real books, no cap

Don’t worry, a real human librarian vetted this list 😊 

Pack your pool bag and don’t forget the books!

These 25 new titles are on everyone's hotlist this summer.  The wait-times may be long, but I've offered plenty of companion reading suggestions to tide you over in the meantine!

Contact the O’Neal librarians at adult@oneallibrary.org if you need assistance meeting your summer reading goals!

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Beth and Frank’s marriage is only long and happy because they work diligently to keep their pasts a secret. And they’ve managed to do just that, until one gunshot changes everything. Now Beth’s first love Gabriel is back in their small town and with him is his young son, who’s a startlingly reminder to Beth of the son she lost. As Beth gets more and more tangled in Gabriel’s life, the one she built with Frank comes unraveling, and she will be forced to choose between her past and her future. 

This title is experiencing significant wait times in Libby, but try The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase if you want to read about more dark family secrets while you wait. 

 The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr

In this moving debut novel set on the west coast of Ireland, a baby boy is discovered on the beach beside a small fishing town in 1973. A fisherman and his family take the baby, Brendan, in as one of their own, and the whole community becomes devoted to the boy. 

If you’re waiting on this title, try The Butcher’s Blessing by Ruth Gilligan (eaudio available in Hoopla) or What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad.

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

Eleven years after defending her ex-husband, Adam, who was charged with murdering his mistress, Sarah has moved on. But when she files for divorce from her new cheating husband, Bob, DNA evidence emerges in Adam’s case, and police reopen the investigation. And then, the woman Bob had an affair with disappears… 

This title has a waitlist on Libby, but there are several of her backlist titles available in eaudio on Hoopla, no lines and no waiting!  

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

In 1895, a train headed to the Paris Montparnasse station is carrying passengers from all over the world when disaster strikes. From train porters to medical students, and from anarchists to Parliament officials, no one is immune from danger once the wheels of fate begin turning. Don’t miss this captivating read based on true events!

Other ebooks and eaudios by this author are available on Libby and Hoopla!  Other great books inspired by true events include Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and Drood by Dan Simmons.

Parent's Weekend by Alex Finlay

Five college students mysteriously disappear during a festive gathering for their parents, sparking panic and a campus-wide search. As FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller investigates, she uncovers secrets from both the students’ close-knit friend group and their families’ troubled pasts. 

While you wait, try some other thrillers like The Dinner by Herman Koch or Bright and Tender Dark by Joanna Pearson.

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass

Fifteen months after surviving a brutal attack, Shelby Dawson is finally starting to feel safe again — until a threatening note reignites her worst fears. As strange accidents multiply and her best friend’s missing husband becomes a key piece of the puzzle, Shelby races to uncover the truth before someone else vanishes for good. 

Many of her backlist titles are available in ebook and eaudio in Hoopla, no lines and no waiting! You may also enjoy the suspense novels of Mary Kubica, Riley Sager, Lucy Foley, and Ruth Ware.

Adventures in the Louvre by Elaine Sciolino

Even if you’ve visited the Louvre in Paris before, you’ll fall in love with it anew through the eyes of Elaine Sciolino, who takes readers on a tour through the museum’s incredible works of art and the people who help create, maintain, and protect them. 

Journey to a variety of other museums through story in Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson (eaudio available in Hoopla), The Museum of Whales You Will Never See by A. Kendra Greene, or The Feather Thief by Kirk Johnson.

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe

In 1908 South Carolina, young Eliza Rivers treasures her days growing up on her family’s estate, but war looms on the horizon in Europe, threatening to endanger even those in her sleepy Lowcountry town. Decades later, Eliza is an octogenarian attempting to preserve her family’s estate — and every decision she makes has consequences that will ripple through generations for years to come.

If family drama is your jam, you may also enjoy Wally Lamb, Helen Simonson, and Dorothea Benton Frank.

Liquid by Mariam Rahmani

When a witty young woman mired in academia comes to the conclusion that it’s more realistic to marry rich than to make it as a professor, she creates a plan to go on 100 dates over the upcoming summer. Her best friend, Adam, isn’t so thrilled by the idea. Yet the narrator’s quest comes to an abrupt halt when a family crisis pulls her to Tehran and causes her to rethink her strategy — and to finally realize what will make her truly happy.

Young women on the cusp of adulthood make a splash in other novels, like Holiday Country by Inci Atrek (ebook available in Hoopla), Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez, and Gabriele by Anne Berest (not yet available in ebook/eudio in the library system).

