The Most Popular Summer Releases, According to Libby

via The Most Popular Summer Releases, According to Libby

Summer is in full swing, which is exciting for a few reasons. One, it means there is a new season of new books to faun over and get excited about (case in point, all these summer release book lists). Two, it offers yet another opportunity to get a look at reader behavior.

This week, we’re looking at reader behavior as it pertains to the new books of summer. Our friends over at Libby shared with us the most commonly checked out books that just came out this June. There are bestselling thrillers among them, as well as elemental romantasy, lesbian vampires, and the 1980s Space Shuttle program.

As usual, however, lists like these are usually heavily influenced by bestseller lists, which themselves are influenced by marketing budgets. This often results in a lack of diversity as far as authors are concerned. To add more diversity to your summer reading, make sure to look into Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai’i by Sara Kehaulani Goo, The Great Mann by Kyra Davis Lurie, and The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley.

10. Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell A trifling man takes three women for a ride in this thriller.

9. King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby The King of Southern Noir graces us with a new story where a young man tries to save his family from a dangerous debt.

8. Shadow Princess, Part 1 by Caroline Peckham The fourth book in a very popular romantasy series that has fae, zodiac dealings, and elemental magic.

7. The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb A man struggling with fatherhood tears his family apart through a tragedy he causes.

6. With a Vengeance by Riley Sager Luxury trains, Philly and Chicago in the ’40s, and one woman hunting the people responsible for destroying her family 12 years ago.

5. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab Three words: “toxic lesbian vampires.”

4. The First Gentleman by James Patterson and Bill Clinton Well, this is an unexpected collab, but if you’re familiar with Patterson’s thrillers, then you probably know what to expect.

3. The Housemaid’s Wedding by Freida McFadden The McFadden reign just won’t let up. The Housemaid’s Wedding is an in-between book that explains some things that happened between the second and third books of McFadden’s Housemaid series.

2. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid A Taylor Jenkins Reid joint is bound to do numbers, especially when it’s set against the 1980s Space Shuttle program.

1. Caught Up by Navessa Allen This is for those who like their dark romance with a side of voyeurism and play club kink.

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Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.