Books

55 New Books For Your Memorial Day Weekend Reading Plans

by Kerri Jarema

If you've been looking for the ultimate list of new books to read over Memorial Day weekend, look no further: I've got 55 must-read books from the first five months of 2019, all of which are guaranteed to keep you entertained on whatever planes, trains, or automobiles will be whisking you away on your first big summer adventure.

2019 has been an undeniably great year for books so far, so there is sure to be something below for every kind of reader and each kind of reading mood. Looking for a dreamy rom-com to bring to the beach? Christina Lauren's latest, The Unhoneymooners, or Casey McQuiston's Red, White & Royal Blue offer the sweetness (and steaminess) you crave. Want to dive into some edge-of-your-seat thrillers? Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak and Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus are right up your dark alley.

Literary fiction, brand new memoirs, essay collections, biographies, and young adult reads both contemporary and fantasy — it's all here, it's all new and it's all waiting to be added to your TBR pile. Consider this your ultimate early summer reading list; There's plenty of sunshine, day trips and lazy afternoons with a book in hand ahead, and you're definitely going to need a great book for all of them:

'With The Fire On High' by Elizabeth Acevedo

In Elizabeth Acevedo's With The Fire On High, teen mom Eboni Santiago is too busy to focus on her culinary arts class and their trip to Spain. But when she embraces her talent for cooking, she unlocks her passion.

Click here to buy.

'Hollywood's Eve' by Lili Anolik

In Hollywood's Eve, Lili Anolik tracks the scandalous life of author Eve Babitz — from L.A. It Girl to recluse to literary legend.

Click here to buy.

'King Of Scars' by Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo's King of Scars returns readers to the Grisha universe for a story about Nikolai Lantsov, the young king who must stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Click here to buy.

'Split-Level' by Sande Boritz Berger

Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger is set in the post-Nixon '70s and follows 30-year-old Alex Pearl and her husband Donny as they embark on an open marriage.

Click here to buy.

'Karamo' by Karamo Brown

Karamo Brown's memoir dives into his complicated childhood, his struggle with drug addiction, and his fight to change the role of Culture Expert on Netflix's Queer Eye.

Click here to buy.

'The New Me' by Halle Butler

This biting satire of capitalism and millennial life follows 30-year-old Millie, a morose temp who struggles with the expectations of modern life while also trying to mold herself to them.

Click here to buy.

'Hope & Other Punchlines' by Julie Buxbaum

Julie Buxbaum's Hope & Other Punch Lines follows Abbi Goldstein and Noah Stern, two teens whose childhoods were directly affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as they begin to ask difficult questions about that day.

Click here to buy.

'All That You Leave Behind' by Erin Lee Carr

Erin Carr explores her relationship with her late father, the writer David Carr, through personal memories, emails, and other conversations, all while reckoning with her grief and a generational history of addiction.

Click here to buy.

'Queenie' by Candice Carty-Williams

Candice Carty-Williams' Queenie follows a 20-something British-Jamaican woman as she navigates her job in journalism, relationship crises, and mental illness.

Click here to buy.

'Furious Hours' by Casey Cep

Casey Cep's Furious Hours is a fascinating deep dive into the story of an alleged Alabama serial killer and To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee's obsession with the case.

Click here to buy.

'Queen Bey' Edited by Veronica Chambers

The Queen Bey anthology, edited by Veronica Chambers, brings together various writers, artists and activists to meditate on Beyoncé's far-reaching influence.

Click here to buy.

'Trust Exercise' by Susan Choi

When David and Sarah, two students at a performing arts high school, fall in love, their passion does not go unnoticed — or untoyed with — by their charismatic acting teacher, Mr. Kingsley.

Click here to buy.

'When We Left Cuba' by Chanel Cleeton

In 1960's Florida, Cuban exile Beatriz Perez risks her life — and her heart — when she is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair.

Click here to buy.

'Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors' by Sonali Dev

This modern Pride & Prejudice retelling follows Dr. Trisha Raje and up-and-coming chef DJ Caine as they are thrown together by Trisha's influential immigrant family.

Click here to buy.

'My Lovely Wife' by Samantha Downing

Millicent and her husband seem like the perfect married couple, but they're hiding dark secrets in order to keep their relationship alive.

Click here to buy.

