The days are longer. The weather is better. While it’s easy to ramp up time doing things, it’s also a good time to slow down a bit and visit with a good book. If you are looking for some suggestions, here are several to help nourish your soul during these summer months.
Fiction
Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo
This English professor from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh offers us his second novel. Taking place in Wisconsin and anchored into the past with the poetry of Emily Dickinson (don’t let that change your mind!), this is the story of Gabriel Fisher. Born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long, no one in the Amish community of Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. The pages turn fast. The story will resonate. And you will be glad you spent time with Gabriel and his extended family.
The Lion Women of Iran by Marjan Kamali
This work of historical fiction follows the unlikely and precarious friendship of two young girls from very different backgrounds. Kamali takes us to 1950 Iran and leads us through the Iranian Revolution in the 1980s. On the New York Times bestsellers list, it is a deft story that emphasizes the universality of the human condition.
Wreck by Catherine Newman
Newman’s novel is the sequel to Sandwich which was published in 2024. Critics praise it as “equal parts hilarious, sharp, and achingly sincere” with a profound look at ordinary, everyday love. The protagonist, Rocky, has returned to Cape Cod with her family for the summer and Newman takes a gentle look at family, marriage, and what happens when life has a different plan.
Nonfiction
Big Fan by Michael Schur and Joe Posnanski
New York Times bestselling authors Mike Schur and Joe Posnanski travel the world in a hilarious and heartwarming celebration of fans and the things they love: Baseball, basketball, chess, darts, football, futbol, Indigenous North American stickball, pickleball, WWE, Taylor Swift, Star Wars, and more. All while traveling 82,490 miles. There’s something for everyone on these pages.
On Witness and Despair by Jesmyn Ward
Ward, a professor at Tulane University and the author of Salvage the Bones, is a powerful thoughtful writer, and this collection of her writing reflects on a decade of essays, literary giants, personal grief, and family life in America.
Strangers by Belle Burden
The underlying theme of this memoir is this: Do you really know the person lying next to you. Burden thought she did–until she didn’t. During Covid when she was sheltering with her family on Martha’s Vineyard, she sees her 21-year marriage collapse when she discovers her husband has been having an affair.
Young Adult Fiction
All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis
Davis’ novel follows a neurodivergent young man as he navigates a world where he loves football but struggles to find others who accept him–until his older brother steps in. Teens who embrace social justice will appreciate this novel as will those who enjoy novels that reflect real life issues.
Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel
Oppel creates an interesting protagonist in 13-year-old Xavier. “Zay” goes with his dad and pregnant step-mom to their lake cottage for a typical family holiday, until they wake up the next morning in a replica of the cottage on a goat farm with not a soul around them. They do not know exactly how they got there, and before too long there’s suspense and danger.
Children’s Books
Me and Other Bunnies by Mo Willems
Mo Willems just gave the commencement address for Colby College where he read this book aloud. It’s a classic, as are all of his books. Willems has won the prestigious Caldecott Honor three times for his illustrations.
Loops by Jashar Awan
This delightfully illustrated book for young readers guides them through the self-determination it takes to tie shoes. Awan is a Caldecott winner, and this gentle book was labeled one of the most anticipated books of 2026.
Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn
Flynn brings us a gripping fantasy series starter where a twelve-year-old girl bonds with the last wild griffin to change her world. Filled with awe-inspiring black-and-white illustrations, Griffin Speaker is both a delightful friendship-adventure story and a hopeful tale of resistance in an unequal world.
