6 books to add to your 2026 summer reading list

With the United States’ 250th birthday and the FIFA World Cup on the horizon (including matches happening right here in North Texas), the stage is set for a historic summer. Whether you’re looking to slow down with a romance novel, learn about American history, or get lost in a thriller, this summer reading list has something to bookmark for just about every reader.

To keep you current, we’re recommending mostly 2026 releases, including a journalist’s memoir reflecting on the nine World Cup tournaments he has attended and a viral novel that gives a satirical look at influencer culture. Support local bookstores at one of DFW’s many beloved shops, or if you prefer to shop online, you can choose a local shop to support with a purchase from bookshop.org.

Happy summer reading.

“World Cup Fever” by Simon Kuper (2026)

Memoir, sports
Journalist Simon Kuper draws on his nine men’s World Cup experiences and decades of reporting to describe the history and hype surrounding the global tournament. “World Cup Fever,” based on notes from more than 200 notebooks compiled throughout his decades-long journalism career and other research, explains what it’s like to compete in the contest (it’s life-changing, whether win, lose or viral blunder) and how moods surrounding the event often reflect geopolitical and cultural issues. 

“This Book Made Me Think Of You” by Libby Page (2026)

Romance, uplifting
On a widower’s birthday, five months after her husband’s death, she receives a notice that a gift is waiting for her at a bookstore. More accurately, gifts in plural. Main character Tilly Nightingale’s husband, prior to his death, arranged 12 books — one per month — to guide her through a year without him and on the path to the next chapter of her life. A lifelong bookworm, Tilly knows stories can be life-changing, but in the depths of grief, she craves familiarity. “This Book Made Me Think Of You” is a bittersweet but uplifting story about finding yourself after tragedy and the healing power of connection. 

“Yesteryear” by Caro Clare Burke (2026)

Satire, suspense
You’re in for a wild ride with Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel, “Yesteryear.” The story is narrated by tradwife influencer Natalie Heller Mills, who documents her family life on a secluded Idaho ranch. Natalie is basking in the glory of her picture-perfect family and the attention from her fans (and detractors), until she wakes up on a 19th-century version of her farm, forced to live without modern luxuries. What makes this a page-turner perfect for a summer getaway? Every now and then, Burke cuts through the suspense with laugh-out-loud moments shared via an unreliable, unhinged narrator.

“Headlights” by CJ Leede (2026)

Thriller, horror
Escape from Texas’ hellish heat with this chilling crime novel that unfolds in the winter wilderness of Colorado. FBI Agent Stansfield, examining the mess of his personal life, is preparing to quit his job when a gruesome string of murders indicates an infamous serial killer has returned. It’s a race against time to find the perpetrator, but the murders are ramping up just as the trauma from Stanfield’s past is becoming impossible to ignore. The fast-paced and goosebumps-inducing “Headlights” is Texas native CJ Leede’s third novel.

“The Girl With The Louding Voice” by Abi Daré (2020)

Literary fiction, coming of age
This coming-of-age novel is a heartbreaking, inspiring journey of a young girl’s fight for an education. Adunni, an outspoken 14-year-old who lives in a rural, impoverished community in Nigeria, wants one thing: to become a teacher, but she faces an assortment of systemic obstacles. “The Girl With The Louding Voice” centers issues like child marriage and child labor that affect millions of people. Author Abi Daré, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, didn’t shy away from the ways systemic oppression can threaten a person’s spirit and dreams. But at the heart of the story is the unstoppable nature of the tenacious and ambitious Adunni, a girl who would stop at nothing to be heard.

“Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson (2020)

Nonfiction, world history
2026 marks the United States’ 250th birthday, an opportunity to reflect on the history and social constructs that have informed the current state of American affairs. Pulitzer-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson describes racism as an aspect of caste, which is a hierarchical social system. The book provides global and historical context for how certain identifiers, such as skin color or economic status, have become weaponized and the divisive effects on societies deeply rooted in the caste framework. “Caste,” which also highlights how people in the upper rung of the hierarchy benefit most from division, is a powerful tool for resisting oppression and pursuing unity.