The Best Books of the Summer, According to Goodreads

Plus, a reader breaks up with her boyfriend because of ACOTAR, a traveling bookstore makes it to 40 states, and more.

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The Best Books of the Summer, According to Goodreads

Plus, a reader breaks up with her boyfriend because of ACOTAR, a traveling bookstore makes it to 40 states, and more.

Erica Ezeifedi

May 11, 2026

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Welcome to Today in Books, our daily round-up of literary headlines at the intersection of politics, culture, media, and more.

A Reader Broke Up With Her Boyfriend Because of Sarah J. Maas’s ACOTAR

If reading that headline makes you grimace a bit, let me flesh it out. In a TikTok video, 27-year-old Kaeli Dance describes how her ex-partner seemed like the perfect match—until she noticed some subtle similarities between him and the more toxic corner of the love triangle in Maas’s bestselling romantasy, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Once she realized what was going on, she leaned on her support system to leave the relationship. This is like the real-life version of our post on romance readers spotting red flags. Romance is out here saving lives, y’all.

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Goodreads Has List on List on List of Summer Reading Recommendations

The summer is around the corner, and Goodreads is not playing! They’ve just released seven different book lists, all for the upcoming season. There’s the overarching Big Books of the Summer list, which takes a look at readers’ most anticipated books, as well as the Goodreads Staff Recommendations list, Escapist Reads, and lists full of Mysteries & Thrillers, Romances & Romantacies, SFF, and Adaptations.

So far, a few I’m most excited about are: The Disappearers by Marlon James, Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw, and The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

This Traveling Bookstore Has Traveled to 40 States

Rita Collins may have cracked the code on the perfect retirement lifestyle. Since 2013, she’s been traveling around the country in a white Ford transit van full of books. In each region she travels to, she sets up shop in all sorts of places, from museums to farmers’ markets. Everywhere she goes, locals are eager to take part in the cozy atmosphere she curates—kids lie on her rugs reading, book clubs invite her to speak, and some people even barter eggs for books. So far, she’s racked up more than 100,000 miles by traveling to 40 states selling books, which are used but in excellent condition. Here’s to hoping she can make it to all 50 states!

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Cozy Graphic Novels to Escape Into

Minimal stakes and charming graphics abound in this roundup of cozy graphic novels to get lost in. One girl has a magically romantic summer (at her job, of all places!), there’s an Anne of Green Gables remix, and a cooking competition in a fantasy setting.

For the full list, subscribe to All Access for the full list of buzzy books.

What are you reading? Let us know in the comments!