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Who is excited about summer?!?!?
ME ME ME ME!
I sit here writing, staring at the snow coming down and wishing it was summer already. I know that I choose to live in a climate that gets an insane amount of snow every year, but each February I start dreaming about the ability to walk outside my front door without a million layers on.
Or the preparation of driving to work doesn’t take 30-60 mins of shoveling the driveway or de-icing the car. I having literally bailed on activities because the thought of digging the car out was just too much….
I LIVE for our mountain summers with warm, sunny days and crisp evenings, just cool enough to grab a coat or sit next to a gas fireplace outside (no firepits in this dry climate!).
I have TWO hammocks in storage that I can FINALLY hang up this year on our newly cleaned up porch. #quarantineprojects
I see many afternoon hammock reading sessions in my future 😀
Ready For Summer... Book Releases!
The only thing getting me through the next several months is the list of new book releases coming out May-August that look like the perfect summer addition to my hammock and rosé wine (Gimme that pink wine)!
Total aside but I only just re-discovered rosé wine last year and now I’m the typical obsessed millennial.
For years I was haunted by the memory of getting tipsy on Franzia White Zinfindal Boxed Wine… shudder. It took a dry, crispy rosé from Colterris Winery in Colorado with a hint of cherry to completely change my mind that this wine is the perfect summer drink! And it comes in a CAN!
Now back to books
This is NOT an exclusive list of all the new book releases for this summer.
It very strongly skews towards my typical summer reading of funny rom-coms, historical fiction books, a few literary fiction novels and everyone’s favorite beach read: Thrillers (or maybe just Jane 😀 )
There are many new releases from authors that I discovered only last year during my pandemic read-a-thon including Becky Chamber, Casey McQuiston, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Emily Henry, & Helen Hoang.
This list also includes a few debut books I was able to grab an ARC of (BEST part of being a book blogger) or the premise of the novel sounds too good to not share with y’all!
Summer 2021 New Book Releases
MAY
Andy Weir
MAY 4TH
Andy Weir is the author of the Martian (One of the BEST Sci-Fi Books I read last year!). Project Hail May is his newest Space Thriller with a dash of Humor.
Ryland is the sole survivor of a last-chance mission to save the earth… and he has lost his memories. Now he must put together his fuzzy memories to save earth from extinction. Oh boy, I am excited about this one!
Further Reading: INTRODUCTION TO SCI-FI BOOKS
MAY 4TH
Beach Read with a Suspenseful twist! I adored the author’s book, Big Summer, last year.
Daisy Shoemaker is dissatisfied with her suburban life and starts receiving emails accidentally directed to her about the single lady lifestyle of Diana Starling.
After an apology, the two meet up and form a friendship, but this connection is not as random as it seems. And how it connects to Daisy’s tragic summer at the Cape at age 15.
Maggie Shipstead
MAY 4TH
Two parallel stories of two women, Marian and Hadley, 100 years apart. Marion is a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in 1914, and Hadley is the woman cast to play her in an upcoming movie about Marion’s disappearance over Antarctica in 2014.
A fascinating story of a woman’s goal to circumnavigate the earth from North to South pole
Mark Sullivan
MAY 4TH
It is 1944 and the Martel family is stuck between Stalin’s soviet union and Nazi Germany. The Martels are one of many families with German Heritage that have farmed in the Ukraine for generations.
If they stay in Ukraine, they will be sent to Stalin’s work camps, but leaving Ukraine means following the “murderous” Nazi officers who will do anything to protect the “pureblood” Germans.
I have read several WWII books focused on other populations during the war, but not one focused on the plight of the people of Ukraine.
Emily Henry
MAY 11TH
Early debut from Book of the Month Club. One of my most anticipated reads of the year! The author’s debut novel, Beach Read, was one of the best books I read in 2020.
Two best friends, Alex and Poppy, haven’t spoken since their terrible annual vacation two years ago. Poppy convinces Alex to go on one more vacation; will they have time to repair their relationship?
Further Reading: 2021 NEW BOOK RELEASES
Dahlia Adler
MAY 11TH
We are so excited about this book that this is the THIRD time we are mentioning it.
A young adult romance with a bi high schooler, Lara, who finally has gained the attention of the hot football star she’s crushed on for 3 years, but she can’t let go of her memories of the girl from last summer. Things get interesting when her summer fling walks through the school doors…
Further Reading: 2021 QUEER AND LGTBQ+ BOOK RELEASES
Christina Lauren
MAY 18TH
The authors of one of my all-time favorite rom-coms, The Unhoneymooners, have me on my toes about their new summer release!
Jess is a single mom who is a rockstar statistician who is intrigued by the concept of GeneticAlly- a DNA matchmaking service. She submits her DNA and to her disappointment, is a 98% match with Dr. Pena, the rude founder of GeneticAlly.
