Summer 2023 Publishing Preview
15 new books to put on your radar for a summer of reading
Summer is a prime season for new releases. While the fall is known for the publication of literary heavyweights, summer is filled with books for people to bring on vacation or to read in their newly discovered downtime. The result is a range of highly readable, entertaining, and propulsive novels released in batches every Tuesday of the summer.
Below, I am sharing 15 of my most anticipated summer releases, ordered by publication date. These are a handful of the books that I’m hoping to read in the months ahead, and they represent a range of beach-read genres, from thrillers to romances to family sagas. I have not yet read any of these books, but they each caught my attention because of a positive review or a mention in a trusted summer reading guide.
Speaking of summer reading guides, I’m working on a 2023 guide of books that I have read and think are perfect for warm weather. In the meantime, I stand by the guides I made in 2021 and 2022. They are full of recommendations for every type of reader, with books that I love.
Books for the Beach (in which I explain my beach read philosophy and give you buzzy recommendations)
May Releases
Once More With Feeling - Elissa Sussman - Fiction/Romance - Release Date: May 30
From the author of Funny You Should Ask, one of my favorite romance novels, comes Once More With Feeling, the story of a former celebrity musician couple that reunites when they agree to co-star in a new Broadway musical in an attempt to rehabilitate their reputations. Alternating between the past and the present, the story has the makings of any good rekindling romance.
The Second Ending - Michelle Hoffman - Commercial Fiction - Release Date: May 30
A former child piano prodigy who shunned the spotlight as a teenager, Prudence decides at age 48 to return to the spotlight by participating in a popular “dueling pianos TV show.” Her participation on the show, however, draws the attention of her ex-husband, who is blackmailing her over a long-held secret for a chance at her prize winnings. Her competitor has pressures of his own, and the two are locked in a reality TV piano standoff in an attempt to shape their own futures.
June Releases
Everything’s Fine - Cecilia Rabess - Contemporary Fiction - Release Date: June 6
Everything’s Fine is about a relationship between a liberal Black woman named Jess and a conservative white man, who first meet in college but then become friends when they reconnect while working at Goldman Sachs. Their romance intersects with the 2016 election season, and Jess is forced to consider how far compatibility can stretch. It is important to note that while a romance centers the plot, the novel is not part of the romance genre. This book has already been tagged as a controversial and buzzy book of the summer. If you want to read a book sure to get lots of attention, pick this one up.
All Sinners Bleed - S.A. Crosby - Mystery/Crime Thriller - Release Date: June 6
Another highly anticipated book from the author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, All Sinners Bleed is the story of the first Black sheriff of a small town in Virginia tasked with investigating a school shooting that uncovers a serial killer. The shooter, a Black former student, kills a beloved white teacher, and then is subsequently killed by the police, stoking tensions in this faith-driven, conservative town as the sheriff learns that there is more to the shooting than meets the eye. I read Blacktop Wasteland in the fall of 2021, and while I was surprised and put off by the detailed brutality in some scenes, I’m excited to pick this book up because of its interesting, layered premise.
The Memory of Animals - Claire Fuller - Dystopian Fiction - Release Date: June 6
In a parallel universe to our own, a pandemic rages. Hoping to pay back her debts and escape from a recent scandal, Neffy, a twenty-seven-year-old marine biologist, signs up for an experimental vaccine trial in London considered to be one of the last hopes to discover a cure and potentially save the human race from extinction. The vaccine trial takes place in a secured facility, and as it progresses, it becomes clear that things are not as they seem. This book has gotten great advance reviews and might be just far enough removed from our reality to make a pandemic-novel compelling to me.
Nightbloom - Peace Adzo Medie - Literary Fiction - Release Date: June 13
Nightbloom follows Selasi and Akorfa, two inseparable cousins from Ghana. As they grow older, however, they begin to grow apart after Akorfa is accepted into an American university and Selasi’s grades suffer. When Akorfa leaves for the U.S. she struggles with her new world, returning to her relationship with her cousin for solace and comfort. I’m excited for this book because I loved His Only Wife, Medie’s debut, and can’t wait for this sophomore novel.
Same Time Next Summer - Annabel Monaghan - Romance - Release Date: June 6
On the surface, Sam appears to have her life together. A perfect fiancé, job, and wedding are in order. However, when she goes home to her family beach house to tour a wedding venue she runs into Wyatt, her high school sweetheart who broke her heart. Suddenly, cracks start to appear in what she thought was her perfect life, and Sam will have to decide which path she wants to follow. If you liked Nora Goes Off Script, Monaghan’s debut, you are sure to like this quintessential summer read.