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay

In 1991, two young women strike up a correspondence that will last for years and change their lives. Frida Rodriguez is newly arrived in Paris, ready to make her way as a war correspondent. Kate Fair is a bookseller in Seattle. Their friendship will transform them, carrying them through romance, tragedy, and the changing world.

This is definitely a book about books and the top recommendation you’ll get from it is Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively (ebook & eaudio in Hoopla, no lines and no waiting) and M.F.K. Fisher (some also in Hoopla)! Other titles by Kim Fay are available on Libby.

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (not yet available in the library system)

Skye’s not comfortable with her husband’s family billions, but she tries to make it work for their daughter. When her father-in-law dies, his luxury goods empire isn’t split among the three sons as expected — instead, an illegitimate heir appears to claim it. The family gathers at their seaside estate to meet the newcomer, but the weekend goes terribly wrong… As Sergeant Mei O’Connor works alongside Skye to unearth answers, they discover the dark secrets of the ultrarich.

If dark-secrets-of-the-ultrarich is your reading jam, definitely try The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins!  Also of note, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, and The Club by Ellery Lloyd.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez

In Gilded Age New York, Rua has no memory of her life, so when she’s mistaken for the wealthy, notorious Emma Harrington, she plays along. When she meets Irish lord Finn Donore at a society party, sparks fly — but Finn and Rua soon realize those sparks represent an old, magical connection. Slowly, Rua uncovers her lost memories, but every revelation deepens the mystery of their shared past… 

For mistaken identity minus the fantasy, try Allie Larkin’s Why Can’t I Be You.  A newer fantasy series launch may capture your imagination, The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig!

Matriarch by Tina Knowles

From her childhood in Galveston, Texas, to raising Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, Tina Knowles has impressed many with her tenacity, ambition, and wisdom. She grew up determined to live in a better world, one where a talented girl could thrive without the limitations placed on her due to her race or upbringing. Businesswoman, fashion designer, art collector, activist — Knowles has quite the list of titles, but, as she relates in this memoir, the role she values most is her place within her own family.

Other books about strong women and mothers include Dirtbag Queen by Andy Corren, Blood by Allison Moorer, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, and Sara and Eleanor by Jan Pottker (ebook available in Hoopla).

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio

Lena’s expecting her boyfriend of two years to propose, so when she’s instead left heartbroken, she heads to her aunt’s house for comfort. To her surprise, she wakes in Paris — and finds herself married to a man from her past. Next, she’s in Ireland, then New York, each time with a former love interest. Could one of them be the one?

Exploring how different choices would create different lives is something that Rebecca Serle and Matt Haig do very well!

Just Our Luck by Denise Williams

Sybil Sweet is determined to change her life — and that means both buying a lottery ticket for $250 million and hooking up with Kieran Anderson, a med student running his family’s struggling bakery. But when Sybil leaves her lottery ticket behind with Kieran — and it turns out to have the winning number  — the two of them wind up in a fake relationship as they try to sort out their finances, baked goods, and hearts.

Poolside reading and romance go together like peanut butter and jam!  Try It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian (ebook/eaudio available in Hoopla), or any books by Lyla Sage, Christina Lauren, Tessa Bailey, or Piper Rayne.

Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn by Renee Swindle (not yet in the library system)

After Francine Stevenson rescues 10-year-old Davie from bullies, she’s surprised when he continues to show up on her doorstep. Soon, they strike up an unusual friendship, and Francine knows she must introduce herself to Davie’s foster mom — who turns out to be Jeanette, Francine’s high school crush. As Francine tries to navigate the sticky situation she’s found herself in, she learns to draw on her own inner strength in a way she never has before.

Until we can get this one on the shelf, try Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, The Pairing by Casey McQuiston, or Trouble by Lex Croucher.

The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien

When Lina and her father flee their home, they arrive at The Sea — a strange place where time and space have folded in on themselves. Lina’s neighbors come from Tang Dynasty China, 17th-century Amsterdam, and 1930s Germany. When Lina’s father takes ill and begins telling Lina the truth about his past and their need to flee their home, her perception of everything changes.

Liminal spaces abound in these great reads: The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan, The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. 

Summer Light on Nantucket by Nancy Thayer

Forty-five-year-old Blythe Benedict may be newly divorced, but she’s managing her four children and career just fine from their Boston home. The family’s annual summer trip to Nantucket is always a welcome escape, but this year it proves to be filled with drama in the form of everything from teenage outbursts to shocking secrets involving her ex — not to mention a couple of handsome suitors. This beach vacation won’t be like any other, but with the strength of her family and friends, it just might be Blythe’s best summer yet!

