Retreat Relax Read Refresh Renew Get away Escape with me this summer
2026 Summer Reading Guide
Summer reading holds a special place in my heart and in our world here at Modern Mrs Darcy. We take it really seriously! AND we have serious fun putting good books in your hands year after year, all year round, as we’ve been doing since 2011.Â
Life is hard, but good books help. And for fifteen editions and counting, the MMD Summer Reading Guide has been your gateway to reliable summer reading joy. Summer doesn’t last forever, and “so many books, so little time” is a sad reality. So what’s a reader to do? For thousands of readers, the MMD Summer Reading Guide remains a steady source of inspiration, discovery, and delight.  Â
Our 15th MMD Summer Reading Guide is packed with thoughtfully chosen books you can escape into, as well as features to help you relax, refresh, and enjoy your reading life. Your summer reading time is (unfortunately) finite: let us help you make the most of it. We’d be honored to help you curate the perfect summer TBR so that no matter what this season holds, you know you’ll always have a great book at the ready.
For readers, a wonderful summer awaits. Read on to learn more about what our 15th edition holds. Â
For our 15th guide
Our theme for 2026 is “reading retreat”: our desire is to come alongside you as you discover good books that let you escape into new worlds, and also enrich your life in meaningful ways. We wish you a season full of abundance, ease, and joy, one that is anti-frantic and anti-FOMO. And one that puts a heaping helping of potential 4- and 5-star books on your readerly horizons. Â
This year's Guide includes ...
- 35 new-for-2026 releases that I’ve read every word ofÂ
- Offbeat and whimsical categories to help you think differently about what books may be right for you this summerÂ
- “For fans of” backlist recommendations to both help you understand which books are right for you and help you discover older titles you may also enjoy
- Reading retreat best practices from our terrific team
- A splashy anniversary feature looking back on 15 years of the SRG, including past recommendations that have proved to have serious staying power
- The Awesome on Audio recommendations you have come to love and trust
- Minimalist picks for those who crave additional guidance
- Gorgeous (but relatable) photography for your aesthetic enjoyment
- And more!Â
May 14th
1pm or 8pm EDT
The Best Book Party on the Internet
This our 8th year running hosting our Summer Reading Guide Unboxing event. And we’ve hosted hundreds of live events for the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club. Believe me when I say we know how to make online events fun! And while Unboxing is a good time, your time spent with the Guide and at Unboxing is also an investment in your reading life that will pay off all season long. Â
SRG veterans make a big deal about Unboxing, for good reason! Readers even take the day off work, gather with friends, or plan whole weekend getaways around Unboxing and the Summer Reading Guide. While we love hearing about the traditions and celebrations you’ve built around the SRG, there’s no need for fanfare: you don’t even need to come live. (Though believe us when we say: it sure is fun to “unbox” live with us and scads of enthusiastic readers!) We want the Summer Reading Guide to work for you—which is why every year we capture the event on video so you can watch any time, on your schedule, as many times as you want. With this year’s theme of reading retreat you could even create your own special day to watch the event, peruse your Guide and plan your TBR.Â
Our live book party features 90+ minutes of bookish delight. At Unboxing, I’ll go through all the titles in the guide one by one, sharing more about why I chose each title, what the reading experience is like, and what kind of reader may most enjoy each book. I get to share more than I can say in print and answer your questions about tone, theme, content, comps, and more.
Strictly speaking, you don’t need to participate—all the info you need is in the Guide—but we hope you will. Unboxing includes a little bit extra and is so much fun, besides! And it’s included in your Summer Reading Guide purchase.Â
Order your Summer Reading Guide
Relax, enjoy, and let us help you fill your TBR with confidence
Your Summer Reading Guide experience includes:
- The Summer Reading Guide PDF
- Live Unboxing event access (and video replay to enjoy at your leisure)
- Book Joy aplenty
- Be inspired and challenged to find titles you love, and 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I get my Guide?
The Summer Reading Guide PDF will be delivered by emailed on May 14th. 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.
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 14th, an invite to the live Unboxing events on the 14th 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 14th 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.)Â
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. Â
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.Â
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 14th). 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 14th (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.