A Fluffy Summer Reading Guide: An Interview with Sarah the Librarian for the Best Beach Read Recommendations
☀️ A short, simple guide to the best new and backlist summer reading.
Welcome to the Seasonalist, a happy place to land, where you’ll find all things seasonal and seasonal-adjacent (books, movies, food, and fun) from Austin, Texas. If you’d like to subscribe, click below.
“The library in summer is the most wonderful thing because there you get books on any subject and read them each for only as long as they hold your interest, abandoning any that don’t, halfway or a quarter of the way through if you like, and store up all that knowledge in the happy corners of your mind for your own self and not to show off how much you know or spit it back at your teacher on a test paper.”
— Polly Horvath
Summer reading is the best reading.
Whether you’re holding your book poolside or lakeside, or simply curled up in a cozy corner of your home with the air conditioning blasting—there’s nothing better.
Back in November, I interviewed one of my reading besties, Sarah the Librarian, about the best fluffy holiday reads. It was a popular article—and I’m bringing it back this summer for all the REAL recommendations from a book expert.
Here at the Seasonalist—I believe in fluffy reading with low-stress and high-cozy rewards. You’re only going to find enjoyable recs here. If you want to be high-brow or stressed—look elsewhere!
On to the interview!
1. 😎 Hi Sarah! In Austin, summer has arrived. What is on your summer bucket list?
Sarah: Oh…the dread…I’m NOT ready for the heat! And 106 IN.MAY. seems even more extreme than usual. Ugh…sorry…just having my usual summer freak out. 😊
The highest item on my summer bucket list is probably just enjoying time with my recently returned college kid. She’s back home for a couple of months before she jets off again on more adventures. Sadly, we won’t be joining her on her big trip to Greece in July, but we’re happy she’s getting this amazing opportunity and that she’ll be meeting up with her roommate’s parents while they’re abroad.
Other than that, we’ll just be over here trying to keep all our plants alive despite the incredible heat.
Nina: I hate summer. Or should I say, it’s my least favorite season. I’ve written here and here about my battle with Summertime Sadness. One of the beautiful things about this Substack is it’s a place where I can share my battle to enjoy summer. The heat is debilitating, and I need a few tricks up my sleeve to stay cool and positive. I’ll be summering HARD in this space. Fake it until you make it.
2. 📚 As an Austin Public Library librarian, what can you tell me about your summer reading program (for all)?
Sarah: Yay! Summer reading is our big show! There are so many cool programs for children and adults to check out. If you have littles, I highly recommend finding a Tuneful Tales program where librarians will present a storytime book in concert with live music from the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Nina: Wow, this is amazing what local resources are available for free and fun summer activities. The best part is the summer reading program is for adults as well. We get to be kids!
Sarah: For adults, there are a ton of cool craft programs including make your own mini bookshelf! Plus there are a few great informational programs like the Talking Bees Roadshow with Round Rock Honey – all about bee education, demonstrations and insights from an expert beekeeper! And as always, we want to reward you for reading this summer! Fill out our digital or paper reading logs and kids will receive a free book while adults get a really cute mug.
3. 🐝 What "new and buzzy" summer reads are you recommending this year?
Sarah: The buzziest buzz is deservedly for Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life. I really cannot say a single bad thing about her latest book. It was really that good! It’s slightly different from her other books—it feels more like a cross between Liane Moriarty and Taylor Jenkins Reid in terms of character development and storyline—but with a very on brand Emily Henry romance. It was great!
Sarah Adams’ January release of Beg, Borrow or Steal would be a great summer romance read. It is frothy, frivolous fun!
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone was also a lovely read with more substance as we follow a quirky and broken heroine who is grieving the loss of her best friend with the help of a handsome, mysterious stranger.
Beth O’Leary’s Swept Away was a surprise – less RomCom and more RomAdventure, when a couple hooking up for a one night stand find themselves stranded on a houseboat swept out to sea. The peril and drama were much more nerve-wracking than romancey, so just set your expectations.
