There are a lot of summer reading lists and summer reading guides available online, but they are full of new releases, so we are changing it up with a list of backlist fiction books for summer.
We love backlist books. We usually love them more than the shiny new releases.
New releases can be hard to get from your library or used bookstores, so this list of backlist fiction books for summer is perfect. These books are all backlist books and should be easy to find at your library, used online, or at your local used bookstore.
This list of backlist fiction books for summer includes historical fiction, romance, mystery, and more.
Some of these books are cleaner fiction reads and some are more PG-13 type of reads. Be sure to click on the title of the book and it will take you to the full review for more details about the book.
Backlist Fiction Books
Summer by the Sea by Susan Wiggs is what I would consider a classic beach read.
Two teenagers find love decades after meeting each other. One grew up in a small beach town and one who summered there with his wealthy family.
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson is a book about books. Set in a small village in England. A librarian and a group of local residents band together to save their library.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is a perfect summer read for anyone that loves mystery books set in England.
There are three books in this series so far so if you love the first one you will have two more books to read this summer.
The House On Cannon Beach by Raeanne Thayne is another great beach or vacation read because it has a beach setting.
I loved this one because Cannon Beach is about an hour from where I grew up. I know the places in the book well. This book was not only a great read, it took me back to a place that I love.
Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge is a fun clean romance read. This is the type of book that I love to read on vacation because you can read it in a day.
This book is about three sisters who leave California after a scandal and move to Austin, Texas. It is a modern spin on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery was published back in 1926. Almost one hundred years later it is still a book worth reading.
Valancy Stirling has always led a quiet life, but after visiting the doctor she is told that she is going to die within the year. She decides to rebel against her family which leads to many different events that change her life.
If you love Anne of Green Gables I think you will like this one as well.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton was a recent read for me, but I think it would make a great summer read. Set in Cuba this historical fiction book shares the story of one family’s journey to America and back to Cuba again.
This is the first book in the series and I plan to read the next book or two in the series this summer.
When Stone Wings Fly by Karen Barnett is set in Great Smoky Mountains National Park so it makes a great read. This is a historical fiction book with romance mixed in.
One of the things that I enjoyed about this book is that the author is a former park ranger so she knows National Parks well. I also love that this is a clean romance read.
The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs is a book about books and bookstores. It starts with tragedy and ends with love.
Sometimes the best things in life are the things that you originally want to run from.
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner was very popular when it came out in 2020. It deserved the attention it got. I really enjoyed this one.
The Jane Austen Society is set in Chawton, England just after WWII. An interesting mix of characters comes together because of their love of Jane Austen.
The Last Garden In England by Julia Kelly is about an English garden so it is perfect for summer reading.
Julia Kelly did an excellent job in making this book different than most books about WWII.
Instead of following people, she follows a garden and the people who created and owned it. It is set in three time periods, 1907, 1944, and present day.
Miss Buncle by D.E. Stevenson was published in 1936. If you love books with an old-fashioned English village feel this book is for you.
This is a book about books and authors. It is a great book for anyone that loves books like the Mitford series by Jan Karon.
The Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner is set in 1950s England. It is centered around a bookstore that is having trouble staying up with the times. It follows not only the bookstore but the people that work there.
The London House by Katherine Reay is a dual timeline book set in WWII and the present day. I liked this book but didn’t love it. However, I know that a lot of people love this one and it is a good summer read, so I added it to the list.
It is about a house in London that has been in the family for years. It holds secrets that will change lives.
The main reason that I didn’t like this book is that it felt a bit unrealistic and not historically accurate, but if you love Katherine Reay’s books you will probably enjoy this one.
The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly is another book set in England. Books set in England really do make great summer reads.
This book takes you to 1950s England and the world of the debutantes, which is something I knew nothing about. There are mysteries, secrets, and more in this one.
Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate is an older Lisa Wingate book, but it is one of my favorite books by her.
It is about a woman who temporarily moves in with her grandma to help care for her. While helping her grandma she is reminded of what is really important in life.
The Gown by Jennifer Robson is set during multiple time periods but is focused on the gown Queen Elizabeth wore for her wedding.
I loved the writing in this one. It draws you into the characters and setting. It is a good book for anyone that loves Downton Abbey or The Crown.
The Oysterville Sewing Circle by Susan Wigg is set in the Pacific Northwest. This is the third Susan Wigg book on the list of great backlist fiction books for summer. Susan Wigg is one of my favorite authors for summer or vacation reading.
Her books are not light and fluffy books, but their settings of them make them great summer reads.
This one is about a Navy Seal and girl who returns to her small Washinton State beach town.
New Girl in Little Cove by Damhait Monghan was published in 2021, so it is a newer backlist book.
This follows a new teacher in a small town in Newfoundland in the 1980s. I didn’t love the ending of this one, but overall I enjoyed it. It is a shorter book, so it is a book you could easily read in a day or two.
What books are you planning to read this summer?
Totally adding this post to my summer reading for moms list! 😊 I’m looking forward to reading The Wishing Game by by Meg Shaffer and The Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patti Callahan Henry. They’re both new releases, but I couldn’t agree more about loving the backlists!! I’m often leery of new releases.
I read and loved The Secret Book of Flora Lea! It was really good. And that is a great list of summer reading for moms that you put together.
Tending Roses was a great read! It’s the only one I’ve read on this list, though The London House is on my list and The Blue Castle is on my shelf!
I’m currently listening to a civil war Christian fiction audio book, All Things New by Lynn Austin, and so far I’m enjoying it!
I’ve read and enjoyed several of these. I pretty recently read When Stone Wings Fly. I just finished A Girl Called Samson. Have you read it? I think it might be one you would like if you haven’t. It’s based on a true story of a woman who pretended to be a man and fought for a time during the Revolutionary War.
I just started listening to A Girl Called Samson on audio. So far I am enjoying it.
What a great list!
I am glad that you enjoyed It