A Memoir from Princess Diana's Brother is Among This Season's Best Books

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

This season, you have no excuse for being without something good to read. Offerings include explosive novels, revealing memoirs, brilliant biographies, and everything in between. No matter what you like to read, there's a title coming out this summer that's sure to be just what you're looking for.

Barkley L. Hendricks: Solid!

On the heels of a blockbuster exhibition at the Frick Collection, a new set of fans have discovered the work of the late, great painter Barkley L. Hendricks. In this 300-page new book, Hendricks's work is beautifully reproduced and placed alongside essays by experts and admirers who help underscore the importance of his oeuvre. This collection is not only a visual feast, but also a deep dive into the process and impact of an artist whose influence is unparalleled.

Double Click

Frances and Kathryn McLaughlin were twin sisters and trailblazing photographers in the 1930s and '40s, shooting for era-defining magazines and helping to shape the way the world saw itself in a time of extreme upheaval. In this deeply researched and fascinating biography, T&C contributor Carol Kino explores the lives and all-too-short careers of both women as well as a lost age among some of the 20th century's most important creative forces.

Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring

Recently, Keith Haring's singular style of artwork has been celebrated with major recent retrospectives, and now the late artist's life is the subject of a major biography by Brad Gooch, a noted master of the form. Here, we delve deep into New York City in the 1980s—with appearances, of course, by Andy Warhol, Madonna, and Jean-Michele Basqiuat—to see the world that shaped Haring and discover how he found his singular place within it. Gooch has written an unforgettable portrait of an icon who's as smart, charming, and multifaceted as the masterpieces that he left behind.

Blank

Has anyone ever had a sophomore slump quite like Pippa Jones? The novelist had a hit with her first book, but now that the second one is due—and her best idea so far went up in flames—she's running out of time to deliver something brilliant. Just when it seems like she'll never make it happen, however, a so-wild-it-just-might-work idea comes her way and Pippa decides to give it her all—despite the way it'll turn her world upside down.

Until August

This new book by Gabriel García Márquez, published 10 years after his death, almost never saw the light of day. The novel, among the last pieces the Nobel Prize winning author worked on, was reportedly deemed by Márquez not quite ready for publication and filed in his archive—until now. The story, about a woman who makes an annual pilgrimage to an island where she does something seemingly very out of character—and in doing so, gets closer to her true self—was revisited by Márquez's children, who decided it was in fact something to be shared with the world. Lucky, lucky us.

All in Her Head

History, it's often said, is written by the victors. Well, not always. In this remarkable look at the way medicine has approached women's health, the oncologist and medical historian Dr. Elizabeth Comen looks at the way women have been treated and mistreated by doctors over the years, and the impact it's had on the way their health is viewed today. Comen's thoughtful, thorough, and very well written book looks at 11 different organ systems in the body and tells stories from the past and her own practice to shed light on the roles they've played in women's overall health. Consider this book not just good, but good for you.

Finding Margaret Fuller

Nobody does historical fiction quite like Allison Pataki. Some of her previous novels have told stories about Marjorie Merriweather Post and Empress Sisi, and this latest fictionalizes the life of the boundary breaking journalist Magaret Fuller, following her from Boston to New York City and around the world as she masters her craft and meets some of the most fascinating characters of her day. Part of the joy in reading Pataki's books is you learn from them while being caught up in the sweeping action, and this latest is no exception.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

What does screen time really do to our kids? You might not want to know—but you need to. In this new book, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores how the way kids are growing up today impacts their development and mental health, and is creating major problems for society at large. Beyond just identifying the problem, however, Haidt offers solutions to help turn the tide.

Memory Piece

Life rarely turns out the way in which we expect, and the three friends at the center of Lisa Ko's new novel are no exception. Growing up together, the women bond over teenage alienation and big dreams of big lives. Some of those dreams come true, but just as often—as the book flashes from the 1980s and '90s into the 2040s—the characters are confronted with the disappointments and mundane disasters of everyday life. Still, Ko's book is a moving, sharply observed portrait of friendship and discovering what it means to live a worthwhile life—whether or not it's anything like what we'd hoped.

