Back in February, we posted our most anticipated books for 2011. About half of the books have already come out by now, but there’s a lot more to look forward to. Today, we’re sharing BookPage’s 20 most anticipated books for summer. This list includes the June, July and August books from our big ole 2011 list, as well as other sure-to-be summer hits.
Go ahead and mark your calendars (our Google calendar makes this even easier) and start making room in your beach bag! Which of these are you going to read this summer?
Eleanor Henderson, TEN THOUSAND SAINTS (Ecco)
In her vibrant debut, a sweeping coming-of-age novel set against the pulsing New York City punk scene of the late 1980s, Eleanor Henderson brings to life both a set of achingly real characters and the unique time in which they lived. Get another taste of the novel in this week’s Trailer Tuesday post.
Ann Patchett, STATE OF WONDER (Harper)
BookPage editors liked State of Wonder so much we made an interview with Patchett our June cover story. Set deep in the heart of the Amazonian jungle, State of Wonder tells the story of Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist with a pharmaceutical company dispatched to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson. For more on this thought-provoking novel (also a page-turner!), watch our interview with Patchett on YouTube.
Marcus Sakey, THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES (Dutton)
We have good news and bad news. The good: There’s an interview with Sakey in the June issue of BookPage—which means it is one of our favorite books of the month. The bad: We can’t tell you much about the plot. From the interview, written by Alden Mudge: “In The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, Marcus Sakey has written a seriously good thriller. Really good. So of course we can’t tell you too much about it. ‘It drives me crazy when people [he means reviewers] give away all the stuff I worked so hard to make surprises,’ Sakey says during a call to his home in Chicago, where, he reports, ‘life is a little chaotic.’”
Kate Christensen, THE ASTRAL (Doubleday)
In The Astral—our June Fiction Top Pick—Christensen nails the voice of a male poet in crisis, Harry Quirk. Readers will be sucked into extremely realistic familial dramas while Christensen perfectly captures her Brooklyn backdrop—from dive bars to hipsters drinking overpriced coffee in trendy cafes.
J. Courtney Sullivan, MAINE (Knopf)
Sullivan made a name for herself in 2009 with a smart, incredibly resonant debut, Commencement, about four unlikely friends during their college years at Smith and the turbulent 20-something years that followed. With her sophomore effort, Sullivan turns from friendships to family, writing with the same warmth and nuance as Commencement, but pushing her characters farther, creating an even more complex and satisfying whole in Maine.
Molly Birnbaum, SEASON TO TASTE (Ecco)
Aspiring chef Birnbaum lost her sense of smell after a speeding car slammed into her while she was running. Season to Taste, a memoir, vividly recalls what it was like to suddenly live in a world devoid of scent. Our July Nonfiction Top Pick, this is a truly mouthwatering read.
Stefan Merrill Block, THE STORM AT THE DOOR (Random House)
Block’s new novel—his second—is a mythic re-imagining of a period in the 1960s when his grandmother put his grandfather in a mental hospital. You can look forward to an interview with Block in the July issue of BookPage, in which Alden Mudge states that The Storm at the Door is a better novel than Block’s heartbreaking and funny debut, The Story of Forgetting.
Bobbie Ann Mason, THE GIRL IN THE BLUE BERET (Random House)
This fabulous tale takes readers into France and to the tumultuous years of World War II. Readers who enjoy Anne Tyler and Mona Simpson will want to get their hands on this one.
Josh Ritter, BRIGHT’S PASSAGE (Dial Press)
This fable-like first novel from singer-songwriter Ritter is about a World War I vet in Appalachia who has lost his wife and must care for their baby. Look for its inclusion in our August debut novel feature—and for an interview with Ritter here on BookPage.com in July.
Bonnie Jo Campbell, ONCE UPON A RIVER (Norton)
Add the name of Margo Crane—the protagonist of Bonnie Jo Campbell’s passionate new novel—to the ranks of memorable literary heroines. This novel navigates the borderline between civilization and the harsh, dangerous natural world. It’s the story of a journey that begins with the search for a missing parent and ends in self-discovery.
Chevy Stevens, NEVER KNOWING (St. Martin’s)
This companion book to 2010′s Still Missing promises to be good and creepy. A woman learns her biological father is an infamous killer. That’s horrifying enough . . . until her father learns about her.
Glen Duncan, THE LAST WEREWOLF (Knopf)
Just when you think you’ve seen it all in the fictional werewolf/vampire/witch craze, British novelist Duncan comes along with a story unlike anything else out there. It’s dark, atmospheric and gripping—and it has more in common with Anne Rice than Stephenie Meyer.
