12 Subgenre Reads To Add To Your Summer Reading List!

Summer can be a great time to lay out in the sun, soak up the rays, and catch up on all your reading! But sometimes it can be hard to find just the right book for your favorite genre. Romance books can span the dramatic to the comedic. Horror books can be slasher or thriller. To help you pick a book that is just right, here is a list of some of the best summertime reads based on your favorite subgenres as seen on screen! 

The Whodunit

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

The blueprint for the modern whodunit, Gone Girl is a contemporary classic in this subgenre. Gillian Flynn’s novel follows the mysterious disappearance of type-A wife Amy. Told through the entries of Amy’s diary and the hubbub about town, Gone Girl is a must-read (and a can’t-put-down) for a nice summer day. 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

We all have our own obsession with true crime -- a commonplace in today’s society. This novel takes that seemingly global shared interest and makes it a reality for four unlikely friends. This group meets up in their hometown to talk about everything true crime, an attraction that evolves into a hobby as a murder scandalizes the town. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is a queen of the mystery genre, a specialist in the whodunit subgenre. Her writing has been the subject of films and series for years. Her novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd takes the film-familiar French detective Hercule Poirot and shares one of his new cases: the death of Roger Ackroyd. What makes this case so special? Roger is a friend of Hercule, making the case personal. 

Period Dramas

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Set in 1860s Massachusetts, Little Women follows the highs and lows of the March family. Made up of four sisters and an attentive mother, the March girls seek out career, love, and identity in a world that doesn’t have space for women yet. The story is heartfelt, sweet, and deeply emotional, making for a perfect summer read. 

The Philadelphia Heiress: A Novel by Anita Abriel

A common story: a woman must redefine her world and set out to cure the troubles of her life. Set in the Roaring '20s with a bustling Philadelphia as a backdrop, Helen faces trouble as a threat to her family’s status is brought on by her father’s scandal. Helen enters into a complicated marriage to save her family name, and the relationship adds to the problems that Helen faces.

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Taking a new spin on the typical period drama, Mellors’s novel embraces the period of the early-2000s. Cleo is a young painter and Frank is a wealthy older man -- Meeting at a desperate point in both their lives, the two agree to marry. Set in busy New York, the novel develops and exposes difficult interpersonal relationships and questions the consequences of our actions. 

Rom-Coms

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Nothing is more rom-com than the story of Josh and Hazel. The pair are sometimes-friends from high school that make it their mission to find The One for one another. As their attempts to set each other up fail, the relationship between them blossoms, bringing on the age old question: are they something more than friends?

Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalauddin

Described as a "modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice", Ayesha At Last centers a hardworking woman, Ayesha, as she navigates a world after graduating. While she’s busy with her dreams, her family makes it obvious that she’s missing out on her love life. Ayesha could care less until she meets the man of her dreams… until her family intervenes. 

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

For those who love the fake relationship trope, The Ex-Talk was made for you. Shay is a radio producer who develops a new show to introduce new ratings, "Ex-Talk". The show hosts two exes who give relationship advice. Thinking her work is done, Shay is unknowingly roped in to play fake exes with her co-worker Dominic. 

Psychological Horror

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Nightbitch details the difficulties of motherhood through an insanely canine metamorphosis. Deeply rooted in the constant transitions of life, Yoder’s novel explores the pains of change and the road to acceptance in a terrifyingly bizarre reality for a mother. Read it before you see it in theaters later this year!

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers 

Following food critic Dorothy, A Certain Hunger details the critic’s impulsive desire for fame and sexual woes. Focused on the perfectionism in all of us, Summers finds a way to make the common desire for success into something that is utterly disgusting yet logical. The book’s ability to make the truly strange familiar is a testament to Summer’s talent. 

Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky

Allison is a typical young woman looking to find closure after a hard break-up, but when the unthinkable happens, Allison spirals out of control into a fit of selfishness. The highly unreliable narrator whose insanity is inseparable from reality makes for a tension-filled and thrilling read. 

Coming-Of-Age

Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth

Howarth’s book navigates through the complicated emotions and relationships of a closeted teen in 1990s Ireland. Lucy has to find herself at a time in her life when knowing who you are is a constant uphill battle. Following the pains of growing up queer in a conservative neighborhood, Sunburn brings all that is bittersweet through a poetic story. 

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue

A college coming-of-age story, The Rachel Incident centers James and Rachel, friends and roommates who set out to connect Rachel with her crush: her married professor. But when things reveal themselves to be different than what Rachel and James had planned, complication arises and secrets spread.  

Mayflies: A Novel by Andrew O’Hagan

Told through two moments in a friendship, this book follows the relationship between childhood pals James and Tully. The pair make a pact in their teens to approach life "differently". After 30 years, the pair reunite with ideas of their mortality painting their actions.

Happy reading!