By Charlotte Anderson

It’s summer, and we may not have as much time to read as we did as children, but there’s still something about the summer sun, the scent of sunscreen, and an impending long weekend that makes me think of grabbing a great book to keep me company while sitting on a patio. There’s a certain feel to summer reading books, where the stakes are low and the weather is beautiful.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich, and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah’s mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house on Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.

But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps.

Other new releases you might enjoy: Something Wilder by Christina Lauren, I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, Book of Night by Holly Black, Sparring Partners by John Grisham, & This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub.

At GPPL:

Summer Reading Game

Join us from July 3 to August 27 for a summer of fun, creativity, and prizes! This year’s theme is Jungle! Keep an eye on our social media accounts and website for updates. GPPL runs Summer Reading Games for children, teens, and adults.

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