John Hart, IRON HOUSE (Thomas Dunne Books)
With each subsequent novel, it seems that John Hart gets more acclaim. His first novel, The King of Lies, received an Edgar nomination; his second, Down River, won an Edgar Award; and his third, The Last Child, was a New York Times bestseller. (BookPage called it “a lineal descendant and spiritual soul mate of Huck Finn and Holden Caulfield.”) Iron House is about two orphaned brothers accused of murder.
Jenny Wingfield, THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE (Random House)
This story takes place on a farm in the south of Arkansas in 1956, where the charms range from spunky children creating worlds for themselves on large stretches of property, to family suppers complete with pineapple upside down cake and made-from-scratch biscuits, to neighbors who operate on the honor system. This idealized, simple life is rocked by no small list of heartbreaks: animal abuse, suicide, rape, murder and the near falling apart of a family. Read an excerpt on The Book Case.
Melanie Benjamin, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB (Delacorte Press)
The author of Alice I Have Been has created an imagined autobiography of the famed 32-inch woman (aka Lavinia Warren) who used her diminutive stature to take her to fame, fortune and great heights.
Amy Waldman, THE SUBMISSION (FSG)
The Submission is about the competition for a 9/11 memorial—with a twist that could be lifted from current headlines. After the planning committee for the memorial chooses a submission, they discover that the anonymous designer is Muslim. If the chaos surrounding the “Ground Zero mosque” is any indication, we can bet that this will be a debut that gets people talking.
Lev Grossman, THE MAGICIAN KING (Viking)
The Magician King is Grossman’s follow-up to The Magicians, Grossman’s bestseller that combined fantasy and psychological realism. As reviewer Jillian Quint described in BookPage: “Think J.K. Rowling meets C.S. Lewis meets Donna Tartt.”
Deborah Lawrenson, THE LANTERN (Harper)
This U.S. debut, set in Provence, is a modern Gothic—and an homage Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It’s drawing praise from authors like Garth Stein and Tatiana de Rosnay. We smell a book club favorite in the making.
Alexandra Fuller, COCKTAIL HOUR UNDER THE TREE OF FORGETFULNESS (Penguin Press)
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller’s memoir of growing up as a white girl in Rhodesia, is a contemporary classic of the memoir genre. With Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Fuller returns to Africa and the story of her mother and father.
Tom Perrotta, THE LEFTOVERS (St. Martin’s Press)
Just when we thought there was nothing new under the (dead) sun of post-apocalyptic literature, Tom Perrotta comes up with an addition to the popular genre. In The Leftovers, the aftermath of a rapture-like event is explored through the life of a family in small-town New Jersey. Why did the people who disappeared disappear, and where are they now?
Ann Patchett, STATE OF WONDER is my first choice
Thank you a thousand times for making these lists available! As an avid reader I am always looking for new books. On book #76 for the year and counting….keep the ideas coming.
I’m sorry to say none of them.
I’m sorry to say none of them, but I am happy to see these lists nevertheless.
As I lived in Paris for a number of years, I’m Looking forward to reading “The Girl in the Blue Beret.” As well, “Season to Taste” sounds like it would be a very intriguing read as well. Nice selection! Thanks for sharing.
Connie Fischer
conniecape@aol.com
My book that I am awaiting release isn’t on your list. Not that I don’t love your list! There are several that I will have to try but I am anxiously awaiting the third book in Jennifer Donnelly’s trilogy: The Wild Rose!! I cannot wait. If you haven’t read The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose you should put them on your list!!!
Glen Duncan, THE LAST WEREWOLF
I’ve already listed several of the new books in my “books to be read” journal…looks as though I’ll continue to be doing a lot of reading!
Well my list of books to read has now reached a new high number over 150………All of these sound great. Here’s hoping the library will have most of them or my book budget for the year will go out the window!
The two highest on my list are
State of Wonder
Ten Thousand Saints
I love a good thriller. Sounds like THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES is the winner.
My life is not long enough for the volumes I would like to read…but I have selected a few which are at the top of my list.
State of Wonder
Cocktail Hour undet the tree of forgetfulness
Ann Patchett’s “state of wonder” will be my first read.
I’ll need to get my hands on TEN THOUSAND SAINTS immediately. Love your lists, keep them coming!
Have already read “The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes,” by Marcus Sakey, which was a terrific, complex action story. Have also already read “Never Knowing” by Chevy Stevens. Next comes “The Homecoming of Samuel Lake.”
Ann Patchett – definitely!
My interest is mysteries and then books that will be potential book club books. There are so many great books out there, so many more than the 10 I see each week on the NY Times. Thank you for the Anticipated Reads List!
The summer books that appeal to me include The Lantern, The Astral, and The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes.
