Top 10 Books on my Summer 2024 TBR

Luckily in the spring I got ahead a little on some of my reading and posting goals, so this summer I’ll have a little more freedom to read whatever suits me at whatever pace I want. And there are some excellent books coming out this summer that I’m very excited about! Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top 10 Tuesday prompt, here are ten books on my TBR list that I’m hoping to read in the next few months.

1. The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé

This one is about a young woman named Florence who learned bookbinding from her father. When a scandal erupts around her, her father kicks her out of his home. She takes a job at Rose Hall to work with its rare books, where she uncovers a mystery. This looks like a mashup of some of my favorite things: mysteries and books in an interesting setting, featuring a woman of color.

2. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

This is a mystery novel about two siblings from a wealthy family who both go missing, fourteen years apart. This sounds like it could be a really complex, interesting story about a family; I’m definitely interested in reading this soon.

3. Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

Here’s another mystery that sounds excellent: Breanna and her boyfriend Ty plan a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. On the final morning of their trip, however, Bree finds the dead body of an unknown woman, and Ty is missing.

4. The Bookshop Sisterhood by Michelle Lindo-Rice

This one looks a little more lighthearted – four best friends plan on opening up a bookstore together, but shortly before the bookstore’s grand opening, all four women’s lives are suddenly turned upside down by their own personal tragedies. This looks like a sweet story about friendship and the unexpected challenges that life can bring.

5. Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

Noemi is a young woman who has grown up on her tribe’s reservation who feels like she finally has her life together. Shortly before she can move off the reservation though, her boyfriend is found dead, apparently by suicide. Noemi’s uncle returns to the reservation, though, and might have some answers about her boyfriend’s sudden death. This is by the same author who wrote Sisters of the Lost Nation, which I absolutely loved.

6. This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed

I don’t read a lot of YA these days, but this one sounds interesting and it’s getting great reviews. The main character, Noor, discovers that a new school board policy has caused hundreds of books in their library to be labeled as “obscene” or “pornographic” and are being removed from the library. Almost all of these books are by queer and BIPOC authors. Noor has to decide whether she can let this go to keep herself safe, or whether she will speak up against the book bans.

7. Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

I had seen Ali Hazelwood’s books recommended online for a few years, but I finally checked them out in 2023, and while a little formulaic, I really do enjoy her characters. This is a new one that just came out on the 11th, so I’m sure I’ll check it out soon.

8. All This and More by Peng Shepherd

This is by the same author that wrote The Book of M, and while that book was profoundly weird, I really enjoyed it. This is about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite her mistakes; I’m not sure if it’s time travel or how this works, but I’m interested.

9. The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

This is a historical fantasy novel about Collum, a young knight who arrives in Camelot two weeks after King Arthur’s death. I had a phase when I was younger when I was obsessed with Camelot stories, but I’ve never read about the time after King Arthur’s death. I’m curious to check this out.

10. I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

I mean, of course I’m a huge Stephen Graham Jones fan, so anything he puts out I’ll have to check out. This is another slasher though, and I’m curious to see how it will compare to his Indian Lake trilogy.