These books will take you places!
it's almost time for the 2025
Summer Reading Guide!
A beloved tradition and the best part of the whole reading year! Your 2025 (aka our fourteenth, can you believe it?) edition includes 30+ great new summer titles (publishing April to August) I’ve read every word of and can vouch for, related backlist selections, fun and useful bonus features, and a new-for-2025 road trip theme.
Buckle up, it’s almost time for summer reading!
This year's guide
Can we top last year’s book camp theme? Honestly, maybe not—but we’re gonna try to give 2024 a run for its money with our 2025 reading road trip! Throughout the guide you’ll find inspiration to (metaphorically) hit the road through the pages of this summer’s selections.
Categories help you jump right to your go-to genre, but I also hope you’ll take a trip off the beaten path to find delightful surprises, hidden gems, and memorable summer reading moments.
The Books
- 35 new Summer Reading Guide titles that Anne has read every word of
- Published between April and August
- Minimalist picks and “for fans of” selections for those who crave additional guidance or extra recs
Features
- Awesome on Audio
- How-to tips you can use year-round
- Fun features we think you’ll love (and find super practical)
- Backlist “pit stops” that highlight superlative backlist selections you may have missed
Unboxing
Get all the juicy book details here!
May 15th at 1pm or 8pm EDT
Our live book party is 90+ minutes of bookish delight. I’ll go through all the titles in the guide giving you a bit more than I can say in print (it’s hard to gush in a PDF) and answer your questions about tone, theme, content, comps, and more.
Strictly speaking, you don’t need to come to the event—all the info you need is in the Guide—but this event includes a little bit extra and is so much fun, besides!
Your Summer Reading Guide purchase includes a video replay of the live Unboxing event we had on May 15th.
Order your Summer Reading Guide
Book your reading road trip and see where the season takes you.
- Summer Reading Guide PDF
- Unboxing replay to enjoy at your leisure
- Read with confidence this summer
- Be inspired and challenged to reach for titles outside your go-to genres
- All for just $15*
*Members of our Book Club and Patreon communities get the guide as an included perk. For more information check out the FAQs below.
Add a printed guide!
For the first time, we’re professionally printing the Guide in bulk for you!
Your Summer Reading Guide purchase includes a digital PDF of the full Guide and access to the live Unboxing events. But if you want to hold onto your Guide, flip through it all summer, look back on it in a year or two when you’re wondering what to add to your library holds, or leave it on your coffee table, then add a printed SRG magazine to your order.
Unfortunately at this time we are only shipping to US addresses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I get my Guide?
The Summer Reading Guide PDF was emailed at 10:00 a.m. EDT on May 15th. If it’s past that point and you’re having trouble finding it please search your email for the subject line “Your MMD Summer Reading Guide is here!”
If you purchased the Guide a la carte after that time you should get an email immediately following your purchase.
I didn't get my Guide?
The Summer Reading Guide PDF was emailed at 10:00 a.m. EDT on May 15th. If it’s past that point and you’re having trouble finding it please search your email for the subject line “Your MMD Summer Reading Guide is here!”
You can also find the Guide in the following places depending on how you are participating:
- Book Club members–the Guide is attached to the Unboxing event page
- Patreon members–the Guide is attached to this post
- A la carte purchasers–the Guide is on the 2025 Summer Reading Guide page in your MMD Shop Account
How will the Guide be delivered?
The Summer Reading Guide is delivered by email. Please check that you’re getting regular email updates from us in your primary inbox, that our emails are marked “important” and make sure they aren’t going to your spam folder. However you get the Guide (by purchasing it a la carte or as a member of one of our communities) the PDF can also be found online. If you purchased a la carte you would find that in your MMD Shop Account area.
What's included with my Guide purchase?
Your a la carte Summer Reading Guide purchase (as distinct from getting the Guide as a member of one of our communities) includes the Summer Reading Guide PDF delivered on May 15th, an invite to the live Unboxing events on the 15th at 1:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. EDT, and access to a replay of the event if you cannot or choose not to attend live.
Please note the printed Guide is an additional purchase.
I'm a member do I need to buy the Guide?
You do not! Whether you’re an MMD Book Club member or a part of our What Should I Read Next patreon community the Summer Reading Guide and Unboxing event are a part of your membership. You’ll still receive the Guide PDF on May 15th by email, so please check that you’re receiving emails from us or have patreon notifications turned on.
I'd rather become a member than buy the Guide a la carte, how do I join?
We would love to have you! Again, members of both communities receive the Summer Reading Guide as a part of their membership, but there’s so much more included. Here’s some info to help you decide which is a better fit for you.
Our communities have different scope and emphases: we think of our Patreon offerings as being bite-sized, while MMD Book Club is more like a buffet. We encourage you to choose the one that best works for you and your reading life. (20% of our readers are members of both communities.)
Our WSIRN Patreon community is an extension of the What Should I Read Next podcast, and offers Friday bonus episodes (e.g., One Great Book, Mini Matchmaking, Industry Insights), peeks behind the scenes, and additional curated book recommendations to our readers in that space. Patreon is audio-first, which means you can mostly participate when it’s convenient for you. We host two events each semester in Patreon: one seasonal preview (like Summer Reading Guide Unboxing) and occasional additional events like Ask Us Anything, Live Mini Matchmaking, or Trivia Night. Our patrons also influence the show by offering input on future episode themes, guests, and voting on our episode titles.
Our slate of Book Club offerings is more robust, which is why we call it a buffet: we seek to offer lots of great literary content in this space, and don’t expect you to put everything on your plate! We host many live events in this space, including monthly book and author discussions, regular classes on literature and the reading life, and community events like our Readers’ Weekend, Best Book of Summer, Reading Life Rehab, Readalongs, Join Us for Journaling, and more. Our live events are video-driven, but you don’t need to attend live to participate: we record our events so you can watch on your schedule. Our custom-built member site also sets Book Club apart: our 24/7 forums makes it easy to enjoy all the book talk your heart desires, and connect with other readers who love books as much as you do.
Do I have to purchase the PDF to purchase the printed magazine?
No, you can purchase just the printed magazine-style Guide. However, this does not include an invite to our Unboxing party or the replay video of that event. The Guide will ship first class mail as soon as we get them back from the printer (not before May 15th). So if you are eager to know the titles in this year’s Guide and get your library holds in early we would suggest getting both the digital experience and the printed magazine.
If I order a printed magazine when will I get it?
We are shipping these first class mail so delivery times depend on how far you are from us in Louisville, Kentucky. We will ship printed Guides as soon as we get them from the printer but not before May 15th (Summer Reading Guide release day).
Can I get a printed magazine shipped to a non-US address?
Unfortunately, at this time we are only shipping within the US. We are a small team and shipping physical products is not our main job so we simply can’t keep up with all of the changes currently happening with international trade.