Summer Reading Lists for 2025

One of my favorite things about summer is perusing all the summer reading lists: finding hidden gems, adding books to my list, and seeing what others consider for their lists. Some lists focus on beach reads, while others include a wide variety of titles from many genres. Certain guides choose books already out in the world while others focus on titles releasing in the summer, and often lists are a combination of the two. Still others list books that they are looking forward to but have not read yet.

With the advent of AI usage and the recent drama surrounding a summer recommendation list of fake titles generated by AI, these lists by actual humans are even more important. With thousands of titles releasing this summer, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to read. Vetting books and creating lists is time consuming and takes a lot of work, and these lists help readers find those books that are worth taking the time to read.

I highlight below some of my favorite lists for this upcoming summer as well as my own Summer Reading Guide Preview for 2025. I have been reading books for the list since January and ended up vetting over 150+ books: some I finished and loved, some I really enjoyed but couldn’t find a place for them on the guide, and others I only made it through 20-50 pages before realizing it was not for me.

Whether you are heading out on vacation to the beach or the mountains, hanging out at your local pool or just enjoying a staycation, check out one or more of these guides to find a book to take with you:

Thoughts from a Page Summer Reading Guide Preview for 2025 – My full guide is 18 pages and contains over 50 reading recommendations including books from spring and summer 2025 as well mystery series recommendations, fiction/nonfiction pairings, fall 2025 titles that I love, backlist titles and some fall most anticipated reads. The preview highlights a few of my favorites.

Kelly Hook's Summer Books guide is one of Cindy Burnett's favorites to peruse. 

Kelly Hook’s Summer Books: 2025 Reading Guide – Kelly’s guide contains tons of outstanding recommendations and is always my favorite list to peruse. Some of the books are already out, but a number of them will publish during the summer. A tip of any amount will get you the guide, and she also has a free sampler.

What the Katie Couric Media Team Is Reading This Summer – Katie Couric Media recently posted its list of summer reading recommendations. Some are titles that she and her staff have read and others are most-anticipated books.

NPR’s 17 New Books Our Critics Can’t Wait to Read This Summer – NPR highlights some literary books that their staff is excited about – these are most anticipated books versus recommendations of books that they have already read.

Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2025 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide – Anne Bogel, the Modern Mrs Darcy, has a more in-depth guide that you can purchase, but in this list of 6 titles, she highlights her favorites for summer 2025.

MomAdvice’s 2025 Summer Reading Guide – This year’s guide features 56 handpicked titles across every genre to help readers find the perfect book for their summer reading mood.
I hope you enjoyed reviewing these reading lists and feel free to comment below with the summer reading lists that you find and enjoy.  Happy reading!

For more book recommendations and bookish thoughts, see Cindy’s monthly Buzz Reads column, her award-winning Thoughts from a Page Podcast or follow @ThoughtsFromaPage on Instagram.