2021 summer reading list: 48 of the best books for adults, teens, and kids

With spring already sprung and summer not far away, it's time to add some great new reads to your list.

Whether it's thrillers, romance, mysteries, dark comedy, drama, history or true crime, this list compiles noteworthy titles that adults, teens and kids can read at the beach, park, the pool or anywhere they want to be.

FICTION
"The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba" by Chanel Cleeton: The year is 1896, and three women are changing society in different ways. When reporter Grace Harrington lands a job at a newspaper owned by William Randolph Hearst, she finds herself caught in a cruel world dominated by men. Unjustly imprisoned in a notorious Havana women's jail, 18-year-old Evangelina Cisneros rapidly becomes a beacon for American intervention in the battle for Cuban independence. With the help of Marina Perez, a courier secretly working for the Cuban revolutionaries in Havana, Grace and Hearst's staff attempts to free Evangelina. But the fight for independence will not be without sacrifice.

Cleaton faithfully portrays New York and Cuba of the 19th century, making this an enthralling read for historical fiction fans. Released May 4, Berkley.

"Hour of the Witch" by Chris Bohjalian: Readers who love historical fiction related to the Salem witch trials, will find that Bohjalian flawlessly delivers with his new novel. As a young Puritan woman in 1662 Boston, Mary Deerfield is the second wife of Thomas, an abusive and powerful man.  When a boy she has treated with herbs dies, and her servant runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary is in for the fight of her life to escape not only her husband but also a certain death sentence for witchcraft. Released May 4, Doubleday.

"While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams: Abrams proves to be not only a political force, but also a terrific thriller writer with her new novel. The story is about law clerk  Avery Keene, a brilliant young woman who shines in a difficult job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When news breaks that her boss, Justice Howard Wynn, is in a coma, Avery’s life changes dramatically. As his legal guardian and power of attorney, she discovers Wynn suspected a conspiracy lurking in the vast power hold of Washington. Released May 11, Doubleday.

"Our Woman in Moscow" by Beatriz Williams: Williams’ thrilling Cold-War era spy novel perfectly portrays the ambiance of the era. It’s autumn 1948 when Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. No one knows what to make of it. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a postcard from her twin sister Iris begging for help and in days she heads to Moscow, posing as the wife of a counterintelligence agent in a dangerous plot to extract the Digbys from behind the Iron Curtain.  June 1, William Morrow.

"The One Hundred Years of Leni and Margot" by Marianne Cronin:  At 17, Lenni Pettersson lives in the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital because of a blood disorder. One day, she meets 83-year-old Margot at the hospital’s arts-and-crafts class. Soon, the two establish a friendship and Margot decides to show Lenni how to live life in the best way. 

Readers will need a box of tissues for this one. June 1, Harper.

"The Palace of the Drowned" by Christina Mangan: Imagine your best friend offers a family palazzo in Venice to live rent-free while you rest and work on your novel. Tempting? It’s the year 1966 when novelist Frankie Croy accepts this generous offer, which is welcome after the nervous breakdown that sent her to a hospital. In Venice, she meets Gilly,  a self-proclaimed fan of her books. As Gilly pushes her way into Frankie’s life, strange things begin happening at the palazzo. Frankie begins questioning her sanity, and how much she really knows about Gilly.

Mangan pens a great psychological thriller with a very unexpected ending. June 1, Flatiron.

"The Woman in the Purple Skirt" by Natsuko Imamura:  Imamura writes the perfect voyeuristic story about a woman only described as wearing a purple skirt is watched daily by another woman wearing a yellow cardigan. Why is this woman watching? Why does she lure the woman in the purple skirt to work at the same place she does? And why is no one watching who the woman in the purple skirt is watching, when that is the most important thing of all? June 8, Penguin Books.

"Animal" by Lisa Taddeo: “I am depraved. I hope you like me,” is the first line uttered by Taddeo’s protagonist, Joan. She has endured cruelties from men her whole life; but  when one commits a shocking act of violence in front of her, she escapes New York City in search of someone who can help her make sense of the horror she witnessed while also making sense of her turbulent past. June 8, Avid Reader Press.

"Rainbow Milk" by Paul Mendez: An provocative coming-of-age story from debut author Mendez, "Rainbow Milk" follows 19-year-old Jesse McCarthy as he struggles with his racial and sexual identities against the background of his Jehovah's Witness upbringing at the end of 20th century London. June 8, Doubleday.

"The Maidens" by Alex Michaelides: What would you do if you were certain someone was a murderer? Group therapist Mariana Andros knows Cambridge University Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca is a killer, but he is loved by staff and students, particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. When a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe is found murdered, she knows Fosca is responsible. But will she ever be able to prove it?  June 15, Celadon Books.

