List
Summer Reading Suggestions for Historical Fiction and Literary Fiction Readers
Whether you love books that feature complex relationships, family drama, or simply want to jump back into the past, here are some books you might enjoy.
-
Woodworking
2025 by St. James, EmilyGet this itemAffirming, funny, heartbreaking, and supportive. A character-driven debut novel about navigating trans-ness, a journey of self-acceptance, and the unlikely friendships that you make to form a loving community. Suggested by Amy G. and Rummanah.
-
The Unexpected Diva
2025 by Warren, Tiffany L.Get this itemTiffany Warren explores the life of Eliza Greenfield, a gifted, young Black woman during the decade before emancipation. The book highlights her extraordinary accomplishments and her determination and resilience to achieve her dream of being a renowned opera singer in this incredibly inspiring, well researched, and loving tribute. Recommended to readers who enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The Lotus Shoes
2025 by Yang, JaneGet this itemTravel back into 19th-century China in this coming-of-age story about love, sisterhood, and identity. Rich storytelling, complex characters, and interesting historical details are only a few of the things that make this book a compelling read. Suggested by Paul.
-
Deep Cuts
2025 by Brickley, HollyGet this itemFans of Daisy Jones and the Six won’t want to miss this complicated love story about two music enthusiasts, with a “will they, won’t they” vibe. A movie adaptation is in the works and it’s sure to have an epic soundtrack. Suggested by Brenna.
-
A Calamity of Noble Houses
2025 by Ghenim, AmiraGet this itemOne fateful night tears apart two wealthy Tunisian families in 1935 Tunis. Told through multiple perspectives, the event is recounted disclosing secrets, deception, and betrayal that will keep readers guessing and enthralled. Ghenim describes a richly detailed Tunisia set against the backdrop of Tunisian independence. An engrossing historical fiction title that is not to be missed. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
I Might Be in Trouble
2024 by Aleman, DanielGet this itemUninspired author David takes the night off to hook up with a handsome stranger, only to wake up next to his corpse the next morning. This book is full of slapstick and dark comedy, following David and his agent while they try to keep David from taking the blame for the death, and to figure out how to sell the book the whole debacle inspires. Fun, fast-paced, and at times disarmingly earnest, this constantly escalating title will have you hooked. Suggested by Amy G.
-
The Lilac People
2025 by Todd, MiloGet this itemInspired by real events, this engrossing historical debut novel follows a trans man and his chosen family as they struggle to survive during and after World War II. With extensive research, the author highlights the history of LGBTQ+ Germans during World War II and illustrates the power of love and community in the face of oppression. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The Favorites
2025 by Fargo, LayneGet this itemThis new, buzzy contemporary fiction follows Katarina and Heath, two Olympic-level ice dancing partners whose complex relationship is filled with years of scorching chemistry and drama on and off the ice. With an unauthorized documentary about their “real lives” looming, Kat decides she is ready to come forward after a decade of silence to finally address the rumors and tell their story. Suggested by Aubree.
-
The Paris Express
2025 by Donoghue, EmmaGet this itemIn 1895, the destinies of nearly two dozen mostly real people—among them the African American painter Henry Osawa Tanner, a secretary who grasps the potential of moving pictures, and an “exotic” cabaret performer who posed for Gaugin—are intertwined over the course of what should have been a routine train trip. Emphasis on should have. The book captures an era of skyrocketing inequality and dizzying technological change. In other words, it feels a lot like today. Suggested by Andrew.
-
Small Ceremonies
2025 by Edwards, KyleGet this itemA coming-of-age and moving debut novel follows a group of Native high school hockey players in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, over the course of their last season and their struggles of identity when their community is lost. Recommended for fans of Morgan Talty and Oscar Hokeah. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Happy Land
2025 by Perkins-Valdez, DolenGet this itemIn Reconstruction-era Appalachia, a kingdom existed that was inspired by African kings and queens. A haven for freed slaves, the land was passed on for generations. Jumping to the present day, one family fights to keep their legacy and inheritance in this character-driven and hopeful novel. Suggested by Brenna.
-
Too Soon
2025 by Shamieh, BettyGet this itemShamieh’s sweeping, atmospheric, and character-driven debut novel follows three generations of Palestinian American women through war, emigration, and their search for creative fulfillment. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Rooms for Vanishing
2025 by Nadler, StuartGet this itemTorn apart by violence and spread across four separate storylines, each member of the Alterman family believes that they are their family's sole survivor of the Holocaust. But are they? Poetic, complex, and heartbreaking, this sweeping epic is a stunning work of literary fiction. Suggested by Paul.
