Time to pack some books and go on a summer vacation. Or let’s be honest, camp on the couch for some uninterrupted reading time. Here are the best books of summer 2022.
Best books to read this Summer
I have always wondered what a good summer read should be. I love a heavy, engrossing doorstopper as much as a light, frothy love story, so this list gives you the best of all kinds of books. If you are in the mood for some academic banter, or rich British-Nigerian girls having fun, or scams that sweep the carpet off your feet, or amateur detectives on summer vacation or literary gems of passages that’ll fill up your reading journals—Read on!
Best Light Reads for Summer 2022
1. Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
Cover Story is a perfect summer read featuring an aspiring writer and intern at Elle magazine, Lora Ricci and the enigmatic, rich contributing editor Cat Wolff. When Cat Wolff (also the daughter of a powerful man) takes newbie Lora Ricci under her wings, the two girls strike a strong friendship. Wolff guides Ricci her through Elle projects, ghost writing and side hustles. I was completely in awe of this world of scam artists, suite perks at the Plaza hotel, daddy-daughter issues, extravagant parties, crypto coins and power imbalances. Very enjoyable—If you loved Inventing Anna on Netflix, this is one of the best books of summer 2022 for you.
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2. Lore Olympus 2 by Rachel Smyte
Ever since I came across Rachel Smyte’s webtoon where Greek gods live modern lives with social media and phones and dating apps, I’ve been obsessed. The second volume of Lore Olympus is perfect to relax with more gossip about the gods, romance, and everything that’ll make you swoon.
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3. The No-show by Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary once again proves that she can write characters that burrow their way into your hearts. The No-Show is told through the POV of three women who are stood up by the same man on Valentine’s day. Anything more would give the plot away; but know that you will be more invested in the story of this man with every page.
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Also Read: Books for all moods of 2022
4. Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
Welcome to the world of counterfeit. Ava Wong’s college roommate Winnie Fang reconnects with her, right when Wong’s life is falling apart. Counterfeit takes us on a ride through Chinese markets manufacturing luxury goods, illegal business, high end department stories, gangs and money.
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5. Seven days in June by Tia Williams
The perfect mix of romance and live wire characters. Be sure to pack a few more books for your vacation because you’ll race through this love story between literary fiction writer Sean and vampire erotica writer Eva Mercy in a few hours. Seven days in June is about angst, first loves, second chances in love, single mothers and wise teenagers. It is funny (really), sensual, torrid, hot and simply the best beach read.
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6. Wahala by Nikki May
I absolutely adored this tight friends-group of three upper-class British-Nigerian women and the glamorous fourth girl who stirs up trouble in paradise. Read for flaky boyfriends, shopping sprees, gossip sessions, fun times, and above all, women being there for one another. Don’t sleep on this debut; Wahala is right there with the best books of summer 2022.
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Also Read : Book Review : Wahala by Nikki May
Best Books of Summer 2022 with More Bite
7. Disorientation by Elaine Hseih Chou
Disorientation is one of my favourite books of the year, not just one of the best books of summer 2022. It is a witty satire on academia, persons of color in literary departments, and inter racial relationships. It is about white supremacy, fetish towards Asians and their culture, the othering of cultures and languages, the roadblock towards finding one’s individuality, white saviours, fascists, and American academia’s expectations from a Taiwanese-American woman. It is filled with grey characters—a near-perfect boyfriend who is a successful translator but cannot speak the language, the Asian wife of a professor who has to fake enthusiasm, activists who question popular takes but are also selfish for their own needs, academicians who contrive facts. This novel made me laugh and re-read passages but the end of it I simply sat down wondering whether anything would change, and when would that change arrive?
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8. The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara
The Immortal King Rao is about a lot of things—the rise of a Dalit CEO in an alternate America, coconut groves in India, women being accessories to men’s success, the impact of data sharing and collective memory algorithms, new worlds falling apart, the effect of algorithms with artificial intelligence on the common man. This ambitious debut novel manages to bind together human ambition with technological advancements—It made me think about a lot of things.
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9. Vladimir by Julia May Jones
Vladimir has been a buzzy book of 2022 for all the right reasons. I was completely under the spell of the bold, erudite narrator, a fifty something Literature professor whose husband is accused of being a sexual predator. I loved the mix of gender politics, power dynamics, academia and lust, making Vladimir an edgy, witty novel that you cannot look away from.
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10. A House between Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm
I could not stop reading A House between Earth and the Moon after turning the first page on a train ride; in fact I kept reading the chunky hardback when I had to wait to cross the road. This is a story set in the near future where famines and wild fires are common. A group of scientists, isolated on a space station, are working on a super alga that can reverse the effects of climate change. It is the story of scientific ethics, corporations and privatization, misuse of data, effect of data on social structures like the home, school and personal space, algorithms that can predict human actions, families in a new world and more. It is an engaging, slow burn that’ll keep you occupied for several hours and also feel a little anxious about the world we are leaving behind for the future generations.
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11. Things They Lost by Okwiri Oduor
Attention fans of magical realism. Things they Lost by Okwiri Oduor is the story of a girl with an absent mother, raised by ghosts residing in the attic of a crumbling mansion in a fictional Kenyan town. It is a coming-of-age story about finding yourself, inter-generational trauma, mothers, ghosts, dreams, matriarchs, and deaths. The personal narrative sits snug with the historical in this utterly beautiful, magical tale.
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Also Read : Book Review : Things They Lost—a beautiful, lyrical story
12. Pure Colour by Sheila Heiti
I find it difficult to put in words how Pure Colour by Sheila Heiti moved me, but I’ll try. Filled with beautiful passages that you’ll itch to underline, Pure Colour is a literary marvel that explores creation as a first draft by a higher power. It is about life, and moments, and memories, and humans navigating grief—all of which make each day a wonderful experience. You can see some of my favourite passages here.
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Best Books of Summer 2022 for Kids
13. Paati vs UNCLE by Meera Ganapathi
Inju’s boring holidays with his grandmother at her retirement colony get exciting when there’s a thief who steals tupperware and papads, on the run. The uncles (The Underground Nightly Cooperative League of Elders) are of no use and are determined that only the men are worthy of being its members; so Inju and his grandmother have to form a new crew of detectives to solve the mystery. Read for how to win against bullies and a foul-mouthed parrot.
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14. Help! My Aai wants to Eat Me by Bijal Vachharajani
A hilarious book where Avi discovers that his mother might be a cannibal and wants to eat him. How does he keep himself safe in his own house? This is probably the book that made me laugh the most this year.
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15. Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
Amari believes that her missing elder brother will come back one day. But things take a turn when she receives a note that her brother has nominated her into the Bureau of Supernatural Investigations. She has to earn her way as a junior agent, be roommates with a weredragon, and hopefully find her brother. A fast-paced, action-packed adventure book about friendships, dark magic, fortune tellers and egoistic families.
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Also read : Reading List : The best middle grade fantasy books
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Lore Olympus is going right on to my to-read list! I’d not heard of it before but it sounds fantastic.
It is really really good. You’ll need a lot of restraint to stop yourself from reading it all from the webtoon and actually waiting for the book releases. (I am kidding. Binge the webtoon if you like the read)