I just adore a good enemies-to-lovers trope!
Colleen Oakley
MAY 25TH
Piper lives on a tiny remote island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay with only 1 “ferry” that transports to mainline Maryland 12 miles away. She loses the love of her life in a tragic boating accident and the small community of Frick Island rallies around her. When she starts to see her husband as if he never disappeared, the whole island acknowledges him too, except for Anders.
Anders is a small-time journalist who is invited to Frick Island and feels that he has stumbled on THE story that is going to help his podcast take off. Is Piper married? Is her husband still alive? Was there foul play? WHAT THE FRICK?
An absolutely adorable book about love and the power of community with a dabble of mystery sprinkled in.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Alexandria Bellefleur
MAY 25th
Written in the Stars was one of Anne’s favorite books during the winter season and we are excited about a companion to this queer rom-com!
Annie arrives in Seattle to visit her best friend, Darcy, and finds Darcy’s hot brother, Brendan, instead. Too bad that Annie has sworn off on love and relationships.
Brendan decides to take a few romantic gestures straight out of Nora Ephron’s movies. Will Annie decide to stay in Seattle?
Further Reading: 12 of the Best Holiday Reads
Nora Roberts
MAY 25TH
I CANNOT create a summer reading list without including Nora Roberts. She is just the master of the thriller romance, perfect for beach reading.
Adrian was 7 years old when her father nearly killed her before her mother stepped in. Now years later and estranged from her mother, she becomes a minor yoga celebrity. She starts receiving death threats, she ignores them as the price of fame until the murders start….
JUNE
Taylor Jenkins Reid
JUNE 1ST
Malibu Rising is a new book by the author of Daisy Jones & The Six.
It’s the summer of 1983 and the Riva siblings are gearing up for Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party. The drinks are flowing and secrets are ready to be revealed.
By midnight the entire party is out of control and by morning the mansion is up in flames. These 24 hours will change the Riva family forever.
Casey McQuiston
JUNE 1ST
From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes another highly anticipated queer romance.
Cynical August is surviving in New York, making ends meet by working at a 24-hour pancake diner. She’s drawn to her girl crush on the train. When they meet August realizes Jane isn’t just another New Yorker. She’s displaced in time from the 1970s!
This books has such a unique premise and I am so excited to read it.
Further Reading: HYSTERICAL ROMANTIC COMEDIES FOR VALENTINES DAY
Zakiya Dalila Harris
JUNE 1st
This genre defying debut promises to leave you feeling some type of way at the end. Nella Rogers is tired of being the only black employee at her publishing company (Wagner Books), so she’s thrilled when Hazel starts working in the cubicle next to her.
They’ve only just started bonding when a string of events leaves Nella the office Pariah and Hazel the office darling. Then a note appears in her desk LEAVE. WAGNER. NOW.
Things get sinister and Nella is spiraling. What evil forces are threatening more than just her career?
Rachel Griffin
JUNE 1ST
A mix of Practical Magic and Harry Potter with a dash of climate change thrown in.
The climate has been maintained by witches for centuries with the powers coinciding with the season of their birth, but more and more witches are dying as the weather has become more erratic.
Clara is an Everwitch, a rare ability to foster the magic of all the seasons, but she doesn’t want her dangerous power that kills the ones she loves. Her magic school finds a fellow witch, Sang, to help with her training, but her feelings grow as the seasons change and the danger to Sang grows.
If you are a fellow lover of magic school novels, pick up this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Chandler Baker
JUNE 29th
This mystery has been described as a Stepford Wives gender swap. Nora Spangler works hard as an attorney but finds herself doing all the work when it comes to the “second shift”, or all the domestic work.
Why can’t she seem to get her husband to pitch in? The Spanglers go house hunting at Dynasty Ranch and Nora is fascinated by the high-powered women who all seem to have supportive husbands.
She agrees to help with a residents’ wrongful death case, and finds that not all is what it seems at Dynasty Ranch.
JULY
Kristin Harmel
JULY 6TH
Yona is stolen from her wealthy German parents and taken to the harsh wilderness of eastern Europe. When her kidnapper dies in 1941, she finds herself alone in the woods.
That is until she happens upon Jewish refugees fleeing the terror of the Nazis. She teaches them how to survive in the woods and learns how to be with people again until she is betrayed and her past begins to catch up with her.
Vanessa Riley
JULY 6TH
This fascinating historical fiction tells the true story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas. Doll was born into slavery but bought herself, her mother & her sisters freedom.
She then rose to be one of the wealthiest landowners in the west indies. This sweeping epic tells the story of an adventurer and a survivor.