-
The Boy from the Sea
2025 by Carr, GarrettGet this itemAn intimate and evocative debut novel set 1970's Donegal, Ireland, it centers on a baby boy found on the beach and adopted by fisherman Ambrose Bonnar and his family. The book paints a colorful picture of Irish village life, along with acute observations of parenthood and siblinghood. Recommended for fans of Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan and Time of the Child by Niall Williams. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Gingko Season
by Xu Elegant, NaomiGet this itemSince having her heart broken two years ago, Penelope Lin has remained closed off to love and relationships. She spends her days working in a museum, organizing its archive of hundreds of shoes for Qing dynasty women with bound feet. When she meets Hoang, a cancer researcher with an unguarded demeanor, Penelope might be reconsidering making herself vulnerable again. Told in keen observations and capturing three seasons of reawakening, challenges, and transformations, this debut novel is a story of rediscovering yourself after heartbreak. For readers of Elif Batuman and Salley Rooney. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The Antidote
2025 by Russell, KarenGet this itemThis book transports readers to the Dust Bowl-era where four people—a woman known as a prairie witch, a basketball player, a wheat farmer, and a traveling photographer meet—their lives increasingly intertwined. Historical fiction and magical realism blend beautifully in this highly acclaimed and hotly anticipated novel of 2025. Suggested by Rummanah
-
The Road to Tender Hearts
2025 by Hartnett, AnnieGet this itemIn this bittersweet, whimsical, and offbeat road trip novel, PJ Halliday just won the $1.5 million dollar lottery and makes his way across the U.S. to find his high school crush—accompanied by his adult daughter, two orphans, and a cat with the power to predict death. Readers will fall in love with the well-developed characters and be reminded of life’s joy and the connections we make despite life’s stumbling blocks and sorrows. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The South
by Aw, TashGet this itemSet over the course of the summer, this bittersweet novel centers on a Malaysian family as they grapple with expectations and personal secrets at their remote farm that is facing drought and disrepair. In a glowing review, Publisher Weekly calls the book a “masterwork of psychological realism.” Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The Hymn to Dionysus
2025 by Pulley, NatashaGet this itemA witty, bittersweet, and utterly captivating reimagining of the myth of Dionysus. While drawing extensively on original Greek source materials for her novel, Natasha Pulley adds her own colorful touches, including the magnetic voice of the self-deprecating and duty-bound Phaidros, who must choose between what his heart wants and the responsibilities he must uphold. Fans of Greek myth retellings who don’t mind going off script would thoroughly enjoy this novel. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Old School Indian
2025 by Curtis, Aaron JohnGet this itemThis thought-provoking, serio-comical, and reflective debut novel follows Abe Jacobs as he returns home and to his Mohawk heritage to heal wounds that are both literal and metaphorical. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
I Will Blossom Anyway
2025 by Bose, DishaGet this itemDurga, the quietest child in her Indian family, moves to Ireland for a new job and goes on a journey of self-discovery, exploring freedom and falling in love, only to face the difficult choice between her newfound identity and her roots. This coming-of-age story explores ethnic identity, what it means to move to a new country, and the power of found family. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Fun for the Whole Family
2025 by Smith, Jennifer E.Get this itemIn this layered family drama, four vastly different siblings are reunited for a weekend. As the weekend unfolds, and the siblings wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures, they’ll discover three secrets that could change everything. Recommended for fans of Catherine Newman and Claire Lombardo. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
Brother Brontë
2025 by Flores, Fernando A.Get this itemSet in the near but not too distant future, reading and books are outlawed and Three Rivers, Texas, is a wasteland under the authoritarian rule of tech industrialist mayor Pablo Henry Crick. Neftalí, Proserpina, and their friend Alexei are determined to change the town in what Kirkus Reviews calls, “a stunning tale of survival and a biting critique of book bans and late capitalism.” Recommended for fans of thought provoking and unconventional dystopian fiction like Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Suggested by Rummanah.
-
The Book of Records
by Thien, MadeleineGet this itemCombining elements of historical, literary, and science fiction, this imaginative and unconventional novel follows a father and daughter residing in a mysterious “no man’s land” called the Sea, after being exiled from their home in Foshan, China. In the Sea, centuries overlap as the daughter, 7-year-old Lina, comes to know her fellow travelers, including a Tang dynasty poet, a 17th-century Dutch scholar, and a Jewish philosopher fleeing Nazi Germany. A stylistically complex, philosophical, and richly detailed novel takes a close look at migration and storytelling. Suggested by Rummanah.
Bookmatch
Bookmatch allows Skokie Library cardholders to receive a custom list of titles prepared for you by the library's expert staff.
Try Bookmatch