Summer reads

Your favorite writers and notable locals reveal their summer reading lists

Now that summer has arrived, maybe you finally have time to open a great book. But which one?

Some popular writers and notable locals share what’s on their summer reading lists. Maybe you’ll find a title, or 10, that intrigues you.

Or, if travel’s more your thing, check out this selection of books to inspire your next journey.

FINALLY, a chance to stop checking Twitter and open a book — for pleasure.

But what to read? For a little help, we asked some popular authors: What are you planning to read this summer and why?

Ann Patchett, author of “Commonwealth”

I’ll want a book that’s thrilling and artful, a true page-turner that will leave me feeling smart, so I’ll read Maile Meloy’s “Do Not Become Alarmed.” Roxane Gay’s “Hunger” will be at the top of the stack for life-changing memoirs (she is brilliant). And of course I’ll be reading David Sedaris’ “Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002” because a summer in which there is a new Sedaris book is the very definition of a good summer.

Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner “The Underground Railroad”

Mohsin Hamid’s “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” “Exit West” and “Ethan Frome” were good discoveries this spring. This summer, I have rereads for “Sula,” “Things Fall Apart” and “Waiting for the Barbarians” lined up. Short and sweet!

Jodi Picoult, whose novels include “My Sister’s Keeper” and “Small Great Things”

I have three books on my summer reading list! “The Stars Are Fire” looks like Anita Shreve at her best, exploring real-life New England history through the lens of complex characters. I’m also looking forward to “Everyone Brave Is Forgiven,” by Chris Cleave, a love story cast against the backdrop of World War II. Finally, “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas, a YA novel that brings the Black Lives Matter movement to life through the eyes of a young black girl who witnesses the shooting of her friend at the hands of the police.

Tana French, author of “The Trespasser”

I’m finally going to finish Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House.” No one does eeriness like Shirley Jackson; no one breaks down the boundaries of your reality and draws you into hers with quite the same inexorable power. I started “Haunting” once before, and it spooked me so badly that I stopped, so I’m hoping that reading it on a sunny beach will defuse it a little. I’m also planning to read Marlon James’ “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” and I cannot wait to read Dennis Lehane’s “Since We Fell,” about a woman who finds both her marriage and her mind threatened after she spots her husband — or his doppelganger — somewhere he’s not supposed to be. Lehane writes expert, compelling thrillers that dive into mysteries much more universal and more urgent than just whodunit; he’s one of the game changers who smashed the imaginary boundary between genre and literature, proving that we can have the best of both at once.

Diane Rehm, radio personality and author of “On My Own”

I’m totally hooked on Elizabeth Strout. First I reread “My Name Is Lucy Barton.” Now I’m reading “Amy and Isabelle,” and finishing up her latest, “Anything Is Possible.” Her characters, their stories, their interwoven lives have me mesmerized.

Philip Kerr, author of “Prussian Blue”

I’m planning to read “The Essential Paradise Lost,” by John Carey. “Paradise Lost” was once celebrated throughout Europe as one of the sublime achievements of mankind. Today, this masterpiece is little read except by students. It’s years since I was forced to read Milton’s poem in school, and, in an attempt to bring it to a wider audience, Carey has shortened the text and reveals new insights into the poet’s sources of inspiration.

Imbolo Mbue, author of “Behold the Dreamers”

Recent or soon-to-bereleased books I would love to read this summer include Naoki Higashida’s memoir of living with severe autism, “Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8”; Jonathan Dee’s “The Locals” (it sounds very ambitious and seemingly explores several social issues our country is currently dealing with); Stephanie Powell Watt’s “No One Is Coming to Save Us”; Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s debut novel, “Kintu”; Jesmyn Ward’s “Sing, Unburied, Sing”; and Jim St. Germain’s “A Stone of Hope,” a memoir that I’ve heard presents an exceptional argument for criminal justice reform.

Nathan Hill, author of “The Nix”

I’m finishing a book tour this summer, and the novels I’ve packed to keep me company on airplanes are “Private Citizens,” by Tony Tulathimutte, “The Muse,” by Jessie Burton, and “Imagine Wanting Only This,” by Kristen Radtke. I’m also looking forward to “Blind Spot,” by Teju Cole, a book that combines two of my favorite hobbies: photography and reading Teju Cole.

Angie Thomas, author of “The Hate U Give”

At the top (of the list) is “Ramona Blue” by the incredible Julie Murphy. I absolutely loved “Side Effects May Vary” and “Dumplin’,” so I know I will love this one, too. I also can’t wait to finally read “When Dimple Met Rishi,” by Sandhya Menon. Just from the excerpt I’ve read, I adore the voice already and know it will be a great read.

Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series and “Seven Stories to Stand or Fall”

People plan their reading? Takes all kinds. … Books just find me. They converge upon me like flocks of benevolent vultures. They follow me home, wagging their tails. I’m pretty sure they breed in the dark, too, like mushrooms. When I finish a book, I pick up whatever looks most appealing from the tottering piles at hand. What’s on top now, though, is “The Last Hack,” by Christopher Brookmyre, “Creatures of Will and Temper,” by Molly Tanzer, and “The Murderer’s Maid,” by Erika Mailman — all batting their eyelashes at me.