This column first appeared in CityView Magazine’s “The Summer Issue” June 2026 edition.
What’s not to like about summer? You have a chance for a vacation, time to spend with family and friends, or just time to relax and read a book. You can catch up on all those books you wanted to read all year long. Chisel down your to-be-read stack of books by your bedside or even tackle that really long book that you were putting off until you had more time. Best of all, you have a chance to read for pleasure. Many of us have things we have to read for work or other activities or even helping the kids with homework. Summer can be that time for you to just have some fun reading. Here are some books that just might help you recharge your battery and bring a smile to your face.
1. American Fantasy by Emma Straub
What could be more of a fantasy than to vacation on a cruise ship and find yourself in an on-board relationship with one of the members of a famous ’90s-era boy band? The women on the ship are living their dream, but Annie feels out of place at first and is only there to appease her sister. Yet when the music begins, something happens, and Annie finds herself opening up to feelings she thought she had lost. As she begins to ponder her awakening feelings, she meets one of the band members who seems to need a friend. Can Annie allow herself to be that friend and in the process find herself? Filled with humor and nostalgia, this is just the book for summer reading.
2. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
“My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.” Natalie is considered the perfect “tradwife” influencer who creates an online life for herself and her family on social media. Then one day she wakes up to find herself in 1855 and questions whether this is a hoax, a reality show, or something else. The harsh realities of this 19th-century life make her question her own “trad life.” Not only humorous and satirical, but this book also explores themes of tradition, fame, faith, and womanhood through the eyes of the antiheroine, who must grapple with her role in creating the drama she is now living.
3. Hope Rises by David Baldacci
Summer reading must always include a mystery book, and David Baldacci is one of the best at writing those that keep us up all night reading. This sequel to Nash Falls finds Walter Nash seeking revenge by taking down Victoria Steers, head of the global criminal operation he exposed while working as an informant for the FBI. Will he be able to use the lethal skills he gained during his training to bring down Steers? Will her skills at protecting herself and her trusted inner circle put Nash in greater danger? He must work his way in by crossing those enemy lines to destroy this criminal empire. In the process, he discovers truths that turn his world upside down!
4. The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman
Many of my favorite elements are in this book: a library with lots of books, set in North Carolina, and a magical story we can all fall in love with. The librarian at the Blue Sky Valley library, Stella Parker, feels stuck in her job with no idea about what she really wants to do. After the loss of her father, her grief causes her to burn the journal where she had written many of her thoughts and concerns. Prior to this, she had a special gift—she could see words physically emanating from people and objects. After burning her journal, fictional characters in the library’s books start stepping off the page into real life, though they can only stay for a limited time. One is Jack Mathis, a soldier from World War II and a character in her favorite book. This fictional hero is Stella’s first crush, and then chaos ensues. After a villain from another book joins them, the words she sees seem to be trying to tell her something. Will Stella be able to protect the library’s secret and figure out what she is going to do next?
5. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Beloved author of Olive Kitteridge and My Name Is Lucy Barton, Elizabeth Strout has written a new book that will ask us to consider the effects of loneliness, friendship, parenthood, and the necessity of truth in our challenged world. During the day, Artie Dam teaches history to high school students, tending to their intellectual needs, managing some behavioral issues, and always lending a kind word to anyone who needs it. At home, he shares time with his wife, interacts with neighbors, and spends time on his sailboat during the weekend. Outwardly, he seems alive and connected with others, but inside, he feels isolated. He looks out at the world around him and sees the insanity of it all as he ponders a question over and over in his mind: Do we really know each other—not just our friends, but our family too? “How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?” is the book’s ultimate question.
6. Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
How would you feel if your spouse goes out of town for his job, but may never come back? And, you are not sure you even want him back. Cherry is grappling with this when her husband Tom goes to Hollywood to make a movie—a semi-autobiographical show that includes a character called “Baby” who is based on Cherry. It could be fun to have a movie character about you—except Cherry doesn’t want to be caricatured. So, while Tom gets rich in Los Angeles, Cherry decides to see her favorite band in concert on her own. While there, someone from her past recognizes her across the room, not as “Baby” but as Cherry. Russ Sutton remembers her as a young art student, has never heard of Tom’s show, and has always liked Cherry for who she is. Could this be the perfect combination that makes Tom Cherry’s ex-husband?
