffers in the sun. Try a short story collection from The Busy Bee Reader selection. We like to think we’ve covered many, if not all, possible contingencies: The Gotta-Impress-My-Book-Club Reader! The Minimalist Packer Reader! We’re even committed to those of you who are dealing with winter just now, with cold-weather reads for The Southern Hemisphere Reader.
Scroll around the categories below to find your perfect summer read. You can click through the book cover images for more information about each title. Feel free to track your choices with the Want to Read button, and add any further suggestions or discoveries in the comments section.
The Very Literal Summer Reader:
I'm going to focus on books with "summer" in their titles.
The Top-Bunk Reader:
I'm looking for page-turners set at summer camp.
The On-Point Theme Reader:
I'd love nonfiction about summery activities and topics.
The Movie Buff Reader:
I'm an absolute book-to-screen fiend.
The Minimalist Packer Reader:
I need new paperbacks that won't weigh me down.
The Jet-Setting Reader:
I like reading novels where the characters travel (while I also travel).
The Deep-Focus Reader:
I finally have time to sink into a long book! Whaddya got for me?
The FOMO Reader:
I want to catch up on the buzzy recent books everyone's been talking about.
The Busy Bee Reader:
I've got a packed itinerary for summer, but I'll save time for short stories!
The Summer Lovin' Reader:
I'm always looking for a fling with a highly rated romance!
The Southern Hemisphere Reader:
It's not summer where I am. Can you show me some books set in cold climates?
The Lifelong Learner Reader:
I live for a super-niche nonfiction deep dive.
The Gotta-Impress-My-Book-Club Reader:
Show me some recent award-winning books, please.
The Outdoorsy Reader:
Inspire me to explore nature!
The Desperate Parent Reader:
PLEASE help me find some books to keep my middle schoolers reading over summer break.
Comments Showing 1-50 of 79 (79 new)
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by
Aubrey
(new)
May 13, 2024 09:13AM
Oh my gumdrops, I am SO the FOMO reader. 😂
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I have to give credit to the person who made this list. You really did include everyone. I don't have anything to add.
for this year, i'll have 2 books lined up for 'Very Literal Summer Reader' & 'Desperate Parent Reader' (MG genre for myself, i'm not a parent).
I love all the genres but generally will only choose ones that are rated 4.0+ love these lists! Added several more to my to read list
I'm a summer rereader--Harry Potter, Jan Karon's Mitford series, Dean Hughes' "Children of the Promise" series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Brother Cadfael, Sister Frevisse, Elm Creek Quilts--this could last into autumn!
Thanks for thinking of us winter bound readers, though it is a little bit funny that all the southern hemisphere books appear to be set in the northern hemisphere 😅
A really creative approach to reading lists! Fun to see books I’ve read included and I found several for my “want to read” pile.
Great list, but Goodreads, you guys missed the anything for anyone who wants to read a good mystery this summer. Sigh.
I´m raising my thumb as well due to this list and its maker! Fun and added several to my list of want to read´s.
What about the senior reader who is lonely and whose adult children have long ago forgotten them? What is life at the end?
Does anyone have any good nonfiction books for middle school to highschool readers? Any sort of topic if fine, I just need recommendations. Thanks!
Hello Sharon, amazing list!I am from Brazil and my favorite is "Southern Hemisphere Reader".
When I saw the list, I thought : "Summer, which summer?" ... Just kidding!
We are in fall season here :)
Two books went to my "WANT TO READ" list - The short story collection Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood, one of my favorite writers and Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, Bulgarian Literature is very new to me.
I'm quite old but without childrens and some way I have already all the books on "desperate parents" part
Aubrey wrote: "Oh my gumdrops, I am SO the FOMO reader. 😂"lol same I binge-read ACOTAR bc I was scared to be left out lol.
love this!! i am so the literal reader. i LOVE murder mysteries and mysteries in general but find that i can't read them in the summer because i prefer the fluffy stuff, only to devour them the second august turns to september. elin hilderbrand is the queen of summer!
(and anthony horowitz is my king of fall, in case anyone was wondering)
Mariana Vidal Pinheiro wrote: "great article!!"Just to play devil's advocate, not really. I've read one book on this list and only one is on my TBR shelf


