Rainbow Rowell
JULY 6TH
This series finale is the third and final book in the Simon Snow trilogy.
If you’ve followed along with Simon on his journey from being “the worst chosen one ever” (his evil vampire roommate Baz’s words, not his). Don’t miss out on Simon, Baz, Penelope & Agatha’s last adventure.
Becky Chambers
JULY 13th
Author of my favorite book I read in March, her new book has a fascinating premise that I am super intrigued to dive into.
Centuries ago the robots of earth gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, and wandered into the wilderness never to be seen again. One day, a robot arrives to ask a tea monk “what do people need?”
Helen Ellis
JULY 13TH
This book is a collection of candid and heartfelt essays that packs a funny punch. Helen Ellis writes about middle age and growing older with razor-sharp wit and insight.
Shelley Parker-Shen
JULY 20TH
This book has been described as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles.
This is a queer reimagining of the rise & founding of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu’s brother is marked for greatness, and Zhu is destined to nothingness, however when a bandit attack orphans them both she is the one who survives the hardship.
She takes on her brother’s identity and does whatever it takes to survive. This book looks so good, and is an automatic pre-order for me!
Further Reading: BADASS FEMALES IN FANTASY
Shelby Mahurin
JULY 27th
The conclusion to the best-selling Serpent & Dove Series is not to be missed. This series revolves around French witches and forbidden love. Fans are eagerly anticipating this release in July.
AUGUST
Laura Rueckert
AUGUST 3RD
Princess Jiara’s sister Scilla is killed by an assassin before she’s wed. Now her ghost is doomed to walk the city, tormenting her loved ones until her death is avenged and justice is found.
The king requests Scilla take her sister’s place as his betrothed to cement the alliance between their two kingdoms. Scilla will journey to a new kingdom and seek to solve her sister’s murder to free her ghost and save her own life.
Stephanie Perkins
AUGUST 3RD
This YA Horror novel has a simple yet effective description. “Two girls go backpacking in the woods. Things go very wrong. And, then, their paths collide with a serial killer.”
*shudders*
I’ll leave this one for Jane.
Chelsea Ichaso
AUGUST 3RD
This YA thriller promises to have twists and turns. Piper Sullivan should never have been at Suicide Point the day of her accident. Savannah Sullivan is sure that it’s her fault that her sister is in a coma, but then she finds a slip of paper in Piper’s pocket.
This clue leads her on a journey to find out what really happened to her sister, everyone is a suspect and if she’s not careful, she could be in danger next.
Jessica Lewis
AUGUST 24TH
This YA fantasy with strong horror elements promises to be a doozy. Katrell talks to the dead to try to make ends meet, but it’s still not enough to support her family.
A ghost warns her to stop the summonings, but what other choice does she have? When one of her summonings accidentally raises someone from the dead, she realizes a live body is worth more than an apparition. She’s unleashed dark forces but is backed into a corner.
This one has great reviews and looks incredible.
Helen Hoang
AUGUST 31ST
Helen Hoang, the author of The Kiss Quotient returns again, this time to give Quan Diep his HEA.
Quan is considered a catch now that he’s the CEO of a fledgling business. An old flame resurfaces in the newly engaged Camilla, who all of a sudden seems to be showing an interest in him.
Camilla’s OCD sister, Anna, decides to take matters into her own hands to woo Quan to keep him too occupied to ruin her sister’s engagement.
Helen Hoang was a bright spot for me last year as I discovered the first two books in this series. I am very very ready to read the next in the series!
Are You Excited For Summer Book Releases?
Tell me in the comments which book you are most excited to read this summer! I have at least 30 books on my summer TBR, and I keep finding out about new ones each day.
Looks like I’m going to need a lot of beach reading time 😉
-Alice
I’m excited for so many of these!
My TBR is already overflowing and then here comes summer with more great books to read!
It’s so close!
I trying to hold back my intense desire to pre-order all of these!
It’s hard to even imagine that we are rapidly approaching summer when we are still getting 50 degree days here in NY! That hasn’t stopped me from planning my summer TBR pile though! I also tend to go for thrillers in the warmer months! Thanks for the recs 🙂
I just finished a new book titled “Cyclops Conspiracy” by author William McGinnis. I think this should definitely be added to the summer beach read list! I am a huge fan of the techno thriller genre and this one definitely scratched that itch. I loved the team dynamic of the main characters and the urgency of the threat, it made this one very tough to put down. Anyone who is into “real world” action and adventure should check this one out : https://www.williammcginnis.com/ – Happy reading!
Oooo Cyclops Conspiracy sounds amazing!! Its so funny how we are drawn to certain books moods seasonally. I love a good rom-com or thriller when its warm, but I want a meatier book in the winter:D