Families, warts and all, are on full display in full-hearted reads like We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes, Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead, and the novels of Elizabeth Berg.

This Dog Will Change Your Life by Elias Weiss Friedman 

Elias Weiss Friedman, known as The Dogist, has spent a lifetime living with, documenting, and appreciating dogs. Here, he offers a deceptively simple suggestion: Dogs make our lives better. To support this, he offers a myriad of dog stories — about dogs he’s known intimately, dogs he’s met, and dogs in general — which underscore the fact that dogs have a strong tendency to help us strive for betterment, increase our empathy, and give us a reason to get up in the morning. This book will give you a greater appreciation for man’s best friend.

Meet some of the bestest boys in the novel The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and the memoirs Marley and Me by John Grogan and James Herriot's Dog Stories.

The Fourth Girl: A Novel by Wendy Corsi Staub

In 1997, teens Talia, Caroline, Kelly, and Midge are best friends in the peaceful town of Mulberry Bay, New York. They each have big plans for their future — but on prom night, Caroline disappears, and three years later the surviving friends are estranged and hiding a secret — a secret so dark it has poisoned their young lives. Decades later, when Caroline’s old boyfriend, Gordy, turns up dead, Midge — now a detective — launches an investigation. She soon has reason to believe that they didn’t bury the past’s secrets deep enough — and they may be coming back to haunt them all.

These may have a short wait, but also try Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera or God of the Woods by Liz Moore.

Lethal Prey by John Sandford

Sandford’s latest Lucas Davenport thriller focuses on a very cold case: Twenty years ago, accountant Doris Grandfelt was stabbed to death. Her body was found at a park near St. Paul, Minnesota, but the exact location of the murder was never determined. Despite her best efforts, Doris’s sister Lara couldn’t persuade the authorities to keep working on the case. After a terminal diagnosis, Lara decides to go all in: She uploads the entire case file to every true crime podcast or blogger she can find and offers a $5 million award. As clues and tips flood in, Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are brought in — but soon realize the killer is watching everything.

Follow the clues and solve the cold case in these stellar novels as well: All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers, Red River Road by Anna Downes, and Head Cases by John McMahon.

The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian

For decades, Nell has kept a secret buried in the pages of Jane Eyre — a birth record revealing that she does not share the same mother as her sister, Evie. As Nell digs into their past, hazy childhood memories lead to a shocking truth hidden in Depression-era Mississippi. Dual storylines converge as buried secrets come to light in this tale of betrayal and redemption.

Secret births, dark pasts, family secrets....find them all in these: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb, and Chord of Evil by Sarah Rayne (ebook available in Hoopla).

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

Colette Marceau learns everything she knows about being a thief from her Parisian mother, Annabel… including only stealing from the corrupt and giving the profits to the needy. But in 1942, Annabel is arrested by the Nazis and executed, and the body of Colette’s younger sister is found in the Seine. Years later, a bracelet that belonged to Colette’s sister is shown in a Boston museum exhibit — and it might lead Annabel to the answers she’s been seeking about her past…

I love a museum, any museum.  In addition to the suggestions listed earlier for Adventures in the Louvre, try The Stolen Queen by Fiona Barton, Relic by Douglas Preston, and The Museum Detective by Maha Khan Phillips.

The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes

In order to save her reputation in the backlash of a political scandal, editor Millie Lang is reassigned to work in Montana to produce travel guides. Millie is soon wrapped up in a local mystery involving the Boxcar Library, an organization created to circulate books amongst the wide-spread mining towns. A miner’s daughter, Collette Durand, has disappeared — and suspicious evidence points to the apparent involvement of librarian Alice Monroe. This novel, based on a true story, is the latest from the author of The Librarian of Burned Books. 

If you haven’t read The Librarian of Burned Books, the ebook and eaudio are available on Hoopla.  Also worth mentioning are The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Richardson and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes.

Awake in the Floating City by Susanna Kwan

Years into the future, the formerly bustling city of San Francisco has been flooded, the majority of its inhabitants having either died or fled long ago. Bo, a struggling artist, finds unexpected purpose when she becomes the caregiver for Mia, a 130-year-old woman who refuses to leave their disappearing city. As their bond deepens, Bo rediscovers her artistic calling — and learns profound lessons about memory, loss, and what it truly means to put down roots. 

