Your summer reading list for real and imaginary vacations (SJP rec included)

featuring 24 books, 8 destinations, and what to wear in each one !!!!

What a weeeeek. I didn’t set out to meet Sarah Jessica Parker and be at the same Soho restaurant (Sartiano’s at The Mercer) as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in a five-day span, but sometimes, that’s how the [New York] cookie crumbles. Given its relevance to today’s letter, I do need to address the SJP of it all…

It was a serendipitous confluence of events in which, just a week or so ago, we realized Sarah Jessica had followed West Village Book Club on IG. Yes, our literary icon, our neighbor (!!), our Carrie—who is followed by 9.9M and follows just 967—engaged with our itty bitty book club. That gesture alone was enough to shake us in our boots.

But then, mere days later, she acknowledged the follow in person when I met her at an intimate event at the Mandarin Oriental, New York, saying, “Oh! I just followed you!!” before we delved into all things reading. But far beyond her acknowledging the existence of our book club, she was just genuinely, disarmingly present. Twirling around a lip gloss in her hand as she spoke passionately. The kind of person who makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room. True star power, and then some.

When I asked SJP what her prediction for “book of the summer” was, she shrugged (in the chicest way one can shrug, to be clear). Unsurprisingly, our girl—who read 153 books in eight months last year during her period as a Booker Prize judge—doesn’t subscribe to a “book of the summer” buzz. Instead, she told me about a book that’s not getting the love she thinks it should, recommending The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley with incredible enthusiasm for how its prose captivated her.

That said, I couldn’t think of a better note to dive into my personal summer reading list (of course, incorporating this rec). In addition to the titles I’ve been adding to my “Want To Read” list in recent months, I checked in with some bookish friends of The Sunday Series for what’s on their radar. And in true form to this letter, often having a travel angle, I’m pairing titles to destinations I feel match their energy, alongside outfits to tie it all together. Whether you’re actually boarding a plane or just reading like you are, consider this your literary itinerary for summer.

p.s. This one is packed with goodness and too long for email. If you’re reading this in your inbox, click through where it says “Read in App” or navigate to TSS on desktop to read the whole thing. And if you’re feeling extra generous, please give it a heart on Substack, or better yet, share this edition with a friend. And if you were sent it by a friend, please be sure to subscribe…promise we have a lot of fun around here! xxKD

Dreamy, literary, high-brow. Best read at a café where you’ve been nursing a glass of Sancerre for an hour as you warm up for that cigarette. Extra credit if you buy any of these from The Red Wheelbarrow, an English-speaking bookstore in the 6th! See all my curated Paris recs here.

From left to right (ish): BOABAB Porto Pants and Top in Baby Blue (currently on sale!), Valentino Coeur Royal Satin Slingbacks, SAINT LAURENT SL 908 Sunnies, ERDEM Bloom Micro Velvet Rose Top Handle Bag, Vintage Cartier Tank Louis in 18k Yellow Gold sourced from The RealReal, Saint Art Benson Floral Sequin Blouse paired with Walton Floral Sequin Short (alternatively, Hewes Floral Sequin Pant)

Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave opens in 1970s Paris and never quite lets you leave. Olivia Muenter, an author with her own fabulous Substack put it perfectly: “This is one of the most atmospheric, romantic, and transportive novels I’ve read in a long time. It deserves to be read in a gorgeous cafe, pool, or garden with a chilled glass of wine or iced tea nearby. It’s just delicious, and I want everyone to be talking about it!” Read Olivia’s edition of Between The Lines here.

The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley was the one and only Sarah Jessica Parker’s recommendation—and after diving more into the description, it feels ideal for Paris. Sharp, tightly written, and quietly devastating, I’m attracted to its length at just 200 or so pages for a palette cleanser when I want to feel like I’ve ripped through a novel in a day…you know the feeling!

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout is a quietly devastating portrait of loneliness, marriage, and the emotional truths we struggle to articulate most. Strout once again proves there’s no one better at capturing the fragile interior lives of seemingly ordinary people.

