Summer 2021 Staff Picks for All Ages

By Lynn Ann Lobash, Associate Director, Readers Services and Engagement
June 23, 2021

We asked our staff what books should be on everyone's summer reading list this year and they gave us 146 titles for kids, teens, and adults alike. There is something here for everyone from sweet, silly picture books, to steamy romances, and crime thrillers. So if you need something for the beach, the pool, or the plane—look no further. NYPL has got you. 

Below are just a few teasers—see the full list here.  Also, many of the titles are available on our app SimplyE app, if you need to save some room in your luggage. 

Happy Summer!

Blanket

Blanket: Journey to Extreme Cozinessby Loryn Brantz

A young girl uses a fuzzy blanket to form a cocoon which makes her feel safe and secure and where she can use her imagination to go on a series of adventures, including outer space and the deep blue sea.

Love is a Revolution

Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson

Harlem teenager Nala is looking forward to a summer of movies and ice cream until she falls in love with the very woke Tye and pretends to be a social activist.

Empire of Pain

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe

A portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, who built their fortune on the sale of Valium and later sponsored the creation and marketing of one of the most commonly prescribed and addictive painkillers of the opioid crisis.

Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.