Susie Boutry (@NovelVisits) and I share our favorite books that missed last year’s Summer Reading Guides, some deep backlist books we think are great for summer reading, and our #1 picks for four categories featured in Sarah’s 2022 Summer Reading Guide.

This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

Introducing Summer Shelves (a companion to my Summer Reading Guide)…

• In addition to my annual 2022 Summer Reading Guide, I’m introducing Summer Shelves, a companion exclusively for Superstars Patrons ($7/mo).
• Summer Shelves features BACKLIST summer reading recommendations from over 25 former podcast guests and our team members.
• The Summer Shelves design is clean, crisp, and unique and you’ll receive it in a PDF file format via Patreon.
• If you’d like to get the Summer Shelves companion guide, you can sign up to be a Superstars patron here. You’ll also get access to a monthly bonus podcast series called Double Booked (where Catherine or Susie and I share our own book recommendations in the same format as the big show) and my Rock Your Reading Tracker.

Our Summer Reading Guides

• Sarah’s 2022 Summer Reading Guide
• Susie’s 2022 Summer Reading Guide

Summer Reading [4:23] Books That Missed Last Year’s Summer Reading Guides [4:58]

Sarah

• The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:29]
• The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:12]
• Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:24] 

Susie

• For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:29]
• Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:06] 
• Embassy Wife by Katie Crouch | Amazon | Bookshop.org [21:32] 

Backlist Books That Are Great for Summer Reading [25:30]

Sarah

• Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito | Amazon | Bookshop.org [25:53] 
• Red Notice by Bill Browder | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:39]
• The Fever by Megan Abbott | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:52]

Susie

• Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian | Amazon | Bookshop.org [28:12] 
• The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:09]
• The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:15]

Our #1 Summer Picks by Category  [42:08]

Something Light / Fun

• Sarah: Dilettante by Dana Brown | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:46] 
• Susie: Cover Story by Susan Rigetti | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:03] 

Something Fast Paced / Intense

• Sarah: Upgrade by Blake Crouch (July 12, 2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:48] 
• Susie: Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone (May 24, 2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:52] 

Something with a Bit More Substance

• Sarah: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus | Amazon | Bookshop.org [56:27] 
• Susie: Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:05] 

Something Different

• Sarah: Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:45] 
• Susie: This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:23] 

Other Books Mentioned

• The Family by Naomi Krupitsky [6:53] 
• The Turnout by Megan Abbott [7:01] 
• Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll [7:21] 
• My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing [9:35]
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt [9:48]
• Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates [9:48]
• One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London [12:37] 
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston [12:44] 
• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid [15:14] 
• The Ensemble by Aja Gabel [15:14] 
• Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau [15:14] 
• The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton [15:14] 
• The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff [20:08] 
• The Office by Andy Greene [20:57]
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel [30:15] 
• Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez [30:41]
• Moneyball by Michael Lewis [33:21] 
• We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida [34:17] 
• Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight [38:18] 
• My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams [45:51] 
• The Accident by Chris Pavone [55:54] 
• The Expats by Chris Pavone [56:02] 
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle [1:04:10] 

Other Links

• The New York Times Magazine | What Happened to the Girls in Le Roy

About Susie Boutry

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Susie has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Some of her fondest childhood memories involve long afternoons at the library and then reading late into the night. More than ten years ago, she began journaling about the books she read and turned that passion into writing about books. Her first forays were as a guest reviewer on a friend’s blog, but she soon realized she wanted to be reviewing and talking about books on a blog of her own. From there, Novel Visits was born. That was in 2016 and, though the learning curve was steep, she loves being a part of the book community. Novel Visits focuses on new novel reviews (print and audio), previews of upcoming releases, and musings on all things bookish.