Wolf at the Table

What's the price of unconditional love? What begins as a story of a family in Upstate New York during the 1950s follows the Larkin children through their lives, watching as each strives, with varying degrees of success, to find their place in the world. One of these kids, however, is different than the others. And while he drifts (or is pushed; depends on who you ask) from his family, who he becomes will be an issue that impacts them all. Rapp's novel is at once a big, bold story of where we come from and how we get where we're going and also a fascinating look at coping with evil in the places that are supposed to keep us safe.

Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar

For a long time, Candy Darling has been a fascinating footnote to other people's stories: a Warhol superstar, the inspiration for a Lou Reed hit, a muse to the Rolling Stones. Now, thanks to this biography from the remarkable Cynthia Carr (who wrote a stellar 2012 biography of David Wojnarowicz), Darling gets her turn as a main character in a book that tells her story as well as one about American culture, New York City, and the beginnings of a movement that would still be brewing 50 years later.

A Very Private School

Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, turns his attention to his time at Maidwell Hall boarding school growing up. "I spent five years of my childhood in this school, trying to crack the code by which it lived. Now, forty-five years on, I think I’m finally there. I’m writing this book before my memories of half a century ago tip over into that chasm of forgetfulness that shadows old age," Spencer said in a statement. More on his memoir, here.

The Audacity

Things are not going well for Victoria Stevens. The tech billionaire has disappeared in the hours before a story will drop exposing her entire operation as fraudulent, and it seems as though she's left her husband holding the bag. In this funny, observant novel, Ryan Chapman follows the pair in their very different ways of dealing (one goes off the grid, the other goes wild on a private island where the world's richest people have convened) and in doing so, looks closely at the state of wealth and the world today. Pick this one up with Dorothy Parker's immortal words in mind: "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to."

All the World Beside

In 18th-century New England, keeping up appearances is paramount—especially in a place like Cana, a religious community founded by Reverend Nathaniel Whitfield. But what lurks beneath the surface for Whitfield is something he'd never want to share with those neighbors. His relationship with the local doctor isn't only a secret, but something both men fear might be a sign of evil creeping into their utopia. In this moving and powerful novel, Garrard Conley follows the men and their families as the tension between their piety and desires becomes impossible to ignore.

What the Mountains Remember

This latest from the author of All the Pretty Places and The Grand Design follows Belle Newbold, a young woman at the turn of the 20th century who thinks she knows what it is she wants, but finds herself surprised and changed by what fate has in store. When a trip brings Belle and her soon-to-be-husband—practically a stranger–together in the mountains, a terrain she's attempted to avoid since a tragedy years before, everything she thought she knew about love and the life she desired is changed forever.

The Sicilian Inheritance

A mysterious inheritance, a decades-old murder, and a trip halfway around the world collide in this compelling new novel and a young woman whose unexpected windfall is just the beginning of a thrilling and dangerous adventure. When Sara Marsala returns to her ancestral homeland of Sicily, she has no clue that her trip will uncover a family secret and set her on a path that will change her life—and perhaps those of all the women who come from the same small village. Jo Piazza's book is a charming page turner packed with wit and wicked twists that will keep readers engrossed—until, of course, they set it down to plan their own trips abroad.

The Limits

Nell Freudenberger's latest is a globe-spanning epic that tackles questions of family, faith, and the fate of the world. When teenager Pia leaves her scientist mother behind in Tahiti to spend time with her father (and his new wife) in New York City, she had no idea what would lay ahead for her. But as she tries to find her place in this new family dynamic, the world comes grinding to a halt, what's important to Pia—and a cast of other unforgettable characters—shifts dramatically, revealing the true desires that drive a seemingly disparate but ultimately intertwined group of people across the world.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

In August of 2022, Salman Rushdie—the writer of books including Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses—survived a vicious attack a lecture in New York State. Here, he shares for the first time his recollections of the event and also his thoughts on life and art in the wake of it.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles

What can we learn if we sit still and take in the world around us? Amy Tan's latest asks this question, as the author compiles writing and her own artwork (as well as a foreword by David Allen Sibley) inspired by birding and discovers there are still lessons to be learned from the natural world, and great takeaways from observing instead of participating.

Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show

This delightful book takes readers inside the annual Westminster Dog Show, following the journey of a Samoyed named Striker as his competes with his handler, Laura, in the 2022 edition of the competition. If you're a dog person, have a passing interest in the world of dog shows, or even just really enjoyed the cult classic film from 2000, Best in Show: You won't want to miss Dogland.

Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World

It isn't only the mountain climbers finding their purpose at the top of the world's highest peak. In this fascinating look at the big, big business of guides on Mount Everest, Will Cockrell uncovers how a group of entrepreneurial adventurers began guiding well-heeled clients up the mountain to become an integral part of the big-money adventure economy and help change the way we see mountain climbing, and the mountains themselves.

Real Americans

When Nick Chen sets out to find his biological father, he has no idea what his quest will bring. His mother, on the other hand, has an idea—and isn't too thrilled about it. Back when Nick's parents first met, their vast differences seemed dwarfed by their romance, but as their relationship unfolded, things didn't work out quite as planned. Still, Nick has questions about his family and his history, and Rachel Khong's sweeping, smart, and totally engrossing story about destiny, determination, and what truly makes us who we are explores them with style and smarts.

The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn

Fred Otash had seemingly something on everyone, from JFK and Judy Garland to Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, and Marilyn Monroe. The former Marine turned LAPD officer was perhaps best known for his work as a private detective, which brought him close to some of his era's biggest names during their darkest moments. This thrilling biography, based on personal archives and investigation files, tells not only the story of Otash and how he became the most powerful man in Hollywood's shadows, but also charts the beginning of a celebrity culture still raging today.

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

Five of the world's greatest dancers helped change the face of ballet—they performed at the White House, they appeared on Broadway, they were on the covers of magazines. So, why don't we know who they are today? This insightful history from Karen Valby tells the stories of Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Karlya Shelton, and Marcia Sells, celebrating the contributions they made to their art form and giving them the recognition they so greatly deserve.

The Paris Novel

In her latest novel, T&C's own Ruth Reichl takes on the City of Lights one bite at a time. The story follows Stella, a cautious American, whose mother's dying wish is that she go to Paris. When she first arrives, she behaves with the same carefulness as always, but a bit of divine intervention—in the form of a Dior dress and a well-connected new friend—opens up a new world for Stella, one that's full of adventure, mystery, and oysters.

Long Island

Eilis Lacey, the protagonist of Colm Tóibín's hit Brooklyn, makes her return in this new novel. Now, she's living on Long Island and has made a life for herself among her husband's sprawling family—it's not perfect, but it's kind of like home. When a stranger shows up on her doorstep with life-changing news, however, we begin to see what Eilis is truly made of, and how her determination to make a life with meaning makes her stronger and more unpredictable than anyone could have expected.

Wives Like Us

The latest from the beloved Bergdorf Blondes author is a comedy of manners with an emphasis on the comedy. Here, Sykes follows Tata Hawkins, whose seemingly perfect life in the countryside is absolutely falling apart. She has a missing husband, unfriendly neighbors, distracted friends, scheming enemies, and a butler with problems of his own—none of which are helping her predicament very much. In Sykes's skilled and observant hands, however, madcap fare is always more than just a good time, it's a nuanced look inside a specific world, where even the most humorous happenings can tell us something meaningful about the decidedly less glamorous lives we mere readers live.

The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis

If there's one place in the United States that can truly be considered the room where it happens, it's surely the Situation Room. That's where secret missions are carried out, world events are dealt with, and presidents deal with the most important moments of their careers. In this book by White House veteran (and TV legend) George Stephanopoulous, the history of the room and its importance to the American story is told in thrilling detail—victories, close calls, and all.

Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

We know about her wedding, her iconic style, her relationship with John F. Kennedy Jr., and the tragic accident that ended her life, but there's much more to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy than that. In this new book, Elizabeth Beller explores her life through interviews with family, friends, and colleagues—as well as never-before-published photos—to develop a picture of a woman who was more than just what was depicted in the headlines, and help explain why even 25 years after her untimely death Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy still looms so large.

Lies and Weddings

Kevin Kwan's books never lack in style, humor, or delicious twists for their well-heeled characters, and this latest is no exception. Rufus Gresham is a titled heartthrob, even if he'd happily give up an English country estate for a Hawaiian surf shack, but when his glamorous, overbearing mother decides it's time for him to marry—and marry rich—to save the family from ruin, secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, and nothing goes quite as planned. It's an exciting, engrossing, and very, very funny story that takes readers around the world and wraps them up in the high stakes of the love affairs of the one percent.

The Second Coming

This second novel from City on Fire author Garth Risk Hallberg features some of the same sweeping storytelling and unforgettable characters as his debut, however it's a story all its own. What begins as a banal mishap—a lost cell phone—turns into something more for teenager Jolie and her estranged father. As fate brings the two together, ideas about family, forgiveness, and the nature of love are front and center. This book swings big, and the risk is most definitely worth the reward.

This Strange Eventful History

The always incredible Claire Messud's own history helped inspire this engrossing story, which follows a complicated family—as if there were any other kind—across decades and around the world, as legends are made, secrets are buried, and truths come out in the most unexpected of ways. It's a touching, skillfully crafted work that reminds us of the ongoing stories of which we're all a part.

No Judgment: Essays

We might be most familiar with Lauren Oyler's cultural criticism, but in this must-read new collection of essays, the prolific writer turns her critical eye on a much more difficult subject: herself. Here, Oyler writes about her profession, her own anxiety, and topics from gossip to vulnerability—giving all a close, honest look that leaves the reader with a kind of clarity that didn't exist before.

The Extinction of Irena Rey

Jennifer Croft's debut novel follows a group of eight translators who show up at renowned author Irina Rey's house in the Polish forest to translate her latest masterpiece. When Irina goes missing, the group must deal with the existential crisis of who they are without her, and what results is a wild, twisty literary adventure reflecting on the art of translation and the power of language. Though its her debut work of fiction, Croft is an International Booker Prize-winning translator for her work translating Olga Tokarczuk's Flights.

Fruit of the Dead

The myth of Persephone, Hades, and Demeter reimagined in a modern retelling? Say less! Rachel Lyon's Fruit of the Dead follows Cory (our Persephone), an aimless 18-year-old summer camp counsellor chafing under her mother Emer's (Demeter) expectations. Emer, a single mom and the head of an agricultural NGO, has high hopes for her daughter. Yet when Cory seemingly disappears with Rolo (Hades), the father of one of her campers and the influential CEO of pharmaceutical company, Emer goes to the ends of the earth looking for her daughter. Lyon's storytelling alternates between Cory and Emer, and it's a mesmerizing, fantastic retelling of an ancient myth.

The Familiar

Leigh Bardugo turns her talents to a historical fantasy set in the Spanish Golden Age, and it does not disappoint. The story follows Luzia, a maid who uses bits of magic to make her days easier. When her mistress notices, she demands Luzia perform magic tricks to entertain guests—and soon, Luzia catches the attention of a scheming nobleman. We won't spoil anything else, but it's a compelling historical fantasy that beautifully interweaves the history of conversos (Sephardi Jews forced to convert during the Inquisition).

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

In the follow up to the bestselling Olga Dies Dreaming, Xochitl Gonzalez turns her attention to the art world. There are two narratives, telling the interconnected tale of two Cuban women: Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world who is found dead in 1985, and Raquel, a first-generation art history student at Brown university in 1998. When Raquel sets out to do her thesis on modernist artist Jack Martin, she soon discovers Anita. A powerful tale about Latina women making space in the homogenous worlds of academia and art.

