I have had a love affair with libraries since getting my first library card in elementary school. Weekly trips to the library were anticipated with the same fervor as Friday’s pizza and Blockbuster movie night. I lived for this weekly outing. Because we lived on the south end of Kansas City in an area considered the suburbs before white flight, I had access to two library systems.
The staff at both the Mid-Continent Library and the Kansas City Public Library knew my name by heart. This is not surprising, especially considering I insisted on checking out no less than 10 books at a time. During the summer, that number crept up to the max allowed of 21 books. And before you ask, yes, I read all 21 books in the allotted 21-day checkout period. (Shout out to Pizza Hut for the Book It program. Ya’ll did ya’lls big one with that!) Reading was second nature, and I could easily read a book or more a day once school was out.
I never fell out of love with reading, but somewhere along the way, I stopped seeking out the magic that is the public library. As a child, the library represented freedom and exploration on my terms. I could choose my own books, and it was common for my mom to turn my brothers and me loose to get lost in the aisles of books, magazines, and newspapers, navigating the card catalog like a second mother tongue.
I have spent the past year getting reacquainted with my local library. I have been visiting the various Seattle Public Library branches across the city, spending time walking the aisles, getting recommendations from the librarians, and reading more back covers than I can count. I tell you all of this because I want to remind you that reading is not only accessible, but our public library system is inclusive. And now, more than ever, public libraries need our support. Not just in words, but in presence. We need to show up to support the amazing programming at the public library. So, before I share my summer reading list, I want to encourage you to get a library card!
While I was re-falling in love with libraries, I rekindled my love of reading. For the past two years, I made annual goals to read a set number of books. I wasn’t too ambitious with my number. I just wanted to get back in the habit of reading for fun, not add yet another thing to my to-do list. But after surpassing those goals each year, I thought it was time to up the ante. I have also just gotten faster at reading once I got back into the rhythm. So, as we begin what promises to be a chaotic summer (Seattle is a World Cup host city and then there is the train wreck that is the US’s 250th celebration, complete with caged fighting at the white house and the inaugural Hunger Games), I plan to spend as much time as possible reading. I’m also using The StoryGraph to track my progress. It’s Black founded so check it out!
Without further ado, I give you “Paris in springtime.” Just kidding. Here is my summer reading list. Let me know if you’ve read any of these gems. And share what’s on your summer reading list!
My 2026 Summer Reading List
- Phases by Brandy
- Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- Score by Kennedy Ryan
- The Conjuring of America by Lindsey Stewart
- If I Ruled the World by Amy DuBois Barnett
- The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
- One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
- Think Faster, Talk Smarter by Matt Abrahams
- Dismantling the Master’s Clock by Rasheedah Phillips
- Open to Work by Ryan Roslansky
- Start With Yourself by Emma Grede
- Ask More by Frank Sesno
