Summer 2024 Book Recommendations: A Literary Feast
Summer 2024 presents an eclectic mix of literary offerings for readers. Here are 20 noteworthy books releasing between late May and August:
May - "Kittentits" by Holly Wilson (Zando-Gillian Flynn Books, May 21): Follows ten-year-old Molly on her surreal adventure from a nun-haunted house to the 1992 Chicago World’s Fair.
June - "Swift River" by Essie Chambers (Simon & Schuster, June 4): A debut novel set in a declining New England mill town during the 1980s. - "Godwin" by Joseph O’Neill (Pantheon, June 4): A tech writer embarks on a quest to find a soccer prodigy. - "The Phoenix Ballroom" by Ruth Hogan (William Morrow, June 11): A widow in her 70s rejuvenates an old ballroom, finding newfound community. - "Sons of El Rey" by Alex Espinoza (Simon and Schuster, June 11): A tale of generational legacy set in the wrestling world of East Los Angeles. - "Bear" by Julia Phillips (Hogarth, June 25): Inspired by a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, this novel explores two sisters’ lives altered by a swimming bear. - "Another North" by Jennifer Brice (Boreal Books, June 25): A collection of essays reflecting on life from Alaska to New York.
July - "Pink Slime" by Fernanda Trías (Scribner, July 2): This novel tackles resilience within a beleaguered city. - "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore (Riverhead, July 2): Set in a 1970s summer camp, focusing on a disappearing child. - "All This & More" by Peng Shepherd (William Morrow, July 9): A reality show offers a woman a chance to rewrite her past. - "The Heart in Winter" by Kevin Barry (Doubleday, July 9): A love story set in 1891 Montana among immigrant workers. - "Bad Tourists" by Caro Carver (Avid Reader, July 9): A vacation turns deadly in this thriller. - "The Striker and the Clock: On Being in the Game" by Georgia Cloepfil (Riverhead, July 16): The memoir of a professional soccer player’s global journey. - "Sugar on the Bones" by Joe R. Lansdale (Mulholland, July 16): A new Hap and Leonard mystery. - "The Bright Sword" by Lev Grossman (Viking, July 16): Misfits of King Arthur’s Round Table search for a new king. - "The Wilds" by Sarah Pearse (Pamela Dorman Books, July 16): A detective’s vacation in Portugal turns into a murder investigation. - "Queen B: The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen" by Juno Dawson (Penguin, July 23): Court intrigue and witch hunts in Henry VIII’s Britain. - "The Modern Fairies" by Clare Pollard (Avid Reader, July 23): Intellectuals share bawdy tales in Versailles. - "The Future Was Now" by Chris Nashawaty (Flatiron, July 30): Chronicles the legendary sci-fi movies of summer 1982.
August - "Mystery Lights" by Lena Valencia (Tin House, Aug. 6): A debut short story collection exploring themes of anxiety, obsession, and otherworldly phenomena.
These recommendations offer a diverse range of stories perfect for leisurely summer reading.