The best books to read this summer, according to bestselling Bay Area authors

Recommendations are a dime a dozen, but in Pro Tips, we go directly to the source, asking experts for their professional opinions on the city’s best cultural offerings.

As you make your summer plans, don’t forget to leave room in your suitcase for a great book. To help you figure out what to read next, we asked eight Bay Area writers — who read constantly, obsessively, and very, very opinionatedly — for their go-to selections.

Latest book: “Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law” (2021)

Best known for her humorous and in-depth investigations into topics like spit and corpses, Roach recommends “Food Person” by Adam Roberts, host of the podcast “The Amateur Gourmet.” The novel, which will be released this month, follows a weary cookbook ghostwriter navigating the puff-pastry egos of New York’s food elite. “I polished it off in a single sitting,” said Roach, adding that the best place to read it is “the counter of any ‘cheffy’ new restaurant.” 

For something grittier, she suggests the essay collection “A Real Emergency: Stories From the Ambulance” by Joanna Sokol, a paramedic. “EMTs know [that] half the story takes place before the ambulance pulls up to the ER,” said Roach, who described the book, due in June,  as “urgent, unflinching, and beautifully written.”

Latest book: “Lessons in Magic and Disaster” (due in August)

If you’re searching for a magical escape — with heart, wit, and maybe a few witches — Anders, the Hugo Award-winning sci-fi and fantasy writer, recommends “The Story of the Hundred Promises” by Neil Cochrane (2022). It’s “a gorgeous fairy tale with wizards, sailors, and what it takes to break an ancient curse,” Anders said. 

For a romantic fix, she suggests the recent “sweet” release “Wooing the Witch Queen” by Stephanie Burgis, in which a witch and archduke mistake each other for villains — before reluctantly falling in love.

Latest book: “El Nido” (due in 2026) 

Hua, a former Chronicle columnist and author of the bestselling 2018 novel “A River of Stars,” said she’s packing “Immemorial,” a 2024 essay by Lauren Markham. “It’s a luminous inquiry on how to memorialize the landscapes, species, and sounds that are vanishing before us,” Hua said.

For YA fans seeking a magical read, she suggests “The Lost Queen” by Aimee Phan, due this month, which follows a Bay Area teen who discovers she’s descended from royalty … and has magical powers. “It’s enchanting,” Hua said. “The perfect summer escape, with its blend of lore, magic, and coming-of-age adventure.”

Latest book: “Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley’s Mission to Change What We Eat” (2021)

Zimberoff, an investigative journalist known for reporting on the intersection of food and technology, suggests two books released this year. For readers craving smart, surreal, and sexy stories, at the top of the list should be “Crush” by Ada Calhoun, a deep dive into the emotional aftershocks of an open marriage. “The perfect antidote to any ho-hum relationship,” she says.

For something both weirder and wildly relatable, Zimberoff recommends “Blob: A Love Story” by Maggie Su. “This book makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, because the narrator totally doesn’t,” said Zimberoff. The book follows a woman reeling from a bad breakup and  stuck in a crummy job who encounters Bob, a blob (yes, really) that comes to life. “You begin to wonder what’s real,” she said. “Read on the plane headed for destinations unknown.”

Latest book: “When We Were Hardcore” (2025)

It’s no surprise that Michel-Cassidy, a poet and short-story writer who works as an editor at literary journal Tupelo Quarterly, always has a book -– or three -– on her bedside table. For short-story fans, she recommends last year’s “Rage & Other Cages” by Aimee LaBrie, about characters bumbling to connect, calling it an “in-the-bath-with-a-glass-of-wine, forgetting-about-all-else read.” 

For an escapist beachy read, Michel-Cassidy suggests “Bomb Island” by Stephen Hundley (2024), a novel about an offbeat commune full of oddballs and a white tiger. It’s perfect for a trip to the hot springs, she said.

Latest book: “Sailing Paper Boats & Other Stories” (2025)

Amit, a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee who writes about the experience of first-generation Indian immigrants, offers one light reading pick and one that goes a bit deeper. For a breezy beach read, she recommends “Deep End” by Ali Hazelwood, a recently released romance set in the world of collegiate swimming at Stanford. “What caught my attention was the genre of sports romance,” said Amit. “It’s steamy and spicy. … [Read it] while sipping cocktails and watching surfers.” 

For something a bit more introspective, she suggests “Three Days in June,” the 25th novel by Anne Tyler, released in February.  It’s about a socially awkward mother facing her ex — and herself — in the days before her daughter’s wedding. “The author captures an ordinary and mundane world and weaves an interesting and compelling narrative around it,” said Amit.

Latest book: “Starry Field: A Memoir of Lost History” (2024)

Juhae Lee, a former literary editor at The Nation, suggests skipping the classic beach read and going for something strange. “The Wanderer’s Curse: A Memoir” by Jennifer Hope Choi (2024) is part road trip, part reckoning, that explores yeokmasal, the Korean concept of wanderlust-as-curse. “Great to read while traveling,” Juhae Lee said.

For bite-size brilliance that will keep your brain switched on, she suggests “An Oral History of Atlantis” by Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park, a collection of sci-fi short stories that’s due in July.

Latest book: “Who Ate What? A Historical Guessing Game for Food Lovers” (2023)

For the 40-something beachgoer contemplating aging in a bikini (and trying to feel powerful while doing it), Levin recommends her friend Bonnie Tsui’s “On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters.” Released in April, it’s part science, part soul searching, in its examination of physical strength and what it means to move through the world in a changing body, explains Levin.

For a lighter read, Levin suggests “My Mother’s Boyfriends,” a recent collection by Samantha Schoech, former book editor of the SF Chronicle. If you like “funny, witty, and wise short stories,” this is a must-read, Levin said.