Close to Death

Anthony Horowitz is back with another installment in his murder mystery series that features a fictionalized version of himself. In this one, an out-of-place family moves into a picture-perfect gated community—and soon, the father turns up dead, with a crossbow sticking out of his chest. It'll keep you guessing until the very last page.

"Murder mysteries," Horowitz told T&C, are "an opportunity to make the world a better place. A detective arrives in a troubled community where everybody is at each other's throats, where there is a dead body, where there is suspicion, anger, enemy, resentment, fear. And by the time they leave that society, that community, has healed itself."

The Sleepwalkers

Scarlett Thomas's newest novel is touted as "Patricia Highsmith meets White Lotus," and it delivers. The suspenseful tale follows newlyweds Evelyn and Richard who decide to honeymoon on a tiny Greek island at Villa Rosa. But things start to go wrong almost immediately, and Villa Rosa owner Isabella seems to have eyes for Richard. It was a dark and unnerving novel—in the best way possible.

The Paradise Problem

Anna and Liam get married to access subsidized family housing at UCLA, and live together as roommates, barely acknowledging each other for years. However, when Liam is invited to his brother's wedding, he realizes he has to bring along his "wife," or he forfeits his inheritance due to an old-fashioned clause in his grandfather's will. So, he asks Anna, a free-spirited artist, if she'll pretend for a week. How hard can it possibly be?

Opposites attract? Check. Fake married? Check. Only one bed? Check. Christina Lauren takes the classic tropes, and delivers a swoon-worthy romance in The Paradise Problem.

The Ministry of Time

In the near future of Kaliane Bradley's speculative fiction novel, time travel exists, and there's a secretive department in the UK department created to see if it works. A civil servant is enlisted to serve as a "bridge," or a live-in assistant, to a historical person pulled of his timeline: Commander Graham Gore, who supposedly died on Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to the Arctic. If you're a fan of Outlander, spy novels, time travel books, or just really innovative and fun storytelling, The Ministry of Time is definitely for you.

The Hunter

Tana French, one of the best modern crime writers, returns with The Hunter, following Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago police officer who finds himself in western Ireland. (He was introduced in her 2020 novel The Searcher). One blazing hot summer, the father of Cal's wayward mentee arrives, bringing with him an alleged English millionaire who has a get rich quick scheme a scheme to find gold in the town. It's an atmospheric mystery that will leave you tense until it all wraps up.

Parasol Against the Axe

In Helen Oyeyemi's newest, Parasol Against the Axe, Prague is a living city. The core of the story takes place over one weekend in the Czech capital, where Hero (our hero) has traveled for a bachelorette party. One evening in her hotel room, Hero begins to read the fictional novel Paradoxical Undressing, which shifts every time she picks it up. Oyeyemi said she was inspired by Vítězslav Nezval’s poems and Magic Prague by Angelo Maria Ripellino (which she describes as "this long, wonderful love letter to the city") and felt compelled to add to the canon of work about Prague. What results is a surreal, experimental, kaleidoscopic novel that only Helen Oyeyemi could write.

Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII

Prince Harry wasn't the first member of the House of Windsor to write his memoir. In fact, decades ago, the former King Edward VIII—who abdicated the throne and became the Duke of Windsor—published his memoir, A King's Story, working with ghostwriter Charles Murphy. Recently, author Jane Marguerite Tippett discovered Murphy's notes, including an early draft of the memoir, and offering new insight into Edward and his decision to abdicate. Read more about the book, here.

The Main Character

Mystery author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unconventional approach to her novels: she hires real people, conducts intensive interviews, then fictionalizes them in her plot. So when Rory, her newest main character, is given a bonus of a luxurious train ride on the Orient Express, she can't say no. But soon she realizes the train is full of her family and friends, all with secrets of their own. What is Ginerva planning? Will Rory's real life end like one of the characters in her books?

You Might Also Like

• 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion

• 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game