'We Hunt The Flame' by Hafsah Faizal

In Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt The Flame, Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her world, not knowing that Nasir has also been sent by the king to retrieve the artifact — and kill Zafira.

Click here to buy.

'Sabrina & Corina' by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

The stories in Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Sabrina & Corina are set in backdrop of Denver, Colorado, and feature Latinas of indigenous ancestry and explore themes of friendship, mothers and daughters, and homelands.

Click here to buy.

'Naturally Tan' by Tan France

Queer Eye's fashion expert reveals stories about growing up gay in a traditional Muslim family and as one of the only people of color in Doncaster, England.

Click here to buy.

'Optic Nerve' by Maria Gainza

Maria Gainza's Optic Nerve is narrated by art critic María, and is told in a series of vignettes that juxtapose stories about the works of famous artists with her own life.

Click here to buy.

'The Girl He Used To Know' by Tracey Garvis Graves

Annika Rose has never had an easy time in social situations, except with Jonathan. But she hasn't seen him for 10 years — until now.

Click here to buy.

'Somewhere Only We Know' by Maurene Goo

Maurene Goo's Somewhere Only We Know follows K-Pop star Lucky and tabloid reporter Jack during a whirlwind 24-hours in Hong Kong.

Click here to buy.

'Maybe You Should Talk To Someone' by Lori Gottlieb

Lori Gottlieb's Maybe You Should Talk to Someone explores the ins and outs of talk therapy from her perspectives as both a therapist and a patient.

Click here to buy.

'The Care And Feeding Of Ravenously Hungry Girls' by Anissa Gray

Anissa Gray's Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls follows three sisters after the eldest is unexpectedly arrested and the other two are dispatched to take care of their sister's teenage daughters.

Click here to buy.

'Once More We Saw Stars' by Jayson Greene

Jayson Greene's devastating memoir detail the aftermath of his two-year-old daughter Greta's death in a tragic, unpredictable accident on a New York City street.

Click here to buy.

'The Bride Test' by Helen Hoang

When Esme Tran is brought from Vietnam to the U.S. by Khai Diep's mother for an arranged marriage, she knows this could be the break her family needs. But she doesn't expect to fall for a man who might never return her affections.

Click here to buy.

'In The Dark' by Cara Hunter

When a woman and child are found locked in a basement, the inhabitants of the quiet street are in shock. But Detective Inspector Adam Fawley knows no one is as innocent as they seem.

Click here to buy.

'Meet Cute' by Helena Hunting

On her first day of law school, Kailyn and Dax become fast friends until a betrayal break them apart. Now, eight years later, Dax shows up to her office, asking for help.

Click here to buy.

'Good Talk' by Mira Jacob

Inspired by conversations she had with her son after the 2016 presidential election, Mira Jacobs shares her own formative talks about race, color, sexuality, love and more.

Click here to buy.

'Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters' by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Arriving in India for a pilgrimage to the Golden Temple in Amristar to carry out their mother's last rites, three sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives.

Click here to buy.

'Daisy Jones & the Six' by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones & the Six tells the oral history of the fictional band through their rise and fall from fame in the drug-fueled 1970's music scene.

Click here to buy.

'Miracle Creek' by Angie Kim

This literary courtroom drama follows a Korean immigrant family and a young, single mother accused of murdering her eight-year-old autistic son.

Click here to buy.

'I Owe You One' by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella's I Owe You One follows Fixie and Sebastian after a life-changing favor leads to a string of IOUs that tie them together.

Click here to buy.

'The Unhoneymooners' by Christina Lauren

When Olive's sister marries Ethan's brother, the sworn enemies try to avoid each other — until they're the only members of the wedding party to escape from a bout of food poisoning, and the honeymoon suddenly up for grabs.

Click here to buy.

'The Atlas of Reds and Blues' by Devi S. Laskar

Devi S. Laskar's The Atlas of Blues and Reds takes place after a woman is shot during a prejudice-driven police raid on her house. As she lies bleeding, she struggles to make sense of her past and present.

Click here to buy.

'Lost Children Archive' by Valeria Luiselli

Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive follows a family-in-crisis on a road trip that is set to the backdrop of the separation of thousands of migrant families at the southern U.S. border.

Click here to buy.

