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Summer is heating up in Dallas, and we’re all trying to escape it. Whether you prefer the respite of robust A/C, or cooling off with a drink poolside, it’s the perfect time of year to indulge in a good book.
If you really want to get lost in a gripping read, make a day of it by embarking on an adventure to hunt for the below books at local spots, like The Wild Detectives or Interabang Books. Up in Denton, the beloved Recycled Books is nestled on the square for a cozy getaway. And of course, you can never go wrong with your local library.
Over the past year, there has been a flurry of exciting new works, from stirring fiction to uplifting nonfiction and insightful memoirs. Seize the summertime and familiarize yourself with these six recent releases on our radar.
‘The Möbius Book’ by Catherine Lacey (2025)
Literary fiction, memoir
‘The Möbius Book’
Macmillan Publishers
Author Catherine Lacey experiments with memoir and fiction in this inventive, reflective examination of life after a devastating breakup. Lyrical and intimate, “The Möbius Book” defies the confines of genre and traditional literature while offering a poetic exploration of friendship, artistry and religion. This much-hyped book is split into two parts – readable from either side – with no set beginning or end. Lacey weaves humor into this memoir-meets-novella, making it an immersive read for a plane ride or a day sprawled on the beach.
‘Matriarch’ by Tina Knowles (2025)
Memoir
‘Matriarch’
Penguin Random House
Tina Knowles’ highly anticipated debut memoir offers a rare look at the life of the woman behind the entertainment empire that quite literally birthed the careers of Beyoncé and Solange. Knowles takes readers on a journey detailing her girlhood adventures in Galveston, encounters with grief and heartbreak, and, of course, her experiences as a mother to two superstars.
While the book does deliver in tea, it’s more importantly a snapshot of Black Southerners’ resilience and perseverance amid oppression and nonstop harassment. “Matriarch” offers a warm portrait of Black womanhood.
‘Honey’ by Isabel Banta (2024)
Literary fiction, coming of age
‘Honey
Macmillan Publishers
This one is for readers who like their fiction with a heavy dose of Y2K nostalgia. Isabel Banta’s bittersweet debut novel “Honey” chronicles a young pop star’s rise to fame – and all the drama and public scrutiny that comes with it – in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
“Honey” is dripping in sex and drama as it chronicles the blinding reality of coming of age in the spotlight. The story examines the demands of success in an industry that prioritizes money over well-being and performance over truth.
‘Homeseeking’ by Karissa Chen (2025)
Historical fiction, romance
‘Homeseeking’
Penguin Random House
War, famine, long-lost lovers – keep tissues nearby for this one. Karissa Chen tells a poignant love story that follows a couple over the span of 60 years. “Homeseeking” captures the characters of Haiwen and Suchi through their bond from childhood to the present day using alternating point-of-view and nonlinear timelines. It’s a heartwarming and devastating page-turner about family, immigration and loyalty.
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins (2025)
Dystopian fiction, young adult
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’
Scholastic
ICYMI: Suzanne Collins expanded The Hunger Games universe with a fifth installment, which arrived in March of this year. “Sunrise on the Reaping” is set 24 years before we meet Katniss Everdeen in the first Hunger Games novel. It follows the 50th Hunger Games, when twice as many children are forced to fight to the death as entertainment for the elite spectators. Collins sets new stakes but revisits familiar themes that explore the dire consequences of totalitarian leadership. “Sunrise on the Repeaping” will make its way to the big screen in 2026, so this is your opportunity to get ahead of the pack.
‘Hope For Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness’ by Jamil Zaki (2024)
Nonfiction, psychology
‘Hope for Cynics’
Grand Central Publishing
Raise your hand if you’re feeling overwhelmed by current events in Texas (not to mention the United States as a whole… and beyond). Trade the doom-scrolling for Jamil Zaki’s “Hope For Cynics,” an uplifting tool for quelling disenchantment. This book leverages psychological and sociological perspectives to prove that there is good in the world and every contribution is precious. Zaki doesn’t dismiss reasons to feel dismayed, but he instead relies on science to highlight the usefulness of hopeful skepticism in navigating our ever-evolving communities.
