16 of the Best New Books of
Summer 2017

by Jennifer Ridgway

As I look toward summer, I’m already daydreaming about our family vacation, thinking about what I can do with my kids when they aren’t in camp, and contemplating which books to read in between. With summer reading in mind, I combed through the lists of books coming out this season and pulled together the titles I’m particularly excited for readers to pick up in the upcoming months. Now all I need is a hammock, some sunglasses, and a glass of mint lemonade…

  • June

  • The Ministry of Utmost Happiness

    by Arundhati Roy

    Available from:

    It has been 20 years since The God of Small Things, Roy’s Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel, was published. In her first novel since then, Roy takes the reader on a journey across India and through time, lacing themes of love, longing, connection, and identity into a sweeping novel that will haunt you long after you finish turning the pages.
    (On Sale: 6/6/17)

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  • The Marsh King's Daughter

    by Karen Dionne

    Available from:

    Helena lives on the edge of a marshland with her husband and two daughters who don’t know that she is the product of abduction. Helena’s mother was kidnapped by “The Marsh King,” and Helena was born two years later and had no contact with the outside world until she was twelve. When Helena discovers that her biological father has escaped from prison, she fears for her family and herself, but she also knows she is the only one capable of tracking him down. Weaving Hans Christian Andersen’s tale into a modern-day thriller, Dionne has written a gripping page-turner.
    (On Sale: 6/13/17)

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  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

    by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    After years of near silence, Evelyn Hugo has decided to finally share the story of her three decades of Hollywood fame. As Monique, a young journalist, sits with Evelyn and listens to her tale, she hears it all: the good, the bad, and the tales of the “seven husbands.” With great characters, stark honesty, gossip, heartache, and an unexpected twist, this novel has all the makings of a fantastic beach read.
    (On Sale: 6/13/17)

  • The Waking Land

    by Callie Bates

    Available from:

    Bates’s debut is the first book in a planned trilogy about a young woman who can call on the magical powers of nature. When Elanna was a child her father attempted a rebellion, and she was taken by the King as her father’s punishment. The King raised Elanna as his own daughter, and she was despised by the King’s biological daughter. Now that the King has mysteriously died, Elanna finds herself exiled and must decide where her loyalties lie. Bates has built an extraordinary world with terrific characters in this unique new fantasy.
    (On Sale: 6/27/17)

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  • July

  • Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship

    by Michelle Kuo

    Available from:

    In 2004, Michelle Kuo moved to the Mississippi Delta to teach at a school in one of the poorest counties in the U.S. There she met a young man named Patrick. Patrick was thoughtful, motivated, and loved learning — he was only hampered by opportunity. Kuo worked with him until she moved away to attend law school. After learning that Patrick was in jail for murder, she moved back to work with him again. This is a story about the power of books; the issues of race, justice, and poverty; and the endurance of hope and connection. Kuo’s book is an honest and touching memoir.
    (On Sale: 7/11/17)

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  • Refuge

    by Dina Nayeri

    Available from:

    Award-winning author Dina Nayeri’s new novel is about a woman who escaped Iran as a girl, while her father stayed behind. Over the course of two decades, they only see each other four times, yet as their lives continue to separate, they come to need each other more. Nayeri, who was an Iranian refugee herself, has written a novel that explores the current worldwide refugee crisis through the lens of a father-daughter relationship.
    (On Sale: 7/11/17)

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  • Tornado Weather

    by Deborah E. Kennedy

    In her new novel, Kennedy uses the disappearance of 5-year-old Daisy as a catalyst to examine the people of a small town in Indiana, and its chapters are told by different characters who believe they know what happened to the girl. Yet this book isn’t a mystery at its heart — rather, it’s a character study of everyday people trying to live their lives, possibly wishing for more. With compassion, Kennedy brings to life the poverties, prejudices, hopes, and disappointments of a rural setting.
    (On Sale: 7/11/17)

  • Where the Light Falls

    by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki

    Available from:

    Set in Paris during the French Revolution, this new historical novel from bestselling author Allison Pataki and her brother, a former Army lieutenant, brings the streets of Paris and its citizens alive. Three years after the storming of the Bastille, as France grapples to find its way to the ideals of Life, Liberty, and Fraternity, three characters’ lives become intertwined. With love stories across social classes, the struggles of a polarized society, the fragile nature of liberty, and cameo appearances from real Revolutionary heroes (both French and American), Where the Light Falls is sure to appeal to Francophiles and historical fiction fans.
    (On Sale: 7/11/17)

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What new books are you looking forward to reading this summer?