Not buzzy at all, but such a worthwhile hidden gem, is Kate and Frida by Kim Fay. Warning, it’s not a typical summer romance exactly, but more of a historical fiction epistolary set in 1991-1993 which warms my GenX heart. It’s a fantastic coming of age story between two young women that completely passes the Bechdel test. Highly recommend.
Other highly anticipated summer reads: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (warning, don’t do the audio for this one), It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan, and Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood are all on my summer TBR.
Nina: I know we’ve discussed (IRL) that I’m perplexed by Emily Henry and her massive success. I think her books are a bit jumbled and…fine. I keep trying every year because I want to jump on the bandwagon. I’m intrigued that this year’s book is going in a different direction. I’m way down the waitlist at the library for Great Big Beautiful Life—I’m hoping to read it SOMETIME this summer.
I just read It’s a Love Story, and it’s a fabulous and easy summer read. The only thing I take issue with is that the main character is supposed to be funny and I didn’t laugh once. However, I loved everything else about the book.
Another one I’m intrigued by is Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein, especially if we’re only judging a book by its cover (look how cute!) and clever titles.
4. 📚 What are your favorite backlist summer reads?
Sarah: I love this question, because I really think that backlist may be your best bet this year since new releases look like slim pickings. To me, the quintessential backlist summer read is the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren—the perfect tropical setting for a fake date, one bed, enemies to lovers romance! My favorite backlist YA summer romance is The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther. Set in Martha’s Vinyard for a big summer family wedding—playful shenanigans with a groomsman—and a slight undercurrent of family nostalgia and sorrow.
Backing way up in the backlist, it seems like 2021 was a great year for summer romance since that’s when we got Malibu Rising by TJR; The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland; Shipped by Angie Hockman; Love, Lists and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grinder Ruiz and Float Plan by Trish Doller (I seem to be on a nautical jag). And, for YA, I loved 99 Days and the sequel 9 Days, 9 Nights by Katie Cotugno.
Nina: I love that you listed Taylor Jenkins Reid as TJR. She needs no introduction. I just read this article last week…How Taylor Jenkins Reid Became a Publishing Powerhouse. Facts.
Okay Sarah, these are fantastic recommendations. I forgot how much I loved Float Plan and Unhoneymooners.
One book that I missed last year and is still widely popular is Wedding People by Alison Espach. I have serious FOMO that I haven’t read it yet.
5. 📖 What are some resources that you utilize to find the next great beach read?
Sarah: I’m awaiting The Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2025 Summer Reading Guide with bated breath! I always love her suggestions, even if I’ve usually already heard of them. Still she helps push me out of my comfort zone and I generally find some great literary fiction that rounds out my summer. Otherwise, I’m always on the hunt for new book suggestions through social media, bookstagram and through trusted reader friends.
Nina: I get my reading suggestions from you! And Modern Mrs. Darcy. I’ve also found a trusted bookstagrammer—Katie from Beach Reads & Bubbly. She reads only fluffy books and she will say if a book is just meh. The Book Girls Guide is also great fun (if a little overwhelming).
5. 🗺️ Do you have any summer travel plans?
Sarah: We’re heading to our family’s favorite spot at the beach for a short summer get away and I’m lugging a ton of real paper books with me 😊
Nina: I will be visiting the Bay Area per usual—the ultimate copout—leaving Texas heat for foggy cool San Francisco.
7. 📗 Where is your favorite place to curl up with a book?
Sarah: I may be quickly running out of temperature appropriate weather for outdoor reading…but when I can I’m often found right here…
Nina: I will be on brand and cowering inside in air-conditioning or at a coffee shop. I am a WEAK summer person.
Thank you Sarah! You always have the best recommendations.
Happy Summer Reading fellow Seasonalists!
What are y’all looking forward to reading this season? I’d love to hear your suggestions.
*Shares & restacks encouraged. Share the book love!
At the time of the interview, Modern Mrs. Darcy had not released her Summer Reading Guides. Her full guide ($15) is found here, and her free Minimalist Summer Reading Guide is here.
Check out Beach Reads & Bubbly. Her vibe is cheerful and positive and I’m here for it.
Thanks for sharing this! I'm looking forward to some fun reads!
Love all that APL offers ❤️ thank you for this interview!