My Real-Life Summer TBR: The Books I’m Reading After Creating the Summer Reading Guide
My real-life summer TBR is finally here. These are the books I missed while creating the Summer Reading Guide 2026 plus a few fall releases I can’t wait to read.
The Summer Reading Guide Is Finished, But My Summer TBR Is Just Beginning
Hi Besties, One of the funniest misconceptions people have about what I do is assuming that once I finish a seasonal reading guide, my reading is somehow done. If only. The truth is that creating something like the 2026 Summer Reading Guide means spending months reading far ahead of publication dates. While everyone else is reading spring books, I’m often reading summer books. While everyone else is reading summer books, I’m already reading fall and winter. It’s a weird little time-travel version of reading. And because I spend so much time trying to solve the “what should I read next?” problem for other readers, there’s always a stack of books I don’t get to. Because let’s be real, I can’t read everything. Trust me, I’ve tried. So while The 2026 Summer Reading Guide 2026 includes 125+ books across ten categories and the Curated Edition highlights my top 48 reads of the season, these are the books sitting on my personal summer TBR right now. Some are summer releases I simply didn’t get to while building the guide. Some are early fall releases I’m already excited about for the 2026 Fall Reading Guide. And all of them are books I’m excited to read.
The Literary Fiction I’m Most Curious About
A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee
Some authors immediately get my attention no matter what they’re writing about. Chang-rae Lee is one of those authors. Coming-of-age stories can either feel completely forgettable or absolutely devastating, and this sounds firmly in the second category. The idea of looking back on a single summer that altered the course of your life forever is one of my favorite literary fiction setups.
You can get a copy of A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee on Amazon.
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee
If you loved Pachinko, then you already understand why this book immediately landed on my TBR. I don’t even need to know much more than “Min Jin Lee wrote another sweeping family saga.” I’m there. What excites me most is the scale. I love ambitious family stories that span generations and explore how immigration, education, ambition, sacrifice, and identity ripple through families over time. This feels like one of those books I’ll want to completely disappear into.
You can get a copy of American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee on Amazon.
The New People by Andrea Uptmor
I saw “former homeowners secretly living in the attic” and immediately stopped reading the synopsis. Sold. I don’t need anything else. This sounds deeply unsettling in exactly the way I enjoy. The combination of economic anxiety, grief, resentment, marriage strain, and psychological suspense feels like it could become one of those books that’s impossible to stop thinking about afterward.
You can get a copy of The New People by Andrea Uptmor on Amazon.
Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty
I have a soft spot for novels that blend historical fiction with deeply personal stories. Something about a coming-of-age love story set in postwar Florida sounds incredibly atmospheric. But what really caught my attention is the promise that this isn’t just a romance. It sounds like a story about choices, consequences, reinvention, and learning to trust yourself. Those are the kinds of character-driven stories I always gravitate toward.
You can get a copy of Sunlight Finds You by Laura Moriarty on Amazon.
The Thrillers I’m Excited About
The Au Pair by Teddy Wayne
This book sounds like absolute disaster behavior. Respectfully. And I mean that as a compliment. I love literary thrillers that aren’t really about the crime itself but about obsession, ego, self-deception, and watching people make increasingly terrible decisions. A fading novelist becoming entangled with a young au pair while his life unravels sounds like the kind of train wreck I won’t be able to look away from.
You can get a copy of The Au Pair by Teddy Wayne on Amazon.
Furious Violet by Sarai Walker
This premise is so bizarre that I immediately added it to my list. A woman nearing fifty. A serial killer book project. A stalker claiming she’s their mother despite never having had children. I genuinely have no idea where this story is going, which is becoming increasingly rare. And honestly? That’s half the appeal.
You can get a copy of Furious Violet by Sarai Walker on Amazon.
The Wellness Retreat by Dawn Kurtagich
This might be the book I’m most excited to read this summer. The wellness industry already feels slightly terrifying to me. Add a remote island. Add mysterious healing treatments. Add horror elements. Add a woman desperate to find her missing sister. And suddenly you’ve created a book that feels almost custom-built for my reading tastes.
