Prosek’s 2026 Summer Reading List

Summer has officially arrived, which means it’s time for Prosek’s annual summer reading list! As is tradition – see here, here, here, here, and here – we asked our colleagues to share their recommendations for what to add to your TBR this summer. From light beach reads and exciting thrillers, to nonfiction page-turners and juicy memoirs, you’re just about guaranteed to discover something you’ll love on this year’s list.

Here’s what we recommend you check out…

The top book that Prosekians recommend? London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe. Here’s what folks had to say about this nonfiction true crime thriller:

• Ben Freundlich, Account Supervisor, New York: The book had me at “by Patrick Radden Keefe.” I’ll read anything he puts out, and I rarely read nonfiction. The book takes the recent mysterious death of a teenager in London and uses it as a vehicle to tell the fascinating story of several areas of the city’s underworld and double life he was leading. If you’re interested in a sneak peek of the story, you can find it in the New Yorker.
• Jake Forrestal, Vice President, New York: Patrick Radden Keefe doesn’t miss, and his new book is yet another example of why he’s perhaps the best living nonfiction writer. London Falling details a teenager’s suspicious death and its relationship to the criminal underbelly of the city on the Thames. The book is an absolute page-turner, and its contemporary setting and conflict give it a sense of urgency perhaps lacking in some of Keefe’s other recent works (which are also fantastic!).
• Olivia McCormick, Account Supervisor, New York: Patrick Radden Keefe has a knack for turning deeply reported nonfiction into a page-turner, and his latest release, London Falling, is no exception. What begins with the mysterious death of a 19-year-old Londoner – and one family’s quest to understand what really happened – expands into a broader story about money, power, the criminal underworld and London’s role as a magnet for global wealth. Keefe takes a dense set of information that could easily feel too tangled to follow and makes it a captivating read.

In second place: Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, Belle Burden

• Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President, Office of the CEO and Managing Partner, New York: I’m sure I won’t be the only one recommending this book that took NY—and the world—by storm this year. Belle Burden weaves a beautiful, painful, and ultimately resilient tale of the perfect marriage and the aftermath of its abrupt ending. From colleagues to friends to parents: everyone I’ve recommended this book to has devoured it in just about one sitting.
• Rachel Hennessy, Account Supervisor, Digital, NYC: A raw account of a woman’s marriage, its sudden end, and her experiences in picking up the pieces of herself and her children. It’s a refreshing story and, while heart-wrenching, a very human and relatable account.

And here are some other great books to consider…

Jordan Banks, Senior Account Executive, New York

Book: Tom Lake, Ann Patchett

Genre: Romance / Historical Fiction

Why It’s Worth Reading: Tom Lake follows a mother and her three daughters as they revisit family stories, past relationships, and the choices that shape life. Set against the backdrop of a Michigan orchard, it’s the kind of book that lets you escape while also making you think deeply about relationships and family dynamics. I’d recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep!

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Kris Cole, Managing Director, Los Angeles

Book: Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Why It’s Worth Reading: In the wake of The Correspondent’s massive fandom, it may be a little cliché to recommend charming, vaguely grandma-coded novels (and perhaps revealing of my age and reading preferences), but Mad Mabel is exactly the kind of light, sweet, funny read I want in the summer. It’s quirky, warm, and genuinely delightful without trying too hard. The literary equivalent of sitting on a porch with a spritz and zero obligations.

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Lizzy Cuthbertson, Senior Account Executive, Boston

Books: Rough Sleepers, Tracy Kidder & Happy Place, Emily Henry

Genres: Nonfiction & Romance

Why They’re Worth Reading: Rough Sleepers tells the story of Dr. Jim O’Connell’s work caring for Boston’s homeless population and offers a compelling look at what healthcare, leadership, and service can accomplish when they’re rooted in empathy. Happy Place is an engaging, witty summer read that balances romance, friendship, and personal growth without ever taking itself too seriously. I tend to read two books at once: one that’s easy to get lost in and one that reminds me of what’s happening beyond my own corner of the world. I like the balance, and it means I always have a recommendation ready, whether someone’s looking for a beach read or a more thought-provoking read.

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Rachel Eccles, Vice President, Los Angeles

Book: Famesick, Lena Dunham

Genre: Memoir

Why It’s Worth Reading: For lovers of Girls, or really anyone under 30, Famesick is a must read. Lena Dunham’s coming-of-age memoir covers themes of fame, chronic illness, falling in love, getting sober, and how to weave the pieces of your life back together after they fall apart. Make sure to pack your tissues before bringing this one to the beach!

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Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President, Office of the CEO and Managing Partner, New York

In addition to Strangers (see above), Meghan recommends…

Book: Workhorse, Caroline Palmer

Genre: Dark Humor / Coming of Age

Why It’s Worth Reading: This book follows a highly ambitious assistant-turned-editor at a top tier fashion magazine in the early 2000s. The author is a former Vogue editor and, as a former Vogue girl myself, I LOVED the lore, the characters, the “Talented Mr. Ripley” undertones, and of course, the glamour.

