It is the time of the year that major publications come out with their lists of hottest books of the summer. I have gathered the summer’s biggest books from across the internet into a single list for your convenience. To be included on this list (and ensure it did not become unwieldy), every book needed to be mentioned on more than one list.
Fiction
Coyoteland
Vanessa Hua
From the bestselling author of A River of Stars comes a funny, heartfelt novel set in an affluent Bay Area suburb where a Chinese American family moves in and sets off a series of scandals.
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Recommended by Oprah Daily and Publisher’s Weekly.
Score
Kennedy Ryan
A scorching second-chance romance between a talented screenwriter and a phenomenal musician from the New York Times bestselling author of Before I Let Go.
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, People, & Publisher’s Weekly.
Dolly All the Time
Annabel Monaghan
A hardworking single mom returns to her seaside hometown and stumbles into a fake dating situationship with a wealthy, workaholic scion, from the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.
Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar and Kirkus Reviews.
The Tuxedo Society
Paul Rudnick
If Guy Ritchie directed a James Bond caper starring a queer 007, it might look something like this hilarious and action-packed spy thriller by Paul Rudnick, acclaimed screenwriter and author of Farrell Covington and the Limits of Style, that blends espionage and social commentary, with an elite, gay secret society.
Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & Publisher’s Weekly.
Blunt Instrument
Amy Bloom
A disgraced academic moonlighting as a private detective arrives on campus to help solve the mystery of a professor who’s been clubbed to death with a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Oprah Daily.
Land
Maggie O’Farrell
The award-winning, bestselling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait returns with a soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before and after the Great Hunger.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, & Oprah Daily.
Lovers XXX
Allie Rowbottom
Set against the neon-lit porn world of 1980s Los Angeles, a raw and evocative portrait of sex, friendship, and the perilous edge of liberation for two young women—from the author of Aesthetica.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Publisher’s Weekly.
Muñeca
Cynthia Gómez
A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by NPR and People.
The Open Era
Edward Schmit
The first openly gay man to compete in a Grand Slam tennis tournament is thrown off his game by his flirty rival, who is probably straight… unless?
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
Whistler
Ann Patchett
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Timesbestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, Oprah Daily, and Publisher’s Weekly.
Earth 7
Deb Olin Unferth
An end-of-the-world love story, an epic full of pathos and humor, asking what can be saved of our planet. A poignant inquiry into death, mourning, and indefatigable life, the most exhilarating work to date by one of our most original and beloved writers.
Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & NPR.
The Missed Connection
Tia Williams
New York Times bestselling author Tia Williams returns with an intensely romantic, deliciously sexy tale about a woman searching for her handsome seatmate on a European flight—and the unexpected places her hunt for love leads her.
Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Oprah Daily, & People.
Rasputin Swims the Potomac
Ben Fountain
From the award-winning, bestselling author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk comes a biting satire of American politics and a searingly intelligent novel about the cruel absurdities of contemporary life, centering on a world champion professional wrestler with presidential ambitions.
Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, Los Angeles Times, & Publisher’s Weekly.
The Summer Girlfriend
Kristina Forest
A fake summer fling between a stand-in girlfriend and a handsome business heir becomes way too real in this glittering new romance by USA Today bestselling author Kristina Forest.
Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
Villa Coco
Andrew Sean Greer
Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less,showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills.
Publication Date: June 9, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Publisher’s Weekly.
The Someday Garden
Ashley Poston
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
Names Have Been Changed
Yu-Mei Balasingamchow
Catch Me If You Can meets Counterfeit in this thrilling debut novel about Ophir—not her real name—who starts a confessional podcast about her years on the run around the globe, in an unforgettable story about the costs of freedom and the inescapable pull of home.
Publication Date: June 23, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, NPR, & Publisher’s Weekly.
The Shampoo Effect
Jenny Jackson
An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town. A frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship, from the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street.
Publication Date: June 30, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, & People.
Country People
Daniel Mason
A year in the life of a family as they strike out into the unknown (aka Vermont), leaving all the comforts of home behind—a rollicking, lyrical novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason, the bestselling author of North Woods and one of America’s greatest living writers.
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Recommended by Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, & NPR.
The Great Wherever
Shannon Sanders
An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait.
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar, NPR, Oprah Daily, & People.
Helpless
Jessica Knoll
From the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women comes a smoldering erotic thriller with a singular, mind-bending ending.
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Oprah Daily.
Single Girls
John Searles
An infectious and utterly charming fictionalization of the iconic Helen Gurley Brown’s early years at the helm of Cosmopolitan, and the intrepid group of women she took under her wing to create one of the most talked about magazines of all time.
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar & Oprah Daily.
We Will See You Bleed
Ron Currie
In 1984 Maine, union leader Babs Dionne must confront her violent past as women fight to save their community during a devastating paper mill strike.
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & Publisher’s Weekly.
Famous Men
Julie Buntin
From the acclaimed author of Marlena comes a vivid, uncompromising novel about a young woman looking for a father and finding herself.
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Oprah Daily.
