Some books are made for summer. NPR staffers share their all-time favorites

Spare, droll, sometimes ridiculous and poignant, Graham Greene called Travels With My Aunt “the only book I have written just for the fun of it.” An incurious, retired English banker named Henry Pulling travels the world with his eccentric Aunt Augusta after they meet at his mother’s funeral. Henry visits a church for dogs in Brighton, smokes a joint with an American on the Orient Express and lands in a Paraguayan jail after blowing his nose on a red scarf honoring the government. Traveling with Henry out of his comfort zone is a delightful journey.
— Elizabeth Blair, senior producer and reporter, Culture Desk

Happy Hour is a diary of a “Hot Girl Summer.” The novel follows Isa, the diary’s writer, and her best friend, Gala, as they cavort through an NYC summer. They have next to no money, but a lot of charm — the pair penny-pinches by day and grows their social clout at the city’s bars by night. As summer deepens and cash tightens, their friendship — and life in New York – becomes tenuous. I love these broke party girls and their shenanigans! It’s a vibes-forward and seasonal romp, which is exactly my kind of summer read.
— Liam McBain, associate producer, It’s Been a Minute

The Pursuit of Love is a charming romp about one fabulously wealthy Englishwoman’s romantic pursuits, narrated by her slightly less-romantic best friend and cousin. You might not live a life as seemingly pointless as Linda Radlett, but you will enjoy her misadventures wherever you might read them this summer. A collection of truly beautiful words about several truly beautiful people, The Pursuit of Love is that ideal summer read: deceptively mindless, appropriately fast-paced and unexpectedly gorgeous. You’ll cry, you’ll laugh and maybe, just maybe — you’ll fall in love.
— Nick Andersen, producer, Fresh Air archives

The epic history of the Great Migration isn’t an obvious choice for a summer read: It’s not “easy” and it’s 800 pages or so. But reading The Warmth of Other Suns over the course of the summer, especially on vacation, gave me a chance to really absorb the story and to talk about it with family. I would read a chapter or two aloud at night and we would talk about it — something I don’t think we would have or could have done during the school year. And make no mistake, it is an epic, and Isabel Wilkerson’s writing has the verve and pace of a novel.
— Michel Martin, host, Morning Edition

The Interestings of the title is the name for a group of teens at an arts summer camp. The book is the story of how they do or don’t fulfill their potential as they grow into adulthood. How their friendships ebb and flow. How life disappoints and astonishes us.

But really it’s about how friends help you see — and become — yourself. And because it’s written by Meg Wolitzer, the story is gorgeous and juicy and so unputdownable — perfect to devour in summer, when life feels limitless.
— Justine Kenin, editor, All Things Considered

Nicolette Farrell’s best friend disappeared a decade ago in their rural hometown. Years later, Nicolette is home helping her ailing father, and a young neighbor goes missing, bringing back the haunting past. The magic of this book is that it’s told backward, starting on Day 15 and finishing on Day 1. Like so many of Megan Miranda’s thrillers, there are twists and turns you’ll never see coming. It’s a perfect summer read: The dialogue is great and the plot makes it a real page turner. Each day is a new chapter and this creative structure offers built-in breaks — so you can take a minute to jump in the pool.
— Elissa Nadworny, correspondent

I’d never heard the term “second-acting” until I read Moss Hart’s firsthand account of mingling with 1920s intermission crowds in his teens, so he could sneak in with them to cadge Broadway jokes and songs for his Catskills summer camp revues. Practice, it turned out, for one of American theater’s most storied, rags-to-riches careers, as Hart rose from poverty to write classic comedies with George S. Kaufman and direct My Fair Lady. In my own teens, in an era when live theaters mostly shut down for the summer, reading of his exploits is what kept me psyched till the fall stage season picked up.
— Bob Mondello, senior arts critic, Culture Desk