"Bath Haus" by P.J. Vernon: In this addictive cat-and-mouse thriller, recovering addict Oliver Park seems to finally have his life together. He’s sober and has a loving new partner in Nathan. But some habits are hard to break, and Oliver ends up visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse for one final anonymous encounter. He didn’t expect for things to go terribly wrong and Oliver flees vowing Nathan will never know the truth of what really happened.  June 15, Doubleday.

"Shutter" by Melissa Larsen: After the sudden death of her father, Betty Roux agrees to star in a mysterious indie filmmaker's latest project despite her mother’s objections. The director, Anthony Marino, proposes she live in a cabin on a private island off the coast of Maine with the cast and crew. When strange things start happening on the island, the film turns into something completely different.

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Larsen’s chilly thriller promises a page-turning read with an unexpected ending. June 15, Berkley.

"What A Happy Family" by Saumya Dave: Decades ago, Bina and Deepak Joshi immigrated to America, where she became a pillar of their local Indian community in Atlanta and he, a successful psychiatrist. Their children Anuj, Suhani and Natasha are successful and a testament to their parents’ hard work. 

But Bina suddenly finds herself as an outsider in the community she helped build. Suhani discovers that her perfect marriage isn’t as solid as she thought and Natasha faces a series of rejections that threaten to upend her life. Dave’s moving but also funny novel is the portrayal of hidden truths and harsh revelations. June 22, Berkley.

"Dream Girl" by Laura Lippman: Readers of Stephen King’s “Misery” will love Lippman's novel. Author Gerry Andersen is confined to a hospital bed after an accident and dependent on two women he barely knows: his young assistant and a night nurse. One night, he receives a call from someone claiming to be Aubrey, the title character from his most successful novel, "Dream Girl."  But Aubrey isn’t real. 

Gerry is now trapped between fact and fiction, not knowing whether someone is trying to drive him insane or he’s actually losing grip on reality. June 22, William Morrow.

"Silver Tears" by Camilla Lackberg: Lackberg writes great psychological intrigue, and "Silver Tears" is no exception. The story centers on Faye Adelheim, the wealthy chairwoman of an upcoming cosmetics brand. Her tragic past includes her ex-husband, a media-labeled monster who killed her daughter. But Faye hides a secret: Her daughter is very much alive. This page-turning read delivers a rather unexpected finale. July 6, Knopf.

"Dear Miss Metropolitan" by Carolyn Ferrell: Fern seeks escape from her mother’s drug addiction and boyfriends by watching "Soul Train"; Gwin finds solace in Prince’s music and Jesenia knows her intelligence is the only way out of her troubled home. When the three girls are kidnapped by a mobster, everyone claims ignorance, including lifetime resident Miss Metropolitan, the advice columnist for the local weekly.

The question on everyone’s mind: How could a reporter have missed the story right across the street? And why is it that only two of the three girls ― now women ― were found? Readers will be absolutely enthralled with Ferrell's characters and narrative voice. July 6, Henry Holt.

"Kill All Your Darlings" by David Bell: With hints of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” this is a riveting thriller about college professor Connor Nye, who after years of trying to write a novel after the deaths of his wife and son, finally publishes his first book — a thriller about the murder of a young woman.    

But Connor didn’t write the book. One of his students who has been presumed missing did. And now she shows up on his doorstep, threatening to expose his lie to everyone he knows. July 6, Berkley.

"The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller: It seems like a carefree July morning when 50-year-old Elle, a married mother of three, wakes up at the family vacation home dubbed “The Paper Palace.” But this morning is different, because the previous night, Elle began an affair with her oldest friend, Jonas, while their partners talked inside. This choice will lead both Elle and Jonas down uncharted waters as they decide whether what has started between them is worth keeping or best forgotten. Heller paints a complicated family drama, with surprisingly relatable characters. July 6, Penguin Group.

"Count the Ways" by Joyce Maynard: When Eleanor and Cam meet at a Vermont crafts fair in the early 1970s, they fall in love immediately. A few years later, they are parents to three children and live on a thriving farm. Even if their relationship seems to be stuck, they are happy. Until a tragedy caused by Cam irrevocably breaks their family apart.

Maynard follows the family through the decades, chronicling both their losses and gains with a poignant narrative. July 13, William Morrow.

"Intimacies" by Katie Kitamura: Kitamura’s complex and nameless protagonist escapes New York to work at the International Court at The Hague, looking for a place to finally call home. As she grapples with her married lover not leaving his wife and her good friend a witness