Witty, precise, and sometimes, sneakily sinister. These reads are best paired with a garden chair and a pot of tea going cold beside you.

From left to right (ish): Mango Checkered Midi Dress with Ruched Detail (currently 30% off with code HELLO10), Valentino DeVain Small Beaded (!!) Floral Shoulder Bag, J. Crew Striped Cotton Poplin Oversized Shirt with Matching Cruise Shorts (both 40% off), Zimmermann Embroidered Denim Bucket Hat, Coach Raffia Platform Sandal (sizes 8 and up available), ALEXIS Gingham Tan Checkered Print Mazi Top paired with Havara Skirt (run if you like it—sizing is limited!)

Black Bag by Luke Kennard is a darkly funny literary novel that blends satire with emotional unease. Kennard’s writing is clever without sacrificing heart—perfect for a long train ride through the green, rolling English countryside, or even an afternoon at the pub when the rain won’t let up.

Forty Love by Jane Costello is Zibby Owens’ pick for book of the summer—and if you aren’t familiar with her platform, she knows books! Zibby shares, “It’s a midlife love and reinvention story about a 40-something mom in the UK whose daughter has just ‘flown the nest,’ who takes up tennis and reconnects with a blast from her past. It’s a witty, smart, funny beach read with themes of reinvention, loss, flirtation, overwhelm, sibling love, friendship, and first serves. Loved, loved, loved.” Read Zibby’s edition of Between The Lines here.

Hunger and Thirst by Claire Fuller is a haunting literary novel set in 1980s England about loneliness, female friendship, and the dangerous line between wanting and needing. This dark, atmospheric slow burn has a storyline involving a reclusive sculptor living under a pseudonym in London, and there’s nothing I love more than reading a book set in the location I’m in. Extra points if you pick up your copy at Daunt Books! This British novel is already out in the U.K, but available in the U.S. from June 2nd.

Design-forward and quirky, your reading days here will be anchored by gorgeous Scandi breakfasts and having your paperback still cracked open outside at 9pm because it’s somehow still light out.

From left to right (ish): Ganni Zebra Top paired with Printed Organza Wrap Skirt, Larroudé Valerie Mule in Powder Blue and Green Satin (30% off!!!), LOEWE Flamenco Strawberry Mini Beaded Clutch, AGOLDE Lyonne Denim Shorts, Alaïa Oval Sunnies, SIMONMILLER Loch Poplin Button Up Shirt in Green paired with Toni Poplin Wide Leg Pants

Girls Our Age by Phoebe Thompson acts as a portrait of female friendship, ambition, and the uncertainty of modern adulthood. Honest, funny, and emotionally precise, it’s the literary equivalent of a very good dinner with women you admire where no one minces words. I just downloaded this one on Kindle Unlimited!

Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi is a sharp, emotionally messy mother-daughter story set against the faded glamour of Los Angeles. Equal parts funny and heartbreaking, it explores grief, fame, class, and the complicated business of growing up. This is the kind of book that hits differently when you’re somewhere as clean and considered as Copenhagen; the chaos on the page will act as a beautiful contrast.

In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka is a tense literary drama examining loyalty, perception, and the stories women are forced to tell to survive. Equal parts psychological and emotionally layered, it carries the quiet menace of Nordic noir—the kind of book that pairs perfectly with a long, contemplative evening sipping natural wine at a canalside Copenhagen spot.

Sun-soaked, unhurried, and all kinds of magical. These books were selected because they’re best read on a lounger with the sea stretching in front of you and nowhere to be until dinner.

From left to right (ish): Bananhot Rey Striped Crochet Beach Dress, SIMONMILLER Fish Bag, Amanu Kiwayu Leather Thong Sandals, Amber Sceats Noah Bracelet Set, Jordan Road La Playa Pearl Necklace, Agua by Agua Bendita Siembra Embroidered Linen Maxi Dress (30% off and I’m begging someone to buy this work of art with its 3D appliqué!!!!)

The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (out June 9th) delivers another smart, sexy romance filled with wit, emotional depth, and undeniable tension. A love story with equal parts heart and style, this one belongs in your tote next to your sunscreen of choice.

