🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Long summer days and vacations go hand-in-hand. Whether you enjoy your holidays basking in the sun on a chaise lounge, traveling the world or relaxing on a staycation, a good book just improves the view. And even when you don't have official time off, slipping into the pages of a worthy read on lazy evenings and weekends can feel like an escape all by itself. Curated for you by Newsweek staff are our most recommended, fairly recent fiction and nonfiction reads. There's sure to be something for everyone!
Fiction
All That's Left Unsaid
By Tracey Lien
Thriller | William Morrow Paperbacks | $18.99
This gripping mystery set in the outer suburbs of Sydney examines how bigotry dismantles the engineering of successful societies. It's a suspenseful story with some incisive politics to boot.
▸ Tom Norton, Fact Check Reporter
Big Swiss
By Jen Beagin
Page-to-Screen | Scribner | $17
This book made me laugh harder than I have in a while! Absurd and witty at the same time, Beagin's novel follows the captivating story of Greta, a 45-year-old woman who finds work transcribing therapy sessions for a sex therapist in Hudson, New York. As the characters in her headphones become real-life acquaintances, and even friends, the story spirals into a captivating read that will have you doubled over in laughter. Read it before the HBO series comes out!
▸ Katherine Fung, Senior U.S. Reporter
Daughters of Shandong
By Eve J. Chung
Historical Fiction | Berkley | $28
This expansive novel is a beautiful, heartbreaking story of a Chinese girl amid civil war and the Communist Revolution. It explores the bonds of family and the consequences of the society's patriarchal values. Chung's debut is based on her grandmother's harrowing trek across mainland China—from her family estate in the countryside to refugee camps in Hong Kong and finally Taiwan. Daughters of Shandong brings to life brave women who seek to control their own fate in the face of insurmountable odds.
▸ Meredith Wolf Schizer, Senior Editor
Edge of Here: Stories From Near to Now
By Kelechi Okafor
Science Fiction | Trapeze | $23.74
Combining sci-fi, romance and social issues might sound heavy, but these eight short stories will leave you wanting more. Black Mirror fans will love the way Okafor seamlessly weaves futuristic technology and spirituality into tales exploring contemporary Black womanhood and relationships. Thought-provoking and enjoyable, I'm looking forward to seeing what Okafor has up her sleeve next.
▸ Carrie Anderson, Senior Editor, Print & Digital
Family Meal
By Bryan Washington
LGBTQ+ Stories | Riverhead Books | $28
Washington's sophomore novel is a tender story of former best friends who come back into each other's lives as they deal with grief, intimacy and finding community. It's about the relationships that give us strength when we need it most.
▸ Katherine Fung, Senior U.S. Reporter
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
By James McBride
Historical Fiction | Riverhead Books | $28
With no crazy twists or turns, it's just a captivating story about what happens when a community comes together to help each other out. At its core, this book is about the best parts of humanity defeating the worst parts to save a young boy's life.
▸ Jenni Fink, Senior Editor, National News
The Housemaid Is Watching
By Freida McFadden
Thriller | Poisoned Pen Press | $17.99
This book will make you forget you have a job, dinner to cook and plans with friends until you finish. Arguably the best of the series, Millie's stunning complexity blows away any worry of "trilogy syndrome" as she takes you with her family into their new cul-de-sac of horror. She's your new best friend solving the mystery of what the heck happened next door.
▸ Gray R. Thomas, Publishing Editor
Legends & Lattes
By Travis Baldree
Fantasy | Tor Books | $29.99
"High fantasy, low stakes," reads the blurb for this wonderfully warm, cozy and heartwarming tale of an orc giving up the adventuring life to open a cafe. Hooked readers can also check out the bookstore-centric prequel with a coastal setting perfect for summer.
▸ Thomas Kika, Weekend Staff Writer
The Mystery Guest
By Nita Prose
Whodunit | Ballantine Books | $29
It's like Murder, She Wrote meets Monk. This second installment of the series—the continued adventures of Molly the maid who just can't seem to escape people ending up dead around her—certainly lives up to how great the first book was.
▸ H. Alan Scott, Senior Editor
Prophet Song
By Paul Lynch
Real-World Meets Fiction | Atlantic Monthly Press | $26
This novel imagines a near-future Ireland electing a fascist party with unimaginable consequences. Told through the story of a mother and her family, it evokes Ukraine, Gaza and refugee crises the world over.
▸ Ben Kelly, Audience Editor
Nonfiction
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
By Amanda Montell
Curious Minds | Atria/One Signal | $28.99
After reading her two previous books (Wordslut and Cultish), I genuinely believe Montell can do no wrong—and in fact, her latest work is just as brilliant. I would admit I'm partial, but I swear this one is bound to improve any reader's life—if anything, because it talks about all of us and our cognitive biases.
