I’ve created a summer reading list for the first time EVER. I generally don’t like to map out what I’m going to be reading, at least not for a whole season, because the freedom to choose my next read is important to me. Reading is such a joy for me, and I have such a tendency to dig in on my habits and goals, that I need to protect my reading joy from restrictions.

But things feel different this year, and I think that’s largely due to the MMD (Modern Mrs. Darcy) book club that I’ve been participating in since January. I’ve had to read several books that I wouldn’t have normally picked up in the course of my library or Kindle store browsing. And I’ve loved almost all of them. So this summer, I’ve decided to give my reading life over to the experts. Based on the MMD Summer Reading Guide, and the NY Times summer book list, I compiled a list of 23 books that I plan to read this summer. I created it as a shelf on Goodreads (if you’re on Goodreads, follow me here) and will share the titles below. I’m not restricting myself to these books, but the list will be there for me whenever I’m ready to devour something new. I tend to be a ravenous reader during the summer, especially during vacations.

Summer Reading List 2017

This list is composed mostly of traditional summer reads: fast-paced, multi-genre, spicy and/or thrilling. 

In the GENERAL FICTION (Historical/Literary/etc.) category:

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham

The Address by Fiona Davis

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan (my very favorite contemporary author, and an inspiration for my own books)

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser

The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve

Every Wild Heart by Meg Donohue

Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (I’ve owned this in hardcover for months, but haven’t gotten to it because almost all my reading is on Kindle at the moment. I can’t wait to bring it with me on vacation.)

In the WOMEN’S FICTION category:

Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand (because it’s not a summer vacation without a Hilderbrand beach read)

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

The Café by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

In the MYSTERY/THRILLER category:

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

The Dry by Jane Harper (I read this one already for book club, and it was FANTASTIC. Just don’t read the first chunk late at night, as I did, because the initial description of the murder will keep you awake for hours.)

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

In the NONFICTION/MEMOIR/ESSAY category:

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown (I just finished this one and loved it, particularly the parts about the historical Poughkeepsie Regatta, a hometown event I knew nothing about!)

Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro

We are Never Meeting In Real Life by Samantha Irby

 

To see the full list, plus links to all the books for synopses and reviews, here’s my Goodreads Summer Reading 2017 page. If you read one of my picks, please let me know how you liked it! We can start an impromptu summer reading discussion right here on the blog.