'Long Live The Tribe of Fatherless Girls' by T Kira Madden

T Kira Madden's memoir is a lush exploration of her coming-of-age during the '90s in Boca Raton, Florida.

Click here to buy.

'Bowlaway' by Elizabeth McCracken

Elizabeth McCracken's Bowlaway spans a century in the life of small-town New England, and their all-female bowling alley.

Click here to buy.

'Two Can Keep A Secret' by Karen M. McManus

Karen McManus's Two Can Keep Can A Secret follows Ellery after she moves to her grandmother's picturesque small town in Vermont only to uncover that her family is hiding muderous secrets.

Click here to buy.

'Red, White & Royal Blue' by Casey McQuiston

When photos of a confrontation between First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry leak to the tabloids, they stage a fake friendship to maintain American/British relations. But it doesn't stay "fake" for long.

Click here to buy.

'Don't Date Rosa Santos' by Nina Moreno

Rosa Santos is determined to save her small town from a corporate buy-out, but when she collides with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy whose family owns the marina, she must break an old family curse.

Click here to buy.

'There's Something About Sweetie' by Sandhya Menon

Ashish Patel and Sweetie Nair were set up by their parents. But they realize with each date that there's something special between them.

Click here to buy.

'I Miss You When I Blink' by Mary Laura Philpott

Mary Laura Philpott's I Miss You When I Blink is a memoir in essays that follows Philpott as she remakes her life after realizing that "having it all" wasn't making her happy.

Click here to buy.

'Necessary People' by Anna Pitoniak

After graduation, Violet moves to New York and lands a job in cable news, where she's finally free from her best friend Stella's shadow. But everything is jeopardized when Stella uses her connections to get hired at the same network.

Click here to buy.

'Save Me The Plums' by Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl, the trailblazing food writer and restaurant critic, chronicles her time as editor in chief of Gourmet in this riveting read.

Click here to buy.

'The Farm' by Joanne Ramos

In Joanne Ramos's The Farm, women are drawn to a lush getaway in the Hudson Valley. But once there, they can't talk to anyone in the outside world, as they immerse themselves in the process of producing a perfect baby for the Farm's clients.

Click here to buy.

'Normal People' by Sally Rooney

This coming-of-age story follows Connell and Marianne from high school and beyond, as they grapple with their feeling for each other and the realities of adulthood.

Click here to buy.

'Dealing In Dreams' by Lilliam Rivera

Lilliam Rivera's Dealing in Dreams follows Nalah, who hopes to change her life by crossing the border to find the mysterious gang, the Ashé Ryders.

Click here to buy.

'The Trial of Lizzie Borden' by Cara Robertson

Cara Robertson's The Trial of Lizzie Borden explores both the facts and the many scandalous rumors about one of the most high profile murder cases in American history.

Click here to buy.

'Park Avenue Summer' by Renee Rosen

Renee Rosen's Park Avenue Summer is a fictionalized look at Helen Gurley Brown's first year at Cosmopolitan, all told through the eyes of her young assistant.

Click here to buy.

'More Than Words' by Jill Santopolo

After her father's death, Nina begins to question everything she thought she knew about love, and begins to see all the men in her life in a new light.

Click here to buy.

'The Priory Of The Orange Tree' by Samantha Shannon

In Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree, the stories of Queen Sabran the Ninth, lady-in-waiting Ead Duryan, and dragonrider Tané all collide as war looms on the horizon.

Click here to buy.

'On The Come Up' by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas's On the Come Up follows teen rapper Bri as she navigates viral musical stardom, complex family legacy, and complicated race relations in her community.

Click here to buy.

'Women Talking' by Miriam Toews

Miriam Toews's Women Talking is a heartwrenching novel inspired by the brutal true story of the women of a remote Mennonite colony in Bolivia who were systemically and repeatedly drugged and raped by men in their community.

Click here to buy.

'The Collected Schizophrenias' by Esme Weijun Wang

Esme Weijun Wang's The Collected Schizophrenias is an essay collection about the author's lifelong experience with schizoaffective disorder.

Click here to buy.

'American Spy' by Lauren Wilkinson

Lauren Wilkinson's American Spy follows intelligence officer Marie Mitchell after she joins a task force aimed at undermining the rebel Thomas Sankara, despite her secret support for the man.

Click here to buy.