Back in December, I had this post about one of my favorite end of the year Best List-- LitHubs's Ultimate Best Books List.
What I love about this list is how it crowd sources dozens of major publications' "Best Lists" from all over and totals them all up to see what the most popular "Best" titles are. It gives you a survey of the entire "Best" landscape in an easy snapshot. If you look at that post, you can get current and backlist lists that look at all the lists. While that is a lot of instances of the word list, you get what I mean. LitHub's "Ultimate Lists" are an excellent resource because by definition they are crowd sourced.
That's a general PSA for all of their "Ultimate Lists," but right now I want to focus on the current 2026 Ultimate Summer Reading List.
Author Emily Temple read 25 summer reading lists, which recommended a total of 419 individual books and crunched the numbers. 60 books were mentioned 3 or more times. This is THE summer reading list you need for your patrons because it is comprised of all the lists.
The most lists a book was on was 13 (out of 25) and the Temple includes appears 3 times. You can click here to read The Ultimate Summer 2026 Reading List.
And please scroll to the end to see the links to all of the lists she used to build her "Ultimate" list. Not only do I love a list that cites its sources, but also by making them clickable, you can dig even deeper to find more titles.
Of course, many of these books will be checked out all summer, but many of these authors have older books you can suggest to readers while they wait.
Post this list online and in your libraries as the "Best of the Summer Reading Lists." Put up a sign and then fill the display with Summer Reading titles that are on the shelf. Use titles from previous years (use my Summer Reading tag for help with that). Also include previous titles by the authors on this year's list and readalike titles for the authors.
You have plenty to fill the display. And again, there is no library jail. No one is going to get upset or punish you if you use titles adjacent to this year's specific lists. In fact, just the opposite, When you include
I feel like a broken record, but it bares repeating. Books do not have to be from this exact summer to be great summer reads. You have plenty to fill the display. No one is going to get upset or punish you if you use titles adjacent to this year's specific lists (as opposed to those literally on them). In fact, just the opposite. When you include titles from this year, previous years, readalikes for those authors, titles that you think would be a great summer read, anything I have posted using the summer reading tag, etc...., people will thank you.
Your patrons want a good book to read over the summer. They have no idea where to start. When you widen the net of option, when you get creative in your "summer reading" marketing, while making sure the books are solid reads, you will draw more readers to your display. When you provide them with a book they end up loving, you have hooked them for life. They will come back for more. They will tell their friends. You have won.
But in order to do that you have to stop being so literal. A great place to start is the backlist. The last few years of Summer Reading hot picks will be on the shelf. They were summer reads in the near past. They are great books that people missed. They are still great reads. Allow them to shine
Speaking of....here is the link to pull up the Ultimate Summer Reading Lists going back to 2022. As well as using my "summer reads" tag.
This is also a great time to use my conversation starter to display posts (and handout with examples) to ask your staff and readers to share this favorite "Summer Reads." Note, I did not say, favorite Summer Reads out in 2026. Keep it broader. Find out what they have loved the most. From that poll, you can not only make a display, but also get some in real time feedback about what your patrons like to read in the summer. And it makes for an easy, interactive display that SHOWS your patrons that you are listening to them. Again use my directions on how to have that conversation here.
Be creative and broad with your "Summer Reading" lists, suggestions, and displays. Include titles from year's past, include other books by the authors on this year's lists, include readalikes for these authors... You get my point. Be as open as possible.
Give people more options that what they see in that one list they saw on that one website. No one is going to "check your math," and be like, "Umm....what list told you this was a "best" summer read." Of course not. They trust you to help them find the books they wouldn't find without you. They expect to fond things at the library they wouldn't see other places. This is where we excel and leave a mark on those we assist with their leisure reading. Embrace it and go for it.
And a great place to start that process is LitHub's Ultimate Summer Reading Lists.
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