The Intrigue
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a sizzling noir about desire, danger, and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con.
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
It Will Come Back to You: Collected Stories
Sigrid Nunez
The New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend, Nunez brings together thirteen of her best stories from the decades-long sweep of her career, tracing the origins of her style and her remarkable artistic range. Moving from the momentous to the mundane, Nunez maintains her expert balance between gravity and levity while probing the philosophical questions that illuminate her work.
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar, Los Angeles Times, & Oprah Daily.
Cool Machine
Colston Whitehead
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead, an exuberantly entertaining novel that brings to life 1980s New York in the magnificent final volume of his Harlem Trilogy.
Publication Date: July 21, 2026
Recommended by Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Oprah Daily, People, & Publisher’s Weekly.
Yellow Pine
Claire Vaye Watkins
In the latest novel from “our most significant rising writer of the American West” (Vulture), a woman searches for a way to reclaim the miracle of life in a world seemingly hellbent on doom.
Publication Date: July 21, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & NPR.
Beginning Middle End
Valeria Liselli
From the beloved, award-winning author of the modern classics Lost Children Archive and Tell Me How It Endscomes her most powerful and page-turning novel yet: the tale of a mother and a daughter starting over, searching for a new story.
Publication Date: July 28, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
The Amateur
Chris Bohjalian
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Flight Attendant: When a young woman, a golf prodigy, kills a caddy with a stray ball at the country club, the investigation of this freak accident reveals a dark and shocking tale of secret affairs, predatory men, and a teenager on trial.
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, & Oprah Daily.
Etna
Paul Yoon
Beloved author and winner of The Story Prize, Paul Yoon, is back with the unforgettable story of a working dog, Etna, who, after a devastating war, embarks on an odyssey in the hopes of returning home.
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Publisher’s Weekly.
Take What You Can
Naima Coster
From the New York Times bestselling author of What’s Mine and Yours, a rich, panoramic exploration of friendship, class, new motherhood, and independence.
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar & The New York Times.
Under the Falls
Richard Russo
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls returns with a spellbinding page-turner about a crime in a small town that exposes long-held secrets and betrayals among a group of lifelong friends.
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
Recommended by The New York Times & Publisher’s Weekly.
Big Little Truths
Liane Moriarty
In this highly anticipated sequel, ten years after a homicide investigation upended their lives in Big Little Lies, the ladies of sunny Australia grapple with middle age – and another unexpected sinister scenario. Liane Moriarty examines the complexities of modern women’s lives, shining light on family dynamics and long-hidden truths with wit and compassion.
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Recommended by Harper’s Bazaar & The New York Times.
Nonfiction
American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed
Isaac Fitzgerald
New York Times bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald sets off into the heart of America, following the path of the legendary Johnny Appleseed on an epic journey that both takes him far from home and brings him closer to it.
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & Publisher’s Weekly.
Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000
Barry Walters
The definitive history of LGBTQ music, from Stonewall to RuPaul, and its impact on culture and American life.
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & Publisher’s Weekly.
Keeper of My Kin: Memoir of An Immigrant Daughter
Ada Ferrer
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Cuba: An American History comes a heartbreaking yet redemptive memoir about migration, separation, and the love of one family forcing its way through the fissures of history.
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & Oprah Daily.
The Land and Its People: Essays
David Sedaris
In this new collection, David Sedaris reflects on what it means to be a foreigner, a brother, a lifelong friend, in essays that are “among the best of his career” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
Publication Date: May 26, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & Oprah Daily.
The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, & Deliverance in the Age of Sail
Eric Jay Dolin
An astonishing true story―one of the most gripping maritime sagas of the nineteenth century―told by our era’s expert literary steersman. At once a powerful story of survival and a revealing window into the great Age of Sail a time when maritime ambition collided with local sovereignty, and when the outcome of one voyage rippled across oceans and empires.
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & The New York Times.
Unsayable: A Life in Writing
Michael Cunningham
An intimate memoir portraying a life spent trying to describe the indescribable, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours and Day.
Publication Date: July 21, 2026
Recommended by Oprah Daily & The New York Times.
Trash!: A Garbageman’s Story
Simon Pare-Poupart
A Montreal garbageman’s sharp and funny memoir/exposé, in which he attempts to convince people to “stop imagining that your garbage magically disappears” . . .
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & The New York Times.
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast
Pamela Colloff
The riveting, true story of an audacious con man who helped send another man to death row for a murder he did not commit.
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, & NPR.
Sisters of the Midnight Sun: A Murder in Arctic Alaska
Rebecca Wright Stevens
The stunning true story of a double homicide in the vibrant native Alaskan Iñupiat community at the arctic edge of the United States—written by the public defender at its center.
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Recommended by Kirkus Reviews & The New York Times.
Tin Can Coast: A History of Industry, Greed, and Fishing in the Golden State
Joseph Ogilvy
The hidden story of the California Coast, told through generations of immigrants, surges of industry, and three marine species caught in the dragnet of human history.
Publication Date: July 21, 2026
Recommended by Los Angeles Times & Oprah Daily.
