It’s hard to find a break to yourself amidst travel sports games, pool and beach days, work obligations, summer holidays and the like. The summer “honey-do list” and your father-in-law’s retirement party. Staying up all hours of the night while your teen hosts their first sleepover.
It’s all calling your name.
In theory, things should slow down a bit, but in many ways, they’ve only just kicked into high gear here in the midst of summer. They’re all good things, objectively, but they can certainly leave you anticipating those fleeting moments of rest.
For many, this doesn’t get much better than being kicked back in a hammock or lounger next to the pool or in the sanctuary of your backyard – the golden sunshine on your face, a cold drink nearby and your latest summer read in hand.
Do you have anything exciting on your summer 2025 list? Though a little antithetical to the whole “rest and relaxation” vibe we’re going for, book clubs can be a great resource – and can offer friendship and like-minded community outside of your regular circles. Bookclubs.com is a good free resource to locate established book clubs in your area and throughout the country. It can also help you create and track your own meetup/group.
Your local library or community center might also facilitate various book clubs or meetups and likely has a recommended reading list for the summer. Even if you never leave the poolside, you 100% should check out your summer reading selections from your local library (shout out to the Canajoharie Library and the Fort Plain Free Library – the two closest community libraries to Country Culture’s offices; both are favorite haunts of several of our editors).
It’s never been more important to support your local libraries. Not sure where your local library is? Utilize this search engine, made available by the Institute of Museum & Library Services and CareerOneStop.
Some specific reading recommendations?
Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading List 2025: Some top choices include “Funny Story” by Emily Henry; “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar; “You Are Here” by David Nicholls; and “When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day” by Garrett M. Graff
GoodReads’ “Hot Ones: Readers’ 80 Most Anticipated New Summer Books”: This packed list starts with some contemporary and historical fiction choices: “My Friends” by Fredrik Backman; “What Will People Think?” by Sara Hamdan; “Disappoint Me” by Nicola Dinan; “Atmosphere: A Love Story” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
NPR: 17 New Books Our Critics Can’t Wait to Read This Summer: Some top choices for July include “The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature” by Charlie English; “I Want to Burn this Place Down: Essays” by Maris Kreizman; “Killing Stella” by Marlen Haushofer; “The Age of Video Games: A Graphic History of Gaming from Pong to VR and Beyond” by Jean Zeid; “The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne” by Chris Sweeney
These lists are just a proverbial drop in the ocean. From celebrities to literary organizations and everyone in between (we see you, JP Morgan Chase!), summer reading lists abound online.
So, what’s first on your list?
Featured photo: These are Editor Courtney’s current summer reads: “Slow Drinks” by Danny Childs and “The Light Eaters” by Zoe Schlanger.
