The Buzziest Summer Reading Books of 2026

In today’s literary headlines, we have the winners of the Lambda Literary Awards, the buzziest summer reading books of 2026, an adaptation cancellation, and more.

Meet the Winners of the 2025 Lambda Literary Awards

I’m always interested in the Lambda Literary Awards, which recognize LGBTQ+ literature in different categories. I was especially invested this year, though, because I was a judge! I helped choose the winner for the LGBTQ+ Nonfiction category. (After much deliberation, we picked Guest Privileges: Queer Lives and Finding Home in the Middle East by Gaar Adams, which I highly recommend.) I’ve only read five of the winners in the 26 categories, so I need to fix that.

One of the winners I did read was Sympathy for Wild Girls by Demree McGhee, and I’m so glad it was picked for Bisexual Fiction: it was one of my favorite reads of last year, and I think it deserves so much more attention. If you like Carmen Maria Machado’s books, don’t miss this one.

Here are a few more of this year’s winners:

• Lesbian Fiction: Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
• Gay Fiction: Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter
• Transgender Fiction: The Lilac People by Milo Todd
• Lesbian Memoir/Biography: Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins by Mary Frances Phillips
• LGBTQ+ Comics: Gaysians by Mika Curato

The Buzziest Summer Reading Books of 2026

Over at Lit Hub, Emily Temple has compiled the books mentioned the most often on 25 summer reading lists, including Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, People, Goodreads, and more. I also have to shout out the subtitle of this article, which made me laugh out loud: “Even English Majors Can Add Without AI.”

Here are a few of the buzziest books of the summer, according to all the lists:

• Land by Maggie O’Farrell (13 lists)
• Whistler by Ann Patchett (12 lists)
• Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead (12 lists)
• The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (10 lists)
• Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (8 lists)

Plus, a few honorable mentions: The Missed Connection by Tia Williams (6 lists), Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi (4 lists), and Score by Kennedy Ryan (4 lists).

The Lincoln Lawyer is Being Cancelled After 5 Seasons

The Lincoln Lawyer, adapted from the Michael Connelly book series, has been cancelled: the upcoming fifth season will be its last. As always, Netflix has not revealed its reasons for pulling the plug. It’s one of the most popular shows on the platform, consistently appearing in the global top 10—it even increased viewership from season three to season four. Fans can get some comfort from a final season to wrap up loose ends, at least. The series developer and showrunners promise it will provide “the satisfying finale Mickey Haller deserves.”

The Best Books You’ve Never Heard Of

Are you sick of your algorithm recommending you the same books over and over? Come sit by me. As fun as it can be to hop on board the latest buzzy book train, there’s nothing like discovering a hidden gem in a dusty bookstore, or leaving the first review for a title on Goodreads. Reading a little-known book and finding a new favorite is one of the great joys of being a reader. And that’s where the Best Books You’ve Never Heard Of series comes in.