In the subgenre of Cli-Fi (climate fiction), All the Waterin the World by Eiren Caffall, Private Rites by Julia Armfield, and Wild DarkShore by Charlotte McConaghy are also excellent.  They are new as well and may also be a bit difficult to get hold of right now, so look for Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker or The Naming Song by Jedediah Berry.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

Follow four generations of the Texas Bright family in this engaging saga. When Lillian and Ryan marry, they’re both keeping secrets from each other: Lillian has a son already, and Ryan is addicted to alcohol. Their daughter, Georgette, tries to separate from her parents, but when Lillian’s son reappears, Georgette must truly consider the meaning of forgiveness and family.

Other family sagas of note include The Son by Philipp Meyer and Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. More brutally beautiful (or beautifully brutal?) are Animalia and Son of Man, both by Jean-Baptiste del Amo, and Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen.

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

A lottery winner with a failing heart, PJ Halliday sets off on a cross-country road trip to reunite with his high school crush — but his plans take an unexpected turn when he becomes the guardian of his estranged brother’s orphaned grandchildren. Joined by his adult daughter and a death-predicting cat, PJ sets out on a journey that could give him a second chance at love and family.

From road trips to journeys of growth, these other titles will also move you: How Does that Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? By Anna Montegue, How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Doktorski (YA and oh so fun!), and The Guncle by Steven Rowley.

The Tenant by Freida McFadden

When Blake Porter’s boss at his advertising firm dies by suicide, Blake gets a big promotion. To celebrate, he and his fiancée, Krista, purchase an expensive brownstone. When Blake is laid off almost as soon as they close on the house, they’re plunged into financial crisis. Against their better judgment, they decide to rent out the spare bedroom to make ends meet, feeling lucky when bright, affable Whitney Cross signs a lease. But their relief soon curdles as Whitney becomes increasingly hostile and unpleasant, and Blake begins to wonder if she’s a sociopath — but is Blake himself all that he seems?

When rentals go horribly, terribly wrong!  For more thrilling and chilling stories of rogue housemates, try The Tenant by Roland Topor, The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon, and Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch.

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

When their one-night stand turns into a nautical nightmare, Zeke and Lexi wake up adrift on an untethered houseboat. With limited supplies and endless hours together, survival isn’t their only challenge… falling in love might just be the riskiest part of it all! Jodi Picoult raves: “Suffice to say I drowned — happily — in this book.”

Close quarters in a boat also bring Daisy and Theo together in the sweet romance, New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock by Hannah Lynn.  Hannah Lynn's complete catalog is availabe in ebook and eaudio on Hoopla.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (ebook and eaudio are available in Hoopla, no lines and no waiting!)

Margaret Ryan’s suburban life in 1960s Virginia seems picture-perfect, but she still feels an inexplicable sense of discontentment. When intriguing new neighbor Charlotte Gustafson moves to the area, Margaret engineers a book club to find reasons to bond with her, leading to a year that the women in their quiet neighborhood won’t likely forget.

Women banding together makes for compelling narratives in these titles as well: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla!), Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla!), The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, and Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid.

What Is Wrong with You? By Paul Rudnick

A collection of quirky characters all head to a billionaire’s destination wedding on a private island. Each and every one of them just wants to celebrate with the lucky couple, have a good time — and maybe discover why they haven’t found love themselves. 

If a bad mood cure is what you’re after, also try The Schoolof Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister, I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney (eaudio available in Hoopla, no lines and no waiting!), and My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith.

Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein

Every summer, a charming lake house in Maine is visited in turn by Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster — half sisters who don’t know the other exists. After their father’s death, each woman is shocked to find the other grieving at the cabin. They both must face the betrayals of their parents’ pasts… and discover how to build a new kind of family for the future.

Catch up on some Orenstein's backlist titles in eaudio on Hoopla! Explore more of the Maine scenery or complicated family relationships in these: Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan, The Half Sister by Sandie Jones, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, and Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie.

Passion Project by London Sperry

Grieving and directionless, Bennet Taylor feels stuck after the death of her first love. When she drunkenly confesses to the man she stood up that she’s not ready to date, Henry Adams proposes a challenge: Every Saturday, they’ll try an activity to help her rediscover passion. As their adventures push Bennet out of her comfort zone, her connection with Henry grows deeper…

Relationship-forward and poignant, these are also very empathetic tales: Sipsworth by Simon van Booy (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla), Weekends with You by Alexandra Paige (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla), P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla), The Life List by Lori Spielman, and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (ebook and eaudio on Hoopla).

https://www.bookbub.com/blog/new-books-to-read-by-the-pool-2025