More About The 2022 Summer Reading Guide

Thousands of books will be gracing bookshelves this summer, and I haven’t read them all.  So what I have done is select my favorites from the books I have read.  I then organized them into categories.  I’ve also included publication dates so you’ll know what comes out when (although these dates may change).  

Some of these titles have heavy themes, so if you need trigger warnings, please email me at hello[at]bibliolifestyle[dot]com, and I will do my best to advise you accordingly.  I also recommend using The StoryGraph for trigger warnings as well.  

Above all, reading is a personal experience!  So I’ve included summaries to help you decide if that book sounds right for you based on your taste, interests, and current reading mood. 

Please share the guide’s homepage on your favorite social media channels or directly with your favorite bookish friends if you like what I’ve put together in The Summer Reading Guide.  Also, don’t forget to tag @bibliolifestyle and use the hashtag #bibliolifestyleSRG in your posts so we can see what you’re reading as well.

I hope you’ll find plenty of books you love in this guide, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your favorites!

Books from The 2022 Summer Reading Guide

LITERARY FICTION BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

The Colony by Audrey Magee

Set during the summer of 1979, an English painter and a French linguist visit a small Irish island during the Troubles, and the cultural and political effects unfold.

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

A student of Russian literature reflects on the connections between art and identity during her sophomore year at Harvard and her year abroad in Turkey.

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

Two Black siblings from a fractured family are scraping by, and we see the desperation to survive and thrive amidst loss and a sex-trafficking scandal.

The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran

A gay man reflects on his life and growing old in a small town, his friendship with Earl, whose health is failing, and the realities of being alone.

The Girls in Queens by Christine Kandic Torres

The friendship of two lifelong Latinx women from Queens, New York, is tested amidst the backdrop of baseball and sexual abuse allegations.

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

At an elite art school, the lives of four artists are upended, and as they try to make fresh starts, their paths converge again, and their desire, art, and ambition collide.

HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

The Falcon’s Eyes by Francesca Stanfill

Set at the end of the 12th-century, an aristocratic woman finds refuge in an abbey and becomes a companion to the greatest queen of the Middle Ages.

Briefly, A Delicious by Nell Stevens

Reimagines French writer George Sand and Polish composer Frédéric Chopin’s winter in Mallorca in 1838 and a 15th-century ghost that haunts their house.

Mademoiselle Revolution by Zoe Sivak

A retelling of the actual events of the 18-century Haitian and French Revolutions through the eyes of a mixed-race young woman as she attempts to find herself.

BOOKS ABOUT FAMILY & FRIENDSHIP FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

It is a coming-of-age story about how a young girl’s life is upended along with those of her friends and family when their building is set to be torn down.

Kaleidoscope by Cecily Wong

It follows a Chinese American family who built a shopping empire while exploring the bond between sisters, the meaning of love, ambition, and the American dream.

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark

The friendship of two women is tested when they need to decide about the piece of coastal property they own, and long-buried memories and secrets come to light.

NONFICTION BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

We Carry Their Bones by Erin Kimmerle

An investigation into the notorious Dozier Boys School and the contentious process of reuniting the boys with their families through forensic and DNA testing.

The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser

A wise, funny, and thought-provoking memoir in essays about love in the 21st- century and living life outside traditional boundaries.

Pretty Baby by Chris Belcher

In this bold and compelling memoir, a writing and gender studies professor reflects on her life path, starting in small-town Appalachia, and leading her to sex work.

SCIENCE FICTION FANTASY BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

A retelling of Grimm’s Fairy Tales “The Juniper Tree” where three gifted daughters are locked away by their wizard father and a young witch who seeks to escape. 

Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott

Set in 500 AD and steeped in myth and folklore, two sisters who face enslavement discover a community of rebel women that makes everything worth fighting for. 

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

A retelling of Grimm’s Fairy Tales “Rapunzel” from the perspective of the witch who placed the blond-haired beauty in the tower and is now setting the record straight. 

MYSTERY & THRILLER BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

Aurora by David Koepp

Set a few years in the future when the world experiences a devastating global blackout. We follow a billionaire and a suburban family as they struggle to survive.

The Recruit by Alan Drew

A police procedural that investigates a series of strange crimes that threaten to unravel a quiet Southern California town.

Confidence by Denise Mina

Partners in a popular true-crime podcast set out to solve the murder of a young woman, her connection to a religious artifact, while racing to save their own lives.

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Ten years after discovering her college roommate’s dead body, a young woman revisits the murder with three of their friends.

The Swell by Allie Reynolds

A passionate surfer finds herself caught up in a tight-knit group at a remote Australian beach, but things start to change when people begin to go missing.

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

When a journalist investigating disappearances in a small town goes missing, the tension starts to rise when the town’s secrets are threatened to be revealed.

YA BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

Kings of B’more by R. Eric Thomas

Sixteen-year-old queer best friends spend their last day together having memorable experiences across Baltimore while keeping their protective parents off their trail.

Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest

Alternating between the past and the present, we see the love story of polar opposite high school seniors who run away while on a school trip.

The Sea Knows My Name by Laura Brooke Robson

A seafaring fantasy that centers on a mother-daughter duo navigating their relationship and the daughter’s plan to escape and blazes her own path.

ROMANCE BOOKS FROM THE 2022 SUMMER READING GUIDE

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña

Determined to outwit their grandfathers, a Puerto Rican chef, and an Irish American whiskey distiller, fake an engagement, but then feelings bubble up between them.

How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

To boost their careers, a Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-list actor enter into a fake relationship but soon they realize that their feelings might be more than an act.

Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola

A campus radio show host who gives relationship advice finds herself in a fake relationship with precisely the type of man she warns girls on campus about.

What books are you planning to read this summer?

Are you looking forward to reading any books from the 2022 summer reading guide?  What are some of your most anticipated summer books?

LOOKING FOR MORE SUMMER READING GUIDES?

• The 2023 Summer Reading Guide
• The 2021 Summer Reading Guide
• The 2020 BiblioLifestyle Summer Reading Guide