Great Summer Reads For Adults

Sink into a good book this summer with this list of great reads for adults hand-picked by our librarians. Borrow a copy from one of our libraries, or check out our collection of free eResources.

Also check out our list of Great Summer Reads for Kids.

Better off Dead by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #26)

Jack Reacher never backs down from a problem and he's about to find a big one, on a deserted Arizona road, where a Jeep has crashed into the only tree for miles around. Minutes later Reacher is heading into the nearby border town with Michaela Fenton, an army veteran turned FBI agent, who is trying to find her twin brother. He might have got mixed up with some dangerous people. Most of them would rather die than betray Dendoncker - their terrifying and mysterious leader, who rules from the shadows, out of sight and under the radar. Reacher is good at finding people who don't want to be found, so he offers to help, despite feeling that Fenton is keeping secrets of her own.

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Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #9)

The author of the bestselling Outlander series returns with the newest novel in the epic tale.

Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall were torn apart by the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and it took them twenty years to find each other again. Now the American Revolution threatens to do the same. It is 1779 and Claire and Jamie are at last reunited with their daughter, Brianna, her husband, Roger, and their children on Fraser’s Ridge. Having the family together is a dream the Frasers had thought impossible. Yet even in the North Carolina backcountry, the effects of war are being felt. Jamie knows loyalties among his tenants are split and it won’t be long until the war is on his doorstep.

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The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #23)

LAPD Detective Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch team up to find justice in this new thriller from bestselling author Michael Connelly. Working her graveyard shift in Hollywood on New Year’s Eve, Detective Renée Ballard seeks shelter at the end of the countdown to wait out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revellers shoot their guns into the air. As reports start to roll in of shattered windshields and other damage, Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party. It doesn't take long for Ballard to determine that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky. Ballard’s investigation leads her to look into another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch. Ballard and Bosch team up once again to find out where the old and new cases intersect.

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Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Diana O’Toole is not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. When a virus breaks out in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. Finn suggests that Diana go on the trip anyway since it would be a shame for all of their non-refundable trip to go to waste. Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. The whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders. Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

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Treasure and Dirt by Chris Hammer

In the desolate outback town of Finnigans Gap, police struggle to maintain law and order. Thieves pillage opal mines, religious fanatics recruit vulnerable young people and billionaires do as they please. Then an opal miner is found crucified and left to rot down his mine. Nothing about the miner's death is straightforward, not even who found the body. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic is sent to investigate, assisted by inexperienced young investigator Nell Buchanan. The more secrets they uncover, the more harrowing the mystery becomes, as events from years ago take on a startling new significance.  Treasure & Dirt is a superb standalone thriller from the acclaimed and award-winning author of the international bestsellers Scrublands, Silver and Trust.

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Mercy by David Baldacci

FBI agent Atlee Pine is at the end of her long journey to discover what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted when the girls were just six years old – an incident which destroyed her family and left Atlee physically and mentally scarred. Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum uncover a shocking trail of lies, greed, fear and revenge, they must face one final challenge. A challenge more deadly and dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

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A Bloody Good Rant: My Passions, Memories and Demons by Thomas Keneally

Thomas Keneally has been observing, reflecting on and writing about Australia and the human condition for well over fifty years. In this deeply personal, passionately drawn and richly tuned collection he draws on a lifetime of engagement with the great issues of our recent history and his own moments of discovery and understanding. Beautifully written, erudite and at times slyly funny, A Bloody Good Rant is an invitation to share the deep humanity of a truly great Australian.

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Love Stories by Trent Dalton

Inspired by a personal moment of profound love and generosity, Trent Dalton, bestselling author and one of Australia's finest journalists, spent two months in 2021 speaking to people from all walks of life, asking them one simple and direct question: 'Can you please tell me a love story?' The result is an immensely warm, poignant, funny and moving book about love in all its guises, including observations, reflections and stories of people falling into love, falling out of love, and never letting go of the loved ones in their hearts. A heartfelt, deep, wise and tingly tribute to the greatest thing we will never understand and the only thing we will ever really need - love.

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Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci

Before Stanley Tucci became a household name with The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, and the perfect Negroni, he grew up in an Italian American family that spent every night around the table. Taste is an intimate reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about growing up in Westchester, NY, preparing for and filming the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia, falling in love over dinner, and teaming up with his wife to create conversation starting meals for their children. Written with Stanley's signature wry humour and nostalgia, Taste is a heart-warming read for anyone who knows the power of a home-cooked meal.

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Feast: 100 generous recipes to share by Miguel Maestre

In Feast, Miguel shares his absolute favourite recipes to enjoy with family and friends. There are big, satisfying dinners as well as lots of smaller dishes to mix and match in classic share-plate style. Miguel's food is a loving nod to the dishes of his Spanish heritage, but is also very firmly based in the modern Australian kitchen. Whether you're getting together for brunch, looking for something fast on a weeknight or to try some new dishes for a family celebration, there are so many bold and exciting flavours here to discover. These are generous meals from a big-hearted chef who knows that simple, good food makes everyone smile.

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