This jaunty mystery takes place in a retirement village, telling the story of four murder-mystery-obsessed friends who finally have a real case to crack. What’s delightful is that there are no stereotypes here — the senior citizens solve the murder with wit, style and ferocious intelligence. The puzzle is intricate and involving, but there’s a breeziness about it that makes it an ideal hammock read. You can likely finish it in one lazy afternoon.
— Jennifer Vanasco, editor and reporter, Culture Desk

Redefining Realness is peak summer reading: a captivating escape into another life. But it also asks a daring question: What does it take to become yourself in a world that’s hostile to your existence? Janet Mock’s journey as a Black trans writer has had specific lessons for me as I found my footing as a gay journalist. But it’s gained new resonance at a moment when trans kids are under attack — and offers insight on how to support trans youth as they become who they’re meant to be. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. Part catharsis, part kiki — and always a journey worth taking.
— Tinbete Ermyas, editor, All Things Considered

A great summer read transports, which Rebecca — rather famously — does from its very first line. Narrated by the second Mrs. de Winter, what happened to the first — the titular Rebecca — unspools over the course of this Gothic classic. The narrator marries the wealthy Maxim de Winter after knowing him for just two weeks. At their estate, Manderley, the devotion of housekeeper Mrs. Danvers to Rebecca ratchets up tension and apprehension between the newly married pair. Set on the cliffs of the Cornish coast, the atmosphere and psychological suspense may send a near-literal chill down your spine.
— Tayla Burney, director, Network Programming and Production

In this volume of essays from poet Ross Gay, we get a catalog of everyday little joys from a year in his life: unspoken pacts of trust between strangers on a train, a dancing praying mantis, the act of blowing things off. Along the way, he ruminates on nature, masculinity, race, and — most of all — our connections to each other. There’s no ignoring the cruelty and pain that also come with life; he’s finding humor and tenderness, even so. Whether you’re traveling or staying home for the summer, it’s the perfect read to inspire observing your corner of the world with a little more care and delight.
— Erica Liao, senior digital analyst, Audience Insight-Research

Yes, I am recommending all 1,500+ pages of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels as a summer read. The four books trace the relationship between two girls across the latter half of the 20th century, exposing hard truths about female friendship while exploring the trajectory of Italian politics and the country’s perpetual North/South divide. Yet I think of these novels as beach reads, not because they’re easy or escapist (they’re emphatically not), but because reading the story feels like being on a municipal beach in Naples: almost too hot; defiantly gritty; inescapably, heartbreakingly beautiful.
— Emily Dagger, senior manager, Member Partnership

Call Me By Your Name, the 2007 novel by André Aciman, follows Elio, 17, as he spends the summer at his parents’ villa in Italy. His days are uneventful until an intriguing houseguest, Oliver, arrives. Slowly, Elio realizes he is in love with him and an all-consuming relationship ensues: the kind where you love someone so much you want them to know what it’s like to be loved by you. In one heartbreaking line, Oliver tells Elio: “Call me by your name and I’ll call you by mine.” This is the perfect book for those looking to electrify their summer with an intense affair.
— Malaka Gharib, editor, Life Kit

This gentle novel from Irish blues musician and writer Rónán Hession follows the adventures of two sweetly bumbling, 30-something men as they go about their daily lives. The book is a delightful summer read because the characters are so incredibly likable: They enjoy playing board games and reading. They do nice things for other people. It’s testament to the author’s skill that this book, so lacking in the traditional trappings of drama, is somehow a total page turner.
— Chloe Veltman, correspondent, Culture Desk

Who Is Maud Dixon? is a wild ride following an aspiring writer as she tries to find her feet in the publishing industry. She takes a new gig as an assistant to an anonymous novelist and finds herself falling in love with her boss’s life — and then trying to steal it. The many twists and turns in the novel make it a beach read — and the vibrant descriptions of Morocco make it a perfect summer escape. If you can’t travel this summer, you can immerse yourself in the luscious descriptions of the seaside, meals and street markets in this story.
— Erin Register, project manager, Network Growth

