The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Recommended by: Stephanie Pollak
This is a beautifully written novel about an unlikely relationship between a 19 year old misfit and an elderly widow. But it's about so much more - loneliness, family, love & loss, and issues in our contemporary society. You'll laugh, you'll cry. I couldn't put it down!
Genre: Literary Fiction
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters (Vol. 1-2) by Emil Ferris
Recommended by: Matt Cannici
Symphonic in its ambition and execution, this two-volume graphic novel is so many things: a kid-detective story, a family drama, an ode to kitch and B-movie horror, a meticulous chronicle of human facial expression, a song of high and low art, a murder mystery, a survivor story, a promise to all outsiders that they are seen and so much more. In an absorbing cross-hatch pen-and-ink style, Ferris' kaleidoscopic story sanctifies the lines that can simultaneously ravage us into loneliness and connect us at the deepest possible level--all of that depth and she is still able to maintain a compulsively readable story over 820 pages. You will fight the urge to wallpaper your room with the pages of this masterpiece.
Genre: Graphic Novel/Detective/Coming-of-Age
This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Recommended by: MaryLynn Savio
The story is about a family with five sons who soon realizes their youngest self-identifies as a girl from a very early age. Though this is fiction, there is a lot that can be learned through witnessing the journey of this transgender child and her entire family. There are some tough decisions to be made about how best to navigate the challenges involved in supporting a child who transitions. The relationships between family members ring true to me; they struggle and make mistakes along the way but genuinely care for each other. The writing is engaging, heartfelt, and often humorous despite the serious subject matter. Reading this book gives you a good sense of the complex issues surrounding gender identity and highlights the importance of empathy, acceptance, and family support.
Genre: Realistic Fiction/LGBTQ+/Family
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
Recommended by: Ms. Hamer
I listened to this book as it was a recommendation from a friend. Whitaker’s hard-hitting storytelling stays with you long after you finish the book. It's an emotionally heartbreaking story about broken people, history repeating itself, love and loss, sacrifice, family, and compassion. Filled with secrets, murder, revenge, and retribution, the novel explores the search for redemption and the struggle to find forgiveness. It also highlights the painful reality that you cannot save someone who does not want to be saved. Most of all, it shows just how far people are willing to go to protect the ones they love, even when it means sacrificing their own values and integrity.
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Anything by Claire Keegan
Recommended by: Smita Ganatra
The Irish author has become a favorite. Her sparse and observational writing explores the human condition in such a meaningful way. To pick up Keegan is to know that you'll have the gift of a narrative with emotional weight.
Genre: Fiction
Theo Of Golden by Allen Levi
Recommended by: Kim Burk
When the mysterious Theo arrives in the quiet town of Golden, Georgia, he carries a heavy past and a simple, curious mission. After discovering dozens of pencil portraits of local residents hanging in a coffee shop, he begins purchasing them one by one to return them to their rightful owners. This quiet act of "creative generosity" forces the townspeople to truly see themselves and one another, weaving a tapestry of redemption and deeply human feelings that proves a single person's kindness can transform an entire community. This book has "stayed" with me for many months after reading it; it has all the "feels." ENJOY!
Genre: Southern Literary Fiction
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
Recommended by: Carolyn Weisz
Set in 1950s and 1960s Quebec, the novel is deeply rooted in the real, tragic history of the "Duplessis Orphans," where thousands of children were falsely declared mentally ill to receive higher provincial funding.
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict (writing as Heather Terrell) and Victoria Christopher Murray
Recommended by: Sra. Dessipris
"A novel about Belle da Costa Greene, J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, who was a Black woman passing as white to succeed in the early 20th-century art world. The book details her rise as a powerful figure in curating the Morgan Library's collection while she navigates the constant fear of her true identity being exposed, a secret tied to her father, Harvard's first Black graduate, Richard Greener."
After you read the book, be sure to visit The JP Morgan Library and Museum https://www.themorgan.org/
to experience the plot on location and through artifacts.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Educated by Tara Westover
Recommended by: Jessica Harkness
I would recommend Educated by Tara Westover because it helped me better understand people who grow up without access to formal education. It made me more sympathetic toward why people think the way they do and how much a person’s environment can shape their beliefs.
Genre: Memoir
Joan by Katherine J. Chen
Recommended by: Christopher Troyano
A teenage girl leading France in battle vs England! This 15th Century history had my interest.
Genre: Historical Fiction
The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
Recommended by: Pam Baker
This book takes you back to 1939 Warsaw and demonstrates the bonds of childhood friendship, the power of books and the resilience of people. It is a story that has stayed with me since I read it.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Recommended by: Jillian Paterno
With a mix of romance and suspense, Hall does a great job of creating characters who are flawed and relatable. It is emotional, raw, and thrilling; a perfect mix of everything.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Recommended by: Felicia Nardiello
I listened to this book as the world was enamored with the Artemis II mission. I found it to be an interesting telling of a woman entering NASA as one of the first female astronauts in the 1980s. This novel chronicles her dream to become an astronaut and the love she finds along the way.
Genre: Historical Fiction Romance
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Recommended by: Jen Cordasco
Heart the Lover is a coming-of-age novel that explores friendship, heartbreak, and a complicated love triangle formed during college years that resurfaces long after graduation.
Genre: Fiction/Romance/Coming of Age
Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawton
Recommended by: Jodie Schnack
WWII book with a female heroine! One of my favorite books ever! Hope you enjoy!
