1. The Stand by Stephen King
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
I’m going way back to my most memorable summer read ever: The Stand by Stephen King. A teenage Chris voraciously consumed all 1,000-plus pages of the epic post-apocalyptic novel in the early ’90s.
2. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
BRIANNA SCHUBERT, ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR
This is such a hard question for me, because there are so many possibilities, but I’m going to have to go with Seven Days in June by Tia Williams, a five-star read I devoured two summers ago. It’s about a novelist and single mother who reconnects with a lost love, who she only spent one week with fifteen years ago. She wants him gone so she can go back to her regular life again, but they spend seven days in June together again after all that time apart. It’s one of those books with characters that feel real and raw and human. It made me laugh, gasp, feel sick to my stomach and pause to take it all in. I might just need to re-read it this summer!
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
3. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
This is the kind of book you want to read sitting in the bed of a pickup truck with a flat tire on a long, sunny afternoon. Steinbeck, better known for The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, wrote this non-fiction gem late in his career at the age of 58. Spurred to better understand the rapidly changing country that had served as the backdrop of his great novels, he set out on a road trip across the U.S. in 1960, taking a camper van and his poodle, Charley. He recounts the journey with evocative detail, clear-eyed insight and an undeniable, life-affirming love of humanity in all its strangeness – you’ll want to hit the road the second you put the book down.
4. They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey
ABBY YEMM, SALES EXECUTIVE
I know very little about the professional world of ballet, so this was a very interesting dive into the (imagined) workings of New York City’s elite. It’s a story of a twisted, layered dance world rife with heartbreak and family secrets. Juicy, gripping, often sad and full of messy romance.
5. Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
AVA MCNARNEY, EDITORIAL INTERN
This is Coco Mellors’ first novel, which came out in 2022, but it was perfect to read this summer with its fast pacing and fascinating characters. It’s a whirlwind romance following an impulsive marriage between an American creative director and an English artist in New York City. Ripples caused by their marriage impact many people in each of their lives, and Mellors takes the time to detail exactly how for the readers.
6. Nijole’s Life Stories on Storyworth
MELISA MACKEVICIUS, SALES EXECUTIVE
I’ve been looking for a new summer read to take on my National Park vacation – I was toying with one of the Bridgerton books, but just received Nijole’s Life Stories from my mother. It’s a book she wrote on her life using Storyworth – a platform for creating personalized keepsake books. I’m excited to read about the many stories of her life’s journey that I don’t know about. I have a feeling this will be my most meaningful summer read.
