Dive into summer with these book club picks that beg for a gathering with your most bookish besties. Whether you’re into fresh starts or hometown reunions, there’s a captivating title waiting for you. Get ready to engage with your fellow book lovers in dynamic discussions and witty banter.

Troubled Waters by Mary Annaïse Heglar (5/7)

Amidst a burning world, Corrine and her grandmother, Cora, must confront their family history and the urgent reality of what lies around them. The death of Corrine’s brother has her wanting to fight climate change and its wrongdoers. In her attempts to honor his life, Corrine stirs up old family secrets that Cora knows all too well. To find a path to healing, both the grandmother and granddaughter must reveal their unspoken secrets.

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Housemates

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg (5/28)

When Bernie responds to Leah’s ad for a housemate in Philadelphia, little do they know they’re embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. With a shared love for art and fueled by Bernie’s inheritance from her late professor, the duo sets off on a road trip through rural Pennsylvania. Armed with Leah’s writing and Bernie’s photography, they encounter colorful characters and unexpected twists, discovering the true essence of pursuing their dreams, creatively and romantically, in a journey that’s as heartwarming as it is inspiring.

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Swift River

Swift River by Essie J. Chambers (6/4)

Young Diamond Newberry, living in the summer of 1987, must navigate the twists and turns of learning to drive. With her father missing for seven years, Diamond and her mother rely on hitchhiking, while Diamond faces constant teasing about her weight and being the sole Black resident in town. Determined to get off the street, her mother declares her father dead with the hopes of regaining their family house. But a surprise letter from a long-lost relative unveils hidden family secrets, revealing generations of African American Newberry women and a deeper understanding of their history.

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The False Flat

The False Flat by Melissa Collings (6/11)

Penelope Auberge is ready for a fresh start. Tired of her overbearing mother, a married boyfriend, and a sexist boss, she leaves Minnesota for Tennessee to launch her own financial business. There, Penelope meets siblings Deanna and Grant, who help her break out of her shell. Despite her reluctance to open up and her efforts to ignore her feelings for Grant, sparks fly as she joins his cycling group. As Penelope navigates her new life in Nashville, she discovers that leaving her past behind isn’t as simple as she thought. To truly start anew, she must confront her desires and decide what she truly wants from life.

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Same as it Ever Was

Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo (6/18)

After a youth filled with twists and turns, Julia Ames finds herself in the calm waters of mid-life. But navigating the world has never been her forte, despite her current privileged status. At fifty-seven, she finally feels in control, only to be blindsided by her son’s unexpected news, her daughter’s impending separation, and a tempting return to her past. Julia’s once-stable life is suddenly chaotic, challenging her newfound sense of peace in ways she never imagined.

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Please Stop Trying to Leave Me

Please Stop Trying to Leave Me by Alana Saab (6/25)

When twenty-seven-year-old Norma is bombarded by social media signs pushing her to end her relationship, she seeks guidance from a new therapist. Juggling the completion of her manuscript and the dilemma of her love life, Norma grapples with a diagnosis of depersonalization/derealization disorder, which she brushes off as her lifelong struggle with Oblivion. Now Norma faces the daunting task of finishing her last story while confronting her past. Sharing her other tales, she hopes to unravel the chaos and find clarity, with her girlfriend possibly offering a beacon of hope in her search for meaning.

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Masquerade

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi (7/2)

In Timbuktu, Òdòdó’s world turns upside down when the Yorùbá king conquers it. Abducted to Ṣàngótẹ̀, she’s stunned to find her captor is the very king himself, who proposes marriage. From societal outcast to royalty, Òdòdó faces a whirlwind of power and peril. As tensions rise and enemies lurk, she must navigate treacherous court politics to secure her freedom and safeguard her life.

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The Summer Pact

The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin (7/9)

Lainey, Tyson, Summer, and Hannah, four freshmen from diverse backgrounds, form an unlikely friendship when they meet in their college dorm. Over the years, their bond deepens, but as graduation looms, a tragic event shatters their world. Despite being pulled apart by life’s twists and turns, they vow to support each other through thick and thin. A decade later, when life throws unexpected curveballs, they reunite to rediscover themselves and rekindle their friendship on a journey filled with laughter, forgiveness, and newfound acceptance.

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Rip Tide

Rip Tide by Colleen McKeegan (8/13)

Kimmy Devine swore she’d never return to Rocky Cape, but fate has other plans as she and her sister Erin find themselves back in their idyllic South Jersey beach town. Kimmy left behind her high-flying finance job for the family hardware stores while Erin grapples with fertility issues and a rocky divorce. The two will wade through nostalgia, and old wounds resurface while a dead body reaches the shores, bringing more from their past than they wanted.

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Tell me Everything

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (8/13)

Lucy Barton, the acclaimed writer in a coastal Maine town, strikes up an unlikely friendship with the town lawyer, Bob Burgess, amid a murder investigation. Their walks along the shore lead to introductions with Olive Kitteridge, a local legend, and together, they spin tales that breathe life into forgotten stories and forge deeper connections.

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