How can I choose just 1? I think I will begin with State Of Wonder and then The Autobiography Of Mrs. Tom Thumb. After that I will read the prequel to Maine and follow that with Maine and then The Girl In The Blue Beret. I think that should get me up to August.
I’m a huge Ann Patchett and Bobbie Ann Mason fan. So I’ll be looking for those. There are lots of wonderful books listed though. I would be happy to read them all (if I didn’t have 20 animals to tend and a book deadline myself.)
Looking forward to Ann Patchett-State of Wonder and The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Jo Mason.
My number one anticipated book is Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder. I’ve loved all her books, especially Bel Canto. I’m also eager to read Tom Perotta’s The Leftovers. Both amazing writers. Many others on the list that I want to read too. Looks like my summer will be book-busy!
Just put Marcus Sakey at the top of my list for summer!
John Hart’s new book “Iron House” will be the first on my list.
Lev Grossman’s The Magicians was so much fun. I’m looking forward to The Magician King on your excellent list. Also, thank you for picking some Debut Fiction. I’m always looking to promote first-time authors that readers can discover and share with their friends.
I will check out John Hart’s latest.
I can’t choose just one! Okay, Ann Patchett’s, “State of Wonder,” “The Magician King,” “The Leftovers”………………….
I read the list but none of the books I want to read are listed. If I had to choose one, I would go with the girl in the blue beret. It sounds the most interesting to me.
None on this list. I do have a long list already and seem to be adding weekly. I believe the author I am reading at this moment was on one of your lists, Ridley Pearson. He is excellent and I plan to add his other books to my reading list. Thank you so much for your suggestions.
I am a huge fan of John Hart and will read Iron House as soon as I can – putting it on my waiting list today. Then I will probably try Never Knowing. Sounds interesting.
I’ll probably read at least a few of these, but none really jump out at me. Maybe “The Girl in the Blue Beret”? I usually wait until I see how the general public is reviewing them when this happens. My TBR list is huge (several hundred), so I try to add sparingly to it.
The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes, Season to Taste and Never Knowing. It’s going to be a good summer by the pool!!!!
Can’t wait to read “Storm at the Door” by Stefan Merrill Block. I absolutely loved “The Story of Forgetting”–couldn’t believe it was his first novel. Highly recommended……
So many books – so little time, HA
My first choice is
Ann Patchett, STATE OF WONDER (Harper)
then
Josh Ritter, BRIGHT’S PASSAGE (Dial Press)
Girl in the blue Beret!!
The Girl in the blue Beret! Have been reading a lot of WWII books lately.
I picked out an even dozen and will start with Ten Thousand Saints. I enjoy reading your lists. Thank you.
The Lantern will be my first choice. After that its anyone’s guess.
Ann Patchett in first place….then John Hart’s new book
State of Wonder and The Magician King are pretty definite. I also love Josh Ritter’s music so will want to check out his writing.
If you still haven’t found the right book for this summer you might want to check out “Autumn Sonata”.
Inspired by the structure of an imagined sonata for piano and clarinet, the evocative love story of Emily and Simon is certain to strike a chord with anyone who believes, or perhaps simply hopes, that soul mates can connect, and ultimately champion the most far-reaching of obstacles. With its finely crafted prose structure that scores the tempo shifts inherent in romantic love, Autumn Sonata is a rare and reverberant look at a love that, like a gorgeous work of music, transcends time and place.
The book will be available on Amazon.com at the end of June.
For more information on the book and its author visit http://www.facebook.com/autumn-sonata
10,000 Saints sounds new and different. I see that it came out Tuesday, so I should go buy it!
I’ll try to get to “State of Wonder”, but gee whiz, I’m still working on the last list you posted. So many great books, not enough waking hours.
Amazon anticipated the release of “Autumn Sonata” so there’s still time to enjoy it on the beach.
http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Sonata-Ms-Kaila-Haines/dp/0615461174/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308077267&sr=8-1
Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens. I had an ARC and it is fantastic! One of those “but I need to sleep and can’t put this down” kind of books.
Good Lord Almighty, there are a lot of (potentially) good books to choose from this summer! Topping my list: The Last Werewolf, Maine, Once Upon a River, and Alexandra Fuller’s new memoir (she never disappoints).
The Two Deaths of Daniel Hays and Maine sound good
I’m hooked on post-apocalyptic literature and can’t wait to read Tom Perotta’s The Leftovers!
I loved Ann Patchett’s “State of Wonder”; Bobbie Ann Mason’s “The Girl in the Blue Beret”; Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit from the Good Squad”; Allegra Goodman’s “The Cookbook Collector,” Erik Larson’s “The Garden of the Beasts”; Tom Perrotta’s “The Leftovers’ — just a few of the books I’ve read this summer! All amazing.