Summer Reads 2025

To-do lists, bucket lists, grocery lists: They all carry a whiff of judgment, the burden of expectation. Only the summer reading list shrugs its shoulders and says, “Maybe you’ll complete me, maybe you won’t. Who cares?” So, go ahead, use our picks to pile your list past the point of reason. When that perfectly lazy August afternoon rolls around and you still have endless possibilities to choose from, you’ll be glad you did. —David Adams, adult reviews director