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Jake Forrestal, Vice President, New York

In addition to London Falling (see above), Jake recommends…

Book: Playworld, Adam Ross

Genre: Historical Fiction / Coming of Age

Why It’s Worth Reading: Playworld is a sprawling book about a teenager coming of age in 1980s New York. It’s the most vivid and unique portrayal of the city that I’ve ever read – just contemporary enough to feature familiar landmarks (shout out Dorrian’s in the UES), but still transportive to a different time and place. If you love amazing writing, give this book a shot!

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Forrest Gitlin, Vice President, New York

Book: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Genre: Horror

Why It’s Worth Reading: This book is completely and utterly bonkers, and if you think you know how to read this book before you open it, let alone what it is about, you’re wrong. House of Leaves is a horror mystery about a tattoo artist in LA who finds his dead neighbor’s manuscript on a documentary that was never made about a family living in a house in Virginia that is too big on the inside, or it’s about a photojournalist trying to patch things up with his family while a minotaur stalks him through that same impossible house, or it’s about a patient in a mental care facility writing to her son who grows up to become that tattoo artist. Or it’s about none of that since the narrators are unreliable and scared out of their wits.

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Nikki Held, Associate Vice President, New York

Books: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Sangu Mandanna & Piranesi, Susanna Clarke

Genre: Fantasy / Romance & Fantasy

Why They’re Worth Reading: While The Very Secret Society is basically just The House in the Cerulean Sea in a different and equally lovely font (pun intended), I’d venture to guess that you’ve never read anything quite like Piranesi. The Very Secret Society is the literary equivalent of getting a perfect hug—it’s so cozy, you almost want to burrow into it. This book is playful, sweet, and filled with charming characters. And speaking of charming characters, Piranesi – the eponymous protagonist of my second pick – immediately endears you. You’ll find yourself rooting for Piranesi at every step of the way, sharing in his joys and frustrations and everything in-between.

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Lauren Hendrickson, Senior Vice President, New York

Book: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Genre: Thriller

Why It’s Worth Reading: I read this book in two days. The story follows a famous painter who suddenly stops speaking after being accused of murdering her husband, and a psychotherapist determined to uncover the truth behind what happened. It’s full of twists, turns and suspense, and just when you think you have everything figured out, it completely surprises you. The ending had me shocked. I downloaded it on my Kindle a few days before a vacation and kept telling myself to slow down reading it—to save it for the beach—and I simply couldn’t stop.

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Rachel Hennessy, Account Supervisor, Digital, NYC

In addition to Strangers (see above), Rachel recommends…

Books: The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah & Everyone Here is Lying, Shari Lapena

Genre: Historical Fiction & Thriller / Mystery

Why They’re Worth Reading: The Nightingale is a slow burn, emotional rollercoaster journey of two sisters navigating WWII and Nazi Germany’s takeover in a rural French town. The different paths they take and their experiences of resilience will have you bingeing through the end. Truly the best book I’ve ever read; I’d recommend anything by Kristin Hannah. As for Everyone Here is Lying, I finished this in a day! A serious page turner dealing with a young girl’s disappearance and the scandals that unfold in her absence. I didn’t expect the ending at all. Highly recommend!

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Maggie Kauderer, Senior Account Executive, New York

Book: My Brilliant Friend (and the rest of the Neapolitan quartet), Elena Ferrante

Genre: Historical Fiction

Why It’s Worth Reading: The Neapolitan novel series is a beautiful and deeply moving epic following the lifelong bond between two friends, more like sisters, from their childhood in postwar Naples through adulthood. It covers the complexities of friendship, ambition, love and identity. The series has made me laugh, cry and ponder – would recommend it to young women looking to follow along the lives of Elena and Lina, two unforgettable, strong, independent women navigating their place in the world.

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Louis Putt, Digital Apprentice, London

Book: Machines Like Me, Ian McEwan

Genre: Science Fiction

Why It’s Worth Reading: Written in 2019, McEwan explores one of today’s most consuming topics – artificial intelligence, in an alternate version of 80s London where Alan Turing is still alive and has become one of the most influential people in the world. The novel centers on an unusual triad: two are human and one is artificial, and through their relationship, the distinctions between appearing and being human become increasingly blurred. The book is witty, exquisitely written, and still creeps into my thoughts weeks after I finished it.

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Alex Schaffer, Account Supervisor, NYC

Book: Local Woman Missing, Mary Kubica

Genre: Thriller

Why It’s Worth Reading: Local Woman Missing is a twisty thriller about the disappearances of a woman and a young girl in a seemingly quiet neighborhood — and the secrets that surface years later. Mary Kubica is always a five-star author for me; I read The Good Girl in 2015 and immediately thought, “Oh, this author rocks.” This book had me completely hooked —it would be great as a beach read, but honestly, it would hit just as hard in a dark shed or in a room with every single light on.

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Amy Tizio, Vice President, Boston

Book: The God of the Woods, Liz Moore

Genre: Thriller

Why It’s Worth Reading: The God of the Woods was completely addicting – I couldn’t put it down and finished it in three days. The descriptions of summer camp life, the Adirondacks, and all the people woven throughout the story were so vivid and beautifully done that I felt like I was inside the book. I was desperate to know how it would end, and the twists and turns absolutely delivered.