2024 Adult Summer Reading Guide

Through the Groves

A Memoir

By: Anne Hull
Narrated by: Anne Hull
Length: 5 hours 48 minutes

“If you grew up in Central Florida in the 60’s or 70’s (like me), if you live there now or are simply curious about 'old Florida' this is a must read. Hull perfectly captures the sensory delights of growing up amongst orange groves and Spanish Moss and transports you back to a simpler place and time. Her rich story telling is filled with warmth,... Read more

Sandwich

A Novel

By: Catherine Newman
Narrated by: Nan McNamara
Length: 5 hours 43 minutes

Look for Wreck, the new novel by Catherine Newman—a deeply moving story of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn’t go as planned—Coming October 2025. INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“Sandwich is joy in book form. I laughed continuously, except for the parts that made me cry. Catherine Newman does a... Read more

Same As It Ever Was

A Novel

By: Claire Lombardo
Narrated by: Emily Rankin
Length: 18 hours 21 minutes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK BY PEOPLE AND PARADE • The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (“wonderfully immersive…deliciously absorbing”—NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past... Read more

Curvy Girl Summer

Curve: Book #1

By: Danielle Allen
Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan
Length: 12 hours 23 minutes

“AHMAD IS SUCH A HOT MMC OMFG!!! This book started off with a bang (literally) and had some of the funniest banter I’ve read between love interests. I listened to the audio book of this one and LOVED the narrator, she made this such a fun book to listen to! Aaliyah is determined to find a boyfriend before her 30th birthday, leading to a string of... Read more

Just Add Water

My Swimming Life

By: Katie Ledecky
Narrated by: Katie Ledecky
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes

“I will never not be impressed with Katie Ledecky. A beast of an athlete and a gem of a human! I look forward to what this woman will accomplish in the rest of her swimming career and beyond. Do yourself a favor and listen to her book before, while, or after she continues her LEGACY at the 2024 Paris Olympics :) Read more

Margo's Got Money Troubles

A Novel

By: Rufi Thorpe
Narrated by: Elle Fanning
Length: 10 hours 21 minutes

“A chaotically goofy tale of a young Margo, new to adulthood, motherhood, and fending for herself. Margo sure does have money troubles, and she's creative enough to solve them in unconventional ways. Full of strife, empathy, learning, and forgiveness, this honest and hilarious story deserves a listen. Read more

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby

A Novel

By: Ellery Lloyd
Narrated by: Nneka Okoye, Joshua Akehurst & Eleanor Jackson
Length: 10 hours 59 minutes

“Read this in about two sittings—absolutely loved it. Dazzlingly clever and beautifully twisty. Don’t miss it!!”—Emilia Hart, author of WeywardThe gripping follow up to the “smart, stylish, and savage” (People) New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick The Club—a twisty mystery involving a cursed wealthy family and a Surrealist... Read more

Running Close to the Wind

By: Alexandra Rowland
Narrated by: Casey Jones
Length: 14 hours 48 minutes

“Our Flag Means Death fans rejoice, we have a new favorite hilarious queer pirate crew on the high seas! Running Close to the Wind is absolutely ridiculous in the best way possible, full of hijinks and found family. Aim your cannonballs true, you won't want to miss this! Read more

Swift River

A Read with Jenna Pick

By: Essie Chambers
Narrated by: Shayna Small, Janina Edwards & Robin Miles
Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

“Diamond is such a raw and worthy character, I loved every minute of her. Read more

Just Some Stupid Love Story

A Novel

By: Katelyn Doyle
Narrated by: Christine Lakin & Tim Paige
Length: 10 hours 31 minutes

“Part second-chance, part opposite attracts, this was a super fun rom-com! Read more

Magical/Realism

Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders

By: Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
Narrated by: Vanessa Angélica Villarreal
Length: 12 hours 24 minutes

Longlisted for the National Book Award

Longlisted for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism

A brilliant, singular collection of essays that looks to music, fantasy, and pop culture—from Beyoncé to Game of Thrones—to excavate and reimagine what has been disappeared by migration and colonialism.

Upon becoming a new mother,... Read more

The Honey Witch

By: Sydney J. Shields
Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw
Length: 13 hours 1 minute

“In cozy fantasy fashion, the plot is a bit slow, but the characters are well done, and I was invested in their well being. The world building also kept my attention, as the world around the Honey Witch is a character unto itself. The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall I really enjoyed this sapphic witchy cozy fantasy! Read more

Sipsworth

By: Simon Van Booy
Narrated by: Christine Rendel
Length: 5 hours 9 minutes

“Helen Cartwright is passing the time she has left making tea, listening to the radio, and watching old movies on the BBC. Each day is the equivalent of another shovelful of soil into a grave that she looks forward to occupying. She is alone after the deaths of both her husband and son. One rainy morning, she decides to bring home a fish tank... Read more

Tits Up

What Sex Workers, Milk Bankers, Plastic Surgeons, Bra Designers, and Witches Tell Us about Breasts

By: Sarah Thornton
Narrated by: Sarah Thornton
Length: 8 hours 45 minutes

AN INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE FIVE STRANGE WORLDS THAT WORSHIP WOMEN’S CHESTS.

After years of biopsies, best-selling author Sarah Thornton made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy. But, after her reconstructive surgery, she was perplexed: What had she lost? And gained? An experienced sleuth, she resolved to venture behind the... Read more

Women and Children First

A Novel

By: Alina Grabowski
Narrated by: Abigail Reno, EJ Lavery, Maria McCann, Veronica Giguere & Jordan Claire McCraw
Length: 10 hours 45 minutes

“I am a big fan of Women and Children First . . . Alina Grabowski is an astute and limber narrative artist and I could read her prose all day long and never grow weary.”?Lorrie Moore, author of A Gate at the Stairs A gripping literary puzzle that unwinds the private lives of ten women as they confront tragedy in a small Massachusetts town.... Read more

Missing White Woman

By: Kellye Garrett
Narrated by: Ariel Blake
Length: 12 hours

A "propulsive page-turner" (Alyssa Cole) and "thriller not to be missed" (Michael Connelly) from the award-winning author of Like a Sister, in which a woman thinks she’s waking up to a romantic vacation—only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone.

The truth is never skin deep.
 
It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend... Read more

A Letter to the Luminous Deep

By: Sylvie Cathrall
Narrated by: Claire Morgan, Kit Griffiths, Justin Avoth & Joshua Riley
Length: 12 hours 30 minutes

“An academic mystery unraveled through letter correspondences. A beautiful portrait of connection through the lens of people othered by their neurodivergence. Strange and tender in equal parts. Read more

One of Us Knows

A Thriller

By: Alyssa Cole
Narrated by: Susan Dalian
Length: 10 hours 13 minutes

“A creepy castle on a secluded island, post-pandemic hangover, childhood trauma and a murder mystery. It's a lot, in a good way. Read more

Butter

A Novel of Food and Murder

By: Asako Yuzuki
Narrated by: Hanako Footman
Length: 17 hours 11 minutes

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true storyThere are two things that I simply cannot tolerate: feminists and margarine.Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in the Tokyo Detention House convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, whom she... Read more

There's Always This Year

On Basketball and Ascension

By: Hanif Abdurraqib
Narrated by: Hanif Abdurraqib
Length: 8 hours 40 minutes

“Using basketball as a vehicle for reflection of East Columbus history and personal memoir, There’s Always This Year is a triumph of contemplative, emotionally-rich writing that will have you wiping tears and on the edge of your seat. Read more