To me, summer is about adventure and exploration, so my desire to read books that are a little weird and meandering totally spikes. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is one of those books. It doesn’t give you much of a roadmap; instead, it plunges you into a world and invites you to come along. What is it about? I don’t know — a guy living outside Tokyo, a missing cat, mysterious strangers, having too much time on your hands. What I do know is that I couldn’t put it down. Reading felt like wandering through a stranger’s dream: lush, surreal and totally immersive.
— Leah Donnella, senior editor, Code Switch

Red, White & Royal Blue takes readers on a journey that turns rivals into lovers — and sees a lot of self-growth. When Alex Claremont-Diaz’s mom becomes the president of the United States, all eyes turn to the first family, the “American Royal Family.” So when Alex and Prince Henry fall for each other, they have to navigate the struggles of relationships, a reelection cycle and international relations. This story gives the reader a warm hug as it sees Alex learn, process and grow into his own sexuality and sense of self. It is witty and wholesome in all the best ways. June brought Pride Month and summer: What better way to enjoy a day at the beach than to dive into a heartwarming story of becoming yourself in a way that is incredibly accessible to LGBTQ+ youth and allies.
— Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez, audio engineer

Journalist Glynnis MacNicol’s memoir is an engrossing, incisive portrayal of a woman constantly in motion, whether she’s pedaling her bike across New York City to a friend’s party or rushing home to support her ailing mother. MacNicol has no choice but to figure out on her own how to move through life, because preset roadmaps weren’t designed for people like her — a 40-year-old, single, child-free woman. Like summer, the essence of No One Tells You This is escape: to solo vacations, to a dude ranch in Wyoming and, ultimately, from a narrow idea of a meaningful life.
— Rhaina Cohen, producer and editor, Embedded

Lincoln starts a job as a nighttime IT guy assigned to monitor — and therefore read — all of the office email at a newspaper in 1999. He hates his job but finds himself captivated by the hilarious messages that best friends and co-workers Beth and Jennifer exchange every day. Then he starts to develop a crush on Beth. Perhaps an office isn’t the traditional setting for a summer read, but I’ve reread it multiple summers because it makes me so dang happy. Rainbow Rowell is on par with Nora Ephron when it comes to writing kind, lovable characters having witty conversations (my favorite thing).
— Tilda Wilson, Kroc fellow

The Wedding Crasher is a great summer read with its charm and heat. Solange is roped into helping with her cousin’s wedding planning business. But instead of making sure one of the weddings goes off without a hitch, Solange finds herself crashing (and burning) it. The almost-groom Dean has a proposal for Solange — a fake relationship to help him with his career. Fake dating has been done many times before, but never with such great communication. And it was super steamy to boot. Written by a Black, Brazilian American author, The Wedding Crasher shares with us Solange’s boisterous and loving Brazilian family, and they were just as much fun as the romance.
— Anika Steffen, chief employment counsel

A posthaste engagement between Ruby and her boyfriend leads to a wedding taking place at her safta’s summer home in Cape Cod. However, when the wedding day arrives, secrets are revealed, misunderstandings come to light, and this complicated family must confront their own personal mistakes and consequences. This novel is filled with juicy gossip and unparalleled family drama — and is perfect for sitting poolside with a margarita as you dig up the dirt. While at times it may resemble an episode of Jerry Springer, the love and emotion that tie this family together are stronger than DNA.
— Sam Levitz, product manager, Network CMS

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows the life of retired Golden Age Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo through the lens of her infamous seven marriages. We follow along as she falls both in and out of love — with not only the spotlight, but with those around her. This book is like having a summer fling turn to romance — starting with excitement and intrigue and ending with a feeling of never wanting to let go. You’ll never want to say goodbye to Evelyn Hugo, and you’ll be thinking of her for a long time to come.
— Aja Miller, associate, Member Partnerships