Genre: Historical Fiction
From Trenton to Yorktown by John R. Maass
Recommended by: Christopher Troyano
"This sweeping narrative is an astute exploration of the five critical military events that changed the outcome of the Revolutionary war." For Christopher Troyano, this book feeds his general interest in the Revolutionary War, especially scenes in NJ and Yorktown, Va.
My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney
Recommended by: Kaitlyn Mackay
The story follows an artist named Eden who returns from a jog to find her house key doesn't work, a stranger who looks just like her living in her home, and her husband claiming the stranger is his real wife. One house, one husband, two women and someone is lying. The twists and turns of this book are insane.
Genre: Psychological Thriller
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Recommended by: Laura Clark
The Nickel Boys follows the story of Elwood Curtis, a Black teenager who is unjustly sent to the Nickel Academy, a brutal juvenile reform school in the Jim Crow South. Through Elwood’s experiences, the novel explores themes of activism, trauma, racism, and systemic racial injustice. At times, the book can be emotionally difficult to read, particularly because it is inspired by the real-life Florida School for Boys, a now-closed institution with a long history of abuse and mistreatment of students. The novel powerfully examines how institutional violence and racism shape individual lives and communities across generations.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Recommended by: Jen Koprucki
A story of liberation. Like John Steinbeck's The Red Pony, Brooks' novel is a bildungsroman of a young man and how horses, one of the most majestic of the animal kingdom, help us connect to a deeper part of ourselves. The novel moves swiftly and lends to a greater understanding of how horse racing in the US has evolved or rather devolved, from its former greatness.
Genre: Fiction; Historical Fiction
Isola by Allegra Goodman
Recommended by: Lauren Paladino
A fascinating story of a young Frenchwoman in the 16th century who has to overcome many obstacles to take back her life. This was a nice change from my typical psychological thriller and was very well written.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Circe by Madeline Miller
Recommended by: Allison Gallo
Be ready to be swept away into the mythical world of Greek gods and Titans. Miller lyrically presents Circe's story through her eyes, chronicling her early years, exile to Aiaia, and her interactions with legendary figures such as Odysseus. I read this novel after The Song of Achilles (below), and I can't say enough about Madeline Miller's gorgeous storytelling.
Genre: Historial Fiction/Fantasy
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Recommended by: Allison Gallo
This is a novel for anyone who loves history, stories told from another character's perspective, and the Trojan War. The Song of Achilles is told from the point of view of Patroclus, Achilles' closest confidant, starting from when they first met as boys to their experiences at Troy. This is a breathtaking story of love, friendship, war, self-worth, and family told through the eyes of someone who knew and loved Achilles best.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Recommended by: Jen Cordasco
An unlikely friendship between an aquarium worker, Tova and a highly intelligent octopus named Marcellus, who helps solves the mystery of Tova's sons disappearance. I loved the bond that forms between people and animals, and you will too!
Genre: Magical Realism/Mystery
The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni
Recommended by: Danielle Purciello
The novel features a neurodivergent puzzle master and blends suspense, Japanese history, and solving complex puzzles.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Recommended by: Danielle Purciello
It's a fast-paced, summer read with relatable sibling characters. The book dives deep into the psyche of its characters exploring love, fame, resilience, and trauma.
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Recommended by: Lawrence Rothweiler
Red Rising is Pierce Brown's debut novel, the first in a 7-book series, six of which are already published. It's a space opera that takes place many years in the future, where humans have populated the solar system, but a caste system has developed based on colors with "Golds" at the top and "Reds" at the bottom. The main character, Darrow, is a Red who infiltrates the Golds with a plan to overthrow their society. It's quickly become my favorite series, rivaling A Song of Ice and Fire. Definitely something you can get through quickly this summer!
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
In a League of Her Own by Bonnie-Jill Laflin
Recommended by: Christopher Troyano
Some of the most influential women in sports -- Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Laila Ali, Jeanie Buss, and Mary Lou Retton -- tell their stories of courage, adversity, and triumph to trailblazer Bonnie-Jill Laflin.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Recommended by: Jody Hackmeyer and Jenelle Hamer
Ms. Hackmeyer:
This book tells the story of a woman's life through letters and emails. The character of Sybil Van Antwerp unfolds through her correspondence as the reader is introduced to her life--past and present--through her written interactions with the people she encounters. The book is at times humorous and at times sorrowful and at times it captures both emotions simultaneously. This was a page-turner for me, one that I couldn't put down. Believe the hype!
Ms. Hamer:
The Correspondent is a beautiful story told entirely through letters, exploring themes of loss, grief, family, friendship, love, and community. The main character, Sybil, is a woman who has truly lived and is deeply set in her ways. She’s stubborn, funny, vulnerable, and wonderfully human, and I loved getting to know her throughout the book.
I grew up writing letters to friends and family, so the nostalgia of letter writing really resonated with me. It brought me back to a time when life felt a little simpler.
Genre: Fiction/Epistolary
Pew by Catherine Lacey
Recommended by: Smita Ganatra
Catherine Lacey stated in an interview that books should ask, not answer. The many questions about identity, community, religion, and morality that this book asks in a span of just about 200 pages is really remarkable. She addresses all of these big questions in a fluid manner by having her main character—someone who comes to be known as Pew—spend time with various members of a small town over the course of a week.
Her writing is so taut and gripping, leaving readers with philosophical gems on every page. I savored this perfect and strange little novel.
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction
