Summer Reading Recommendations 2026
Beach read? Rainy day read? Snuggled up to the A/C Read? I've got you.
We recently went through our second batch of super hot days up here, days when I want to stretch out in the hammock or under a ceiling fan with a giant iced coffee and a good book.
I’m looking forward to beach and lake days, shade on the porch, and late nights curled around my iPad with the Libby app illuminating my newest library find.
—> By the way, did you know you can download Libby for free and then use your local library card to check out ebooks and audiobooks, all for free? Some libraries also allow you to purchase a nonresident card for access to their digital collection. Supporting the library is so important! And it’s quite convenient to have Libby on your phone and any other devices. In the case you end up waiting at the dentist while they make your new partial crown (just saying), you’ll always have a book at the ready!
[But seriously! Support libraries! I highly recommend Libby. I read a lot and probably around 90% of my annual reading is books checked out via the Libby app. Ok. Commercial over.]
Without further ado, here are some reads to put on your list for the summer.
Nonfiction
Genocide Bad: Notes on Palestine, Jewish History, and Collective Liberation | Sim Kern
Memoir, history lessons, activism, these all come together in this outstanding book. I learned about Genocide Bad from an IG post by everyone’s favorite librarian, Mychal; if you’re on IG, definitely follow them both! I learned so much about history, politics, and activism from this book, and Kern includes interesting stories about their childhood and teaching experiences (as a middle school English teacher) along the way.
On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World | Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
There is a lot of cultural noise on the concept of forgiveness that comes pretty close, in my mind, to perpetuating harm. This book offers a meaningful reframe and highlights what is so often missing from those other texts: doing the actual work of repair. This book, together with my studies in secular Buddhism, helped me build a more nuanced understanding of forgiveness, which helps me support clients in finding ways through challenging situations without, inadvertently, siding with the people and systems that harmed them in the first place.
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit | Michael Finkel
I do love a story about an unusual life, the wilderness, and stories where the location almost becomes a character. And I’m quite curious about people. This is the only (as far as I know) biography of the “North Pond Hermit,” Christopher Knight, who lived alone in the woods in Maine for 27 years. If you think that sounds pretty cold a good bit of the year, you’d be right. If you’re wondering how he got the things he needed to survive, the answer is that he broke into nearby cabins and stole stuff. It’s the story of a lifestyle and a person full of contradictions.
Uncultured: A Memoir | Daniella Mestyanek Young
Another unusual life, generously shared so we can all learn from it. Here, Young details growing up in the Children of God cult (and that should tell you right there that there are parts of this book that are not going to be easy) and then serving in the U.S. Army, earning the rank of Captain and completing two tours of Afghanistan. She recently published her second book, The Culting of America: What Makes a Cult and Why We Love Them, which I have not read yet but is on my TBR.
Fiction
The Sentence | Louise Erdrich
I love to read about places I’ve been, even if I’m not completely familiar with every part of the local geography. I grew up spending holidays in St. Paul, MN, and this book takes place in Minneapolis, and even better, in a bookstore! The plot includes the beginning of the (ongoing) Covid-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. You can probably already think of the many meanings of the word “sentence,” and they’ll all come into play in a clever, wonderful story. It helped me remember why I love to read.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches | Sangu Mandanna
Cozy, heartwarming, delightful, magical…I could go on. I simply loved this book. I was actually sad when I finished it, not because of a sad ending, but because I wanted to keep hanging out with the characters. Some fiction gives you a sort of window into another world where you observe what’s happening, but this book made me feel like I was part of the community. There is a companion novel (not a sequel), A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping, that I’ve read has a similar vibe and is on my TBR.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January | Alix Harrow
This was the first book by Alix Harrow I read, and I immediately put a bunch of others on my Libby list (all good), but this one really stands above the rest. The writing is so lovely, the story is so engrossing, and even though I read it a few months ago, I keep coming back to it in my mind. I was later surprised to learn this was actually Harrow’s first novel! If you haven’t read anything of hers yet, start here and enjoy.
Magic Lessons | Alice Hoffman
Did you see the movie Practical Magic? Are you cautiously optimistic that the upcoming sequel will be fun? Did you know there’s a prequel? I saw the film ages ago and mostly enjoyed it. I have a group of gal pals whose excitement about the sequel is infectious. I finally got around to reading the book last year and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it… and the prequel is even better. I love historical fiction, and if there’s a bit of fantasy or magic thrown in, so much the better. This ticked a lot of boxes for me.
Woman of Light | Kali Fajardo-Anstine
More along the lines of an epic novel, and definitely not as fast-paced as others on this list, I was drawn in by the writing, the setting, the characters. The book is a mix of everything: historical fiction, magic, strong women, set against the realities of segregation and racism in the 1930s in Denver. I’ve read a few reviews that say the book left them wanting more as a negative, but for me, that’s a net positive. I want to have my curiosity piqued by a story that sticks with me, and this book definitely hit the spot.
Want more books? Here are my previous recommended reading lists:
Fall 2025 (emphasis on the spooky!)
December 2025 (emphasis on cold settings)
What have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR?
Happy Reading!
P.S. This blog is moving to a “summer schedule,” so expect posts every other week or so, held loosely. If you’re in the email community, there may be a little more action there, especially towards the end of the summer. If you’re not, be sure to sign up at alignedinsightcoaching.com!
Any intelligence you observe here came from my brain, not AI.