The Rachel Incident - Caroline O’Donoghue - Literary Fiction - Release Date: June 27
Rachel meets James while working at a bookstore in Cork, Ireland, and the two quickly develop a close friendship. When Rachel reveals to James that she is in love with her married professor, James devises a scheme for Rachel to seduce him, setting off a cascade of intertwined events between Rachel, James, the professor, and his well-connected wife. This book is blurbed and recommended by Gabrielle Zevin, author of one of my favorite books of last year, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, so I can’t help but think that if she loved it, I will too.
Banyan Moon - Fiction/Family Saga - Thao Thai -Release Date: June 27
A sweeping family saga, Banyan Moon tracks the lives of three generations of women, starting with Minh, the family matriarch who immigrated to the United States during the Vietnam War hoping to make a better life for herself and children. When Minh dies decades later, she leaves her house in Florida to her daughter Huong and granddaughter Ann, who have long been estranged from one another. The two are tasked with going through the house, which prompts the discovery of long-buried secrets about their family.
July Releases
The Centre - Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi - Fiction/Thriller - Release Date: July 11
The Centre is an invite-only immersive program that teaches its participants to speak another language fluently in only ten days. Anisa, who wants to work as a translator, hears about the program from her boyfriend, decides to apply, and is accepted. Once she arrives, however, she discovers the price of the program and the dark underbelly of its methods. I’ve heard that this book is full of twists and turns and that any accurate description of the plot would give them away. I’ve also seen this book recommended from a variety of sources with different reading tastes, which I think bodes as a good sign for its broad appeal.
The Vegan - Andrew Lipstein - Literary Fiction - Release Date: July 11
Herschel Caine is an extremely successful hedge-fund manager on the verge of “master of the universe” status. One night he and his wife decide to host a fancy dinner party for their neighbors, which ends not in the connections they desired, but rather a horrible prank gone wrong. The consequences of the prank follow Herschel long after the party is over, forcing him to confront questions of culpability and purity. I enjoyed Lipstein’s debut, Last Resort, about a devil’s bargain made by a writer, and so know Lipstein has the capacity to explore moral quandaries through interesting characters.
Kala - Colin Walsh - Fiction/Thriller - Release Date: July 25
Three estranged friends reunite in a town on Ireland’s west coast, brought together by the disappearance of their friend Kala in the summer of 2003. Two more girls have gone missing in the intervening fifteen years and human remains have recently been discovered. As the town reels from the discovery, the friends consider their role in Kala’s disappearance and how they can move forward. This book is being compared to the work of Irish crime writer Tana French and has gotten positive reviews from trusted sources who do not typically read thrillers, indicating to me that this book has broad literary appeal.
The Sweetest Revenge - Lizzy Dent - Romance - Release Date: July 25
Amy makes commercials for a failing British TV channel and spends her days ruing the events that ruined her career as a successful producer. As time passes, however, things start to look up for Amy, who enters a competition at work that might right past wrongs and starts a relationship with her downstairs neighbor. When her ex-boyfriend - who ruined her original career - is hired as her new boss, Amy’s progress and self-improvement are tested in a comedic twist of events. Lizzy Dent is a reliable, entertaining author of romance novels, and I’m sure that The Sweetest Revenge is no different.
August Releases
Family Lore - Elizabeth Acevedo - Literary Fiction/Magical Realism - Release Date: August 1
Elizabeth Acevedo is a multi-talented writer and poet, whose previous young adult book, Clap When You Land, was expertly written. This book, Family Lore, centers around Flor, a woman with a fantastical gift to predict the day that someone will die. When she decides to throw herself a wake, her family is surprised and confused, wondering if this means that Flor knows that her time is coming. As the family gathers over the course of three days, the story of the family unravels from Santo Domingo to New York City. I’ve seen reviews from people describe this book as their favorite of the year, and am eager to pick it up given Acevedo’s singular voice.
The Bee Sting - Paul Murray - Literary Fiction - Release Date: August 15
The Bee Sting revolves around a basic question: can one instance of bad luck change the course of someone’s life? When readers meet the Barnes family, bad luck appears to be their M.O. Patriarch Dickie is spending his time building an apocalypse-proof bunker in the woods instead of tending to his failing car business. His wife is selling her jewelry, and their children are failing school and planning to run away. The family wasn’t always this chaotic, raising the question of when and why everything went so horribly wrong.
Every book I wrote about here is available and compiled on this Bookshop page.
I frequently review ARCs outside of my normal monthly round-ups. If you want to stay up to date on what’s being published and what I thought of these books, you can find all of my reviews as they are posted here.
I finished Everything's Fine this morning. It's worth a read!