Love, Magic And Mildly Emotional: New Summer Books To Add To Your TBR

Whether you're sunbathing on a beach, melting in your room under a barely functioning fan, or strategically avoiding human contact with a cold drink in one hand and a paperback in the other—summer is peak reading season. And this year’s lineup of new books is as wildly unpredictable as your situationship status. We’re talking cursed romances, queer longing, suspiciously charming coworkers, monsters with soft eyes, reclusive heiresses, and yes, at least one deeply questionable man who may or may not be a serial killer.

From laugh-out-loud love stories to quiet meditations on grief and identity, a few emotional gut punches wrapped in prose so good you’ll need to underline every other line? Oh absolutely. A summer reading list, you’ll want to binge, cry over, DM your bestie about, and maybe even annotate like it’s homework (but fun). 

Great Big Beautiful Life By Emily Henry

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emily Henry (@emilyhenrywrites)

What happens when two rival journalists are thrown together on a sun-drenched island to unravel one family’s scandalous past? Sparks, secrets, and maybe a little something more. Alice Scott is an optimist; Hayden Anderson is a storm cloud in human form. But as they race to win Margaret Ives' trust, they might end up uncovering their own story. Classic Emily Henry: romantic, sun-soaked, and sneakily emotional.

Boys’ Love: A Novel By Danton Remoto

A poetic, genre-blending novel that follows Jon, a gay Filipino journalist, navigating coming out in a deeply conservative society. Rich with vignettes, essays, songs, and heartbreak, this novel paints a deeply personal picture of love in all its forms. Tender, funny, and bold, it's a love letter to queerness, resilience, and identity.

My Lady Hiraya By Steven Sy

A grieving widow, a brooding monster hunter, and Filipino mythology with sapphic yearning? Yes, please. Elise will risk everything to bring back her wife—even if it means diving into ancient Chaos magic with Hiraya, an immortal woman with secrets buried in shadow. What begins as a mission to rewrite fate becomes a journey into a love deeper than time itself.

Life’s Magic Moments By Ruskin Bond

At 91, Ruskin Bond is still gifting us gentle wisdom wrapped in lyrical prose. His latest collection reflects on everything from childhood to nature, and dreams that still shimmer. These bite-sized life lessons are like a warm hug on a quiet morning—perfect for slow, sunlit afternoons.

I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki By Baek Sehee, translated by Anton Hur

The follow-up to the viral Korean therapy memoir digs deeper into Baek Sehee’s battle with dysthymia. Vulnerable, dryly funny, and utterly relatable, this sequel holds space for anyone trying to get better, even on the days it feels impossible. Think: therapy session meets diary meets late-night phone call with a friend who just gets it.

Serial Killer Games By Katey Posey

Dolores always wanted to meet a real serial killer. She just didn’t expect him to be her dreamy new office temp. Equal parts morbidly funny and unexpectedly tender, this rom-com-thriller hybrid dares to ask: can love survive murder accusations and body disposal plans? Dark, chaotic, and perfect for fans of You or Killing Eve.

Vanishing World  By Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

In an alternate Japan where sex between couples is taboo and babies are born via artificial insemination, Amane struggles with identity, desire, and societal norms. Surreal, provocative, and deeply feminist, this is one of Murata’s most daring works yet. Think Black Mirror meets philosophical coming-of-age.

Under the Eye of the Big Bird By Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda

Set in a future where humanity teeters on the edge of extinction, Kawakami’s speculative masterpiece explores evolution, AI, communal parenting, and love in its strangest forms. Told across interconnected episodes, it’s eerie, poetic, and startlingly tender—a slow-burn read for those who like their fiction with existential undertones.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong

A must-read. If you haven’t read Ocean Vuong yet, this summer is your moment. Written as a letter from son to mother, this breathtaking novel peels back the layers of race, trauma, queerness, and inheritance. Every line is poetry. Every emotion, raw. Read it slowly, read it twice, let it sit under your skin