Habits of the Sea by Shea Earnshaw (out July 7th) is a haunting, transportive story steeped in atmosphere, secrets, and coastal mysticism. Earnshaw’s signature blend of magic and melancholy feels tailor-made for somewhere slightly unreal, which is to say, exactly the kind of atmosphere when you’re island hopping through Greece.

I Want You to Be Happy: A Novel by Jem Calder is a smart, contemporary look at intimacy, ambition, and modern disconnection. Calder writes relationships with the kind of precision that feels almost painfully observant—the literary equivalent of a long swim thinking about someone you shouldn’t be!

Nostalgic, salt-twinged air, and cool without being sceney. These reads are best devoured with an iced coffee from Handlebar, or better yet, after a lobster roll at CRU and a few too many glasses of rosé. See my curated Nantucket recs here.

From left to right (ish): Julietta Asty Resin Bead Shell Necklace, SIMONMILLER Shelly Tote Bag, Xero Shoes x J.Crew Genesis Sandals, Aureum No 2 Belt in Sky Blue and Silver (25% off!), Damaris Bailey Phoebe Top in Red Gingham paired with Phoebe Silk Pants

Long Island Girls by Gabrielle Korn (out June 23rd) is a nostalgic yet razor-sharp look at friendship, girlhood, and the myths we build around privilege and belonging. Think beach read with actual substance—the kind of book that makes you call someone you’ve been meaning to.

Whistler by Ann Patchett (out June 2nd) is another richly drawn Patchett meditation on family, place, and the quiet complexities of human connection. Expect elegant prose and characters that linger long after the final page. Morgan Pager, author and creative guru behind @nycbookgirl, agrees: “I suspect my book of the summer will be Whistler by Ann Patchett! She is my queen; I have read everything she has written. This one has a great premise, and the writing is guaranteed to be divine.”

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (out June 30th) is a stylish, sharply observed novel about image, reinvention, and the chaos simmering beneath polished lives. It’s perfect for readers who love emotionally messy characters with great taste, like Tim Ehrenberg—who knows Nantucket well as the President of the Nantucket Book Festival and marketing genius behind Mitchell’s Book Corner (pictured below) and Nantucket Book Works. Read Tim’s edition of Between The Lines here.

Passionate, sensory, and unapologetically alive. If you’re an OG here, you know I go to Spain every summer, and these reads are being saved for a Balearic moment when I want to be fully locked in. See all my breakdown of all four Balearic islands here, or my Mallorca Guide here.

From left to right (ish): Mignonne Gavigan Emmi Shell Necklace, SIMONMILLER Kini Striped Tee, SIMONMILLER Beaded Starfish Bag, Mignonne Gavigan Amira Earrings, Tropic of C Bikini Top in Kiwi Tomato paired with Luna Bikini Bottom (I loooove it in kiwi green too, tough choice!), and Mango Crochet Short Dress (30% off)

Crash Into Me by Robinne Lee (out July 7th) is a sweeping, emotionally charged love story from the author who understands chemistry better than almost anyone writing today. Sarah Lyon makes a compelling case: “If you fell hard for The Idea of You (who didn’t?!), you’ll want to be sure to snag a copy of Robinne Lee’s second novel. It’s another chance encounter love story with themes that go much deeper than most summer reads—think identity, power—so it’s sure to be an excellent pick to bring to book club.” Romantic and cinematic, it’ll pair perfectly with pintxos and Vermut.

Kitten by Stacey Yu (out August 4th) is Emma Benshoff’s pick, and this Lit Girl’s pitch is nearly impossible to beat: “Equal parts funny, charming, and moving, it captures the universal experience of being a woman in your twenties while also delivering the most inventive character study I’ve seen in a while: narrator Katie develops a strange fascination with her wealthy boyfriend’s cat. Still need convincing? A very chic girl at a vintage bag sale stopped me to ask how I already had a copy.” Read Emma’s edition of Between The Lines here.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune is this year’s installment of Fortune’s banger book a year. She returns with another emotionally rich summer romance layered with nostalgia, longing, and irresistible chemistry. Fortune understands complicated feelings and the particular ache of wanting something you can’t quite name—which, if you’ve ever watched the sunset in Formentera, feels exactly right.

