Ahh, summer: long days, trips to the beach, and time to sit back and read in the sun. If you’re looking for more than a basic beach read, we’ve got the ultimate reading list for you.
Grown Women
by Sarai Johnson
This engaging generational tale follows four generations of Black women as they experience motherhood and daughterhood, generational wounds and trauma, and the healing that follows. Covering a 50-year period, this is an inspiring, thought-provoking novel that was named a New Yorker Best Book of the Year and an NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Debut Literary Work. Perfect for fans of other multigenerational epics like The Joy Luck Club or The Vanishing Half, Grown Women’s rich characters and graceful narrative explore legacy and love.
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits
by: Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner is back with another summer hit, this time sharing the story of two sisters’ experience in the 2000 pop-music spotlight and their lives two decades after. When the daughter of one sister seeks the truth about the fallout of the band—and the sisters—all three women must grapple with their secrets, the consequences of their past choices, and finding a way forward. With her signature warmth, wit, and emotion, Weiner explores the impacts of fame and forgiveness, making this a perfect poolside pick packed with depth.
Pick a Color
by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Spanning a single summer day, Pick a Color follows Ning, a former boxer who now spends her days working as “Susan” in a nail salon. On this particular day, Ning navigates power dynamics among her fellow workers, remembers past choices and challenges, and considers her identity and experience as an immigrant. Thammavongsa’s writing captures the tension between invisibility and visibility and how it feels to be caught between two worlds.
A Gorgeous Excitement
by Cynthia Weiner
It’s summer in 1980s New York, and Nina Jacobs is in-between childhood and adulthood, high school and college, being on the outside and fitting in. This character- driven novel follows her summer as she develops a new friendship, falls for a popular young man, and navigates her mother’s mental health challenges. Loosely based on the true case of the “Preppy Murder,” this book focuses on the women of the story, considering the true costs of unlimited possibility and freedom. Marrying coming-of-age with social commentary, this story pulses with the energy and danger of a city on the edge of change.
Betty
by Tiffany McDaniel
Based on the author’s mother, this novel—set mostly in Appalachian Ohio—follows Betty from her youth to her emerging adulthood. With hardships aplenty, from poverty to abuse to untold secrets, she finds a way to be resilient and thrive. It’s not an easy read, but it’s one that will inspire you. The author’s lyrical prose and unflinching honesty make this a portrait of girlhood that’s both harrowing and hopeful.
Whether you’re lounging by the pool, taking off on a weekend getaway, or simply finding a few quiet moments in the sun, these books will keep you company. Mix up a mimosa, grab a sunny reading spot, and brunch with the masters of modern storytelling.
Krystin Morgan is a writer, career consultant, and talent acquisition professional living in Seattle, WA. She’s spent 15 years helping grow tech companies and now spends her time consulting and writing.