▸ Giulia Carbonaro, U.S. News Reporter
Black Victorians Hidden in History
By Keisha N. Abraham and John Woolf
Black History | Duckworth Books| $25
I'm a big fan of period pieces like The Gilded Age and Victoria as well as historical nonfiction. Similarly, Black Victorians thoroughly and eloquently illuminates the lives and impact of both prominent and ordinary Black Brits in the 19th century.
▸ Jennifer H. Cunningham, Executive Editor
Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival
By Omid Scobie
The Royals | Dey Street Books | $32
The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy
By Robert Hardman
The Royals | Pegasus Books | $35
No one royal book can tell you all you need to know, as all of them offer a particular perspective. These two will go really well together if you're the kind of person who wants to hear both sides and decide for yourself. In Endgame, Harry and Meghan's perspective on monarchy is fused with a timely add-on about growing Republican sentiment in Britain. After the prosecution, read Hardman for the defense.
▸ Jack Royston, Chief Royal Correspondent
Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food
By Fuchsia Dunlop
Cooking | W. W. Norton & Company | $32.50
A mouthwatering ramble through Chinese cuisines that highlights the incredible variety they bring to the senses. This entertaining work draws on the author's rare expertise and decades of experience. It is also a masterly explanation of Chinese history, society and geography—from the Middle Kingdom to diaspora communities who learned to conjure up new recipes that became popular locally even if they were unheard of back home.
▸ Matthew Tostevin, Standards Editor
On Savage Shores: How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe
By Caroline Dodds Pennock
History | Knopf | $32.50
A dazzling book that completely upends your perception of Native Americans during the Age of Discovery. Pennock shines a light on the forgotten Indigenous Americans who during the 15th and 16th centuries ventured over to Europe—whether as slaves, diplomats or even royalty—and proceeded to profoundly change what Europeans dubbed the "Old World" just as much as colonizers transformed the new one.
▸ Alfred Joyner, News Director
One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In
By Kate Kennedy
Pop Culture | St. Martin's Press | $30
Podcaster Kate Kennedy takes millennial women on a trip down memory lane. Through a series of essays, Kennedy highlights how things like American Girl dolls, mall trips to collect our favorite Bath & Body Works scents and AOL Instant Messenger shaped our early childhoods, but also later dives into how to navigate "love, marriage and a baby carriage" IRL. It's a great blast from the past (remember gel pens and popular girl handwriting?) and very relatable to many millennial women in her discussions about being online, reproductive rights and mental health.
▸ Ashley Park, Recruitment Manager
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money—That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
By Robert T. Kiyosaki
Financial Literacy | Plata Publishing | $18.95
Still relevant more than 25 years after its initial publication, this compelling narrative contrasts two fathers' financial philosophies. I appreciate its insightful exploration of financial literacy, independence and building wealth through investments. This transformative read challenges conventional wisdom and encourages readers to rethink their relationship with money. The book's practical advice and clear language make complex financial concepts accessible to everyone.
▸ Lee Eccleston, Senior Microsoft 365 Administrator
Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!
By David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker
Comedy | St. Martin's Press | $35
Airplane! was one of those classic comedy movies every kid grew up watching, even if a few of the gags flew a little over our heads—pun intended. The yardstick against which all spoof comedy should be judged, more than 40 years after its original release, this breezy oral history brings together the surviving principal players for an often-hilarious look back at how this enduring favorite found its way to the big screen against all odds.
▸ Jack Beresford, Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter
This Arab Is Queer: An Anthology by LGBTQ+ Arab Writers
By Elias Jahshan
Memoir | Saqi Books | $19.95
A groundbreaking book about LGBTQ+ life and love from the Arab world and its diaspora. A truly unprecedented and eye-opening insight into a community too often ignored from a group of 18 amazing writers. Perfect for those who love great writing, romance, politics and learning. A necessary read for our times.
▸ Shannon Power, Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter
Walking the Bowl: A True Story of Murder and Survival on the Streets of Lusaka
By Chris Lockhart and Daniel Mulilo Chama
True Crime | Hanover Square Press | $21.99
Through impressive investigative reporting and fieldwork, Walking the Bowl pulls no punches in describing the plight of street children in Zambia's capital. Yes, it is bleak. But it's never gratuitous. The characters' lives are certainly distressing, but they are also compelling. And, just when you think all hope is lost, the story, slowly and surprisingly, begins to move you. It becomes a pay-it-forward-type tale that defies credulity in a way that fiction would never be able to get away with. A gem of nonfiction storytelling.
▸ Yannick Demoustier, Publishing Editor
Updated 05/22/24 11:38 a.m. ET: The cover for Legends & Lattes was updated.