A bit more rugged, days in Maine are about going inward. These picks are best read on a dock somewhere with the quiet satisfaction of knowing you have another lobster roll on the horizon.

From left to right (ish): Mignonne Gavigan Luisa Cuff, J.Crew Claudia Scrunchie One-Piece Suit (50% off), Mignonne Gavigan Paula Collar Fish Necklace, J.Crew Luna Striped Pant, LOEWE Paula’s Ibiza Denim Bucket Hat, Sézane Raffia Bag with Embroidered Terracotta Flowers, and J.Crew Long-sleeve Linen Tunic Top in White Rose paired with Beach Pants (50% off)

June Baby by Shannon Garvey is a tender literary novel about identity, family history, and the moments that quietly shape a life. Atmospheric and deeply reflective, it has the same qualities as Maine: unhurried, a little melancholy, and more layered than it appears. Plus, it’s a release from Jenna Bush Hager’s imprint, Thousand Voices, and I implicitly trust her taste.

The Optimists by Brian Platzer is a timely exploration of ambition, idealism, and the gap between the lives we imagine and the ones we actually build. There’s something about being in Maine, away from the bustle of everyday life, that makes you reckon with this kind of question. Thoughtful, contemporary, and emotionally deep, this one hits differently when you’re somewhere that forces you to slow down.

The Shippers by Katherine Center (out May 19th) is a warm, escapist story packed with humor, chemistry, and Center’s signature emotional optimism. A little fruitier than my usual taste, but it’s the kind of novel you’ll want to finish in one sitting with a glass or two of wine on hand.

Ohhhhhh my dear New York. Urgent, sometimes chaotic, always romantic. These babes are best paged through on a blanket in Central Park, on a date with oneself at a wine bar, or on the subway on the way to meet a friend at that museum you’ve been neglecting. Bonus points if you purchase them from our friends at Three Lives & Co. Read my Local’s Guide to the West Village here.

From left to right (ish): Rebecca Vallance Anjou Sheer Silk Organza Blouse (sizing limited), LESET Barb Slip Skirt in Creme, Larroudé x Ciao Lucia Eloisa Sandal, Celine Aviator Sunnies, Bottega Veneta Andiamo Intrecciato Small Leather Tote in Blush Pink, Vintage Rolex Datejust Watch with Pink Dial in very good condition sourced on The RealReal and Contessa Mills Linen Laissez Pant (made in NYC!)

Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick comes out this Tuesday, May 25th and is Serena Kerrigan’s pick. It’s described as a “brutally honest and completely relatable story for anyone who’s ever felt stuck between coming of age and coming apart.” Read SFK’s edition of Between The Lines here.

Yesteryear by caro claire burke was West Village Book Club’s May pick, a New York Times #1 Best Seller, and Kayla Kleinman’s prediction for the “book of the summer.” She shares, “Even before its release, the buzz and intrigue around Yesteryear was already enormous. It’s shaping up to be one of those books people feel compelled to read so they can be part of the larger conversation.” Read Kayla’s edition of Between The Lines here.

Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola is a fresh coming-of-age story exploring identity, family expectations, and the emotional baggage we carry into adulthood. Tender, sharp, and deeply human, it has the exact kind of energy of figuring yourself out in a city that refuses to slow down for you. It’s the kind of book that feels like it was written for rides on the L train, or a park blanket in July when you’re deeply enamored with life.

TLDR but feeling shoppy? All 60 of my outfit and accessory picks for this special letter are linked on my ShopMy.

Thank you so much for reading! And finally, a housekeeping note now that we’re fully into summer: I’ll be adjusting to a bi-weekly Sunday send until September while I focus on another creative project in the months ahead. I hope to be able to share it with you soon! Until then, thank you for your support of The Sunday Series—this community is my pride and joy, and I’m so appreciative of your readership. Lots of fun to come!! xxKD