You can get a copy of The Wellness Retreat by Dawn Kurtagich on Amazon.
The Fantasy Book Calling My Name
Drown the Bones by Alexandra Kennington
I’ve been craving fantasy that leans a little darker and more atmospheric lately.
What immediately grabbed me here was the setup. Two royal heirs, two murders, a forbidden magical ritual, a prince accidentally resurrected, and a reluctant alliance. Honestly, this sounds like everything I enjoy in fantasy. I also love stories that force enemies to work together because they usually create some of the best character development and emotional tension.
You can get a copy of Drown the Bones by Alexandra Kennington on Amazon.
The Cozy Mystery I’m Saving for the Right Weekend
Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols
Every summer needs at least one cozy mystery. It’s a rule, and I don’t make the rules, I simply follow them. I read the first book in this series and I loved the premise of this one the second where a landlady gathering together an entire murder-solving collective based mostly on vibes and stubborn determination. The title alone makes me want to pour a cup of tea and spend an entire rainy afternoon reading.
You can get a copy of Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols on Amazon.
The Romance Novels I Already Know I’ll Enjoy
Mutual Discord by Liana De la Rosa
There are a few things that immediately caught my attention about this one. First I love Liana De la Rosa and her previous series The Luna Sisters. Second, I love stories that explore female friendship, especially when those friendships become messy and complicated. But honestly? The thing that intrigues me most is the emotional messiness. I don’t necessarily want my characters making good decisions. I want them making believable ones.
You can get a copy of Mutual Discord by Liana De la Rosa on Amazon.
Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia
Grumpy rock star. Sunshine television creator. Small town. Secret child. Creative collaboration. This book practically walked onto my TBR and unpacked its suitcase. I love romances where two people are building something together, and the idea of reviving a children’s television show sounds incredibly charming. Also, cozy mountain towns remain one of my greatest fictional weaknesses.
You can get a copy of Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia on Amazon.
If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle
This premise is so ridiculous that I immediately needed it. A romance reader accidentally finds herself trapped inside a crime thriller? Honestly, that sounds like something that would happen to me. I love books that play with genre conventions, and the combination of romantic comedy energy mixed with thriller chaos sounds like an absolute blast.
You can get a copy of If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle on Amazon.
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The Wild Card
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Every single time Emily St. John Mandel releases a new book, I move it immediately onto my TBR. No questions asked. No synopsis required. The reason I’m excited about this one is simple: she consistently writes books that feel unlike anything else. The promise of doubles, fractured timelines, alternate realities, collapsed nations, and moon colonies sounds ambitious in exactly the way I want from her. I have absolutely no idea what this book is doing. But I trust her completely.
You can get a copy of Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel on Amazon.
What I’m Learning About My Reading Taste This Summer
Looking at this stack, I noticed something interesting. This list is giving a summer reading mood that is currently somewhere between “make me think” and “make me question everything.” Which honestly feels about right.
If You’re Looking for Recommendations Right Now
If you’re trying to decide what to read this summer, don’t start with my TBR. Start with The 2026 Summer Reading Guide.
Those are the books I’ve already done the work on. The books I’ve read, evaluated, compared, and curated across ten categories. This list is different. These are the books I’m excited to discover alongside everyone else, and some I’m reading ahead. And honestly, that’s one of my favorite parts of being a reader. No matter how many books I read, there’s always another stack waiting.
Final Thoughts
One thing creating the Summer Reading Guide reminds me every year is that reading is never about finishing. There is no finish line. There will always be another book, another author, another story, and another recommendation. And honestly, I love that. Because even after reading hundreds of books for the guide, I still get to experience the excitement of looking at a stack of unread books and wondering which one will become my next favorite. So tell me, Besties: what’s sitting on your real-life summer TBR right now? Are you reading summer releases, catching up on backlist books, or already sneaking into fall releases like I am?
