Staff Picks: Summer Edition

The temperatures are rising here in Arkansas, which means there’s no better time to find a cool spot, crank up the A/C (or find some shade), and dive into a fantastic book. To help you build your ultimate summer reading list, the CALS staff have shared some titles — including audiobooks and movies — that are on their own lists. From pulse-pounding thrillers and sweeping fantasy epics to nostalgic classics and deep-dive histories, we have something for every reader. And because we love a theme, several staff members shared some of their favorite prehistoric picks in celebration of Summer @ CALS. Happy summer reading!

Featured Releases & Page-Turners

Whistler (opens in new window) by Ann Patchett – Recommended by Liv (Main), Ami Roberts (Rooker), and Ellen Samples (Main) – A highly anticipated new release from a beloved storyteller. If you enjoy rich, character-driven fiction, this is a must-add to your queue. Ami also highly recommends doubling up on Patchett by reading or listening to Tom Lake (opens in new window) (one staff member notes that the audiobook narrated by Meryl Streep brings it brilliantly to life!).

The Burning Side (opens in new window) by Sarah Damoff – Recommended by Addy Newsom (Children’s) and Ellen Samples (Main) – High-anticipation fiction. Both Addy and Ellen absolutely loved Damoff’s debut novel, The Bright Years (opens in new window), and can’t wait to dive into this one. (Bonus tip from Ellen: Keep an eye out for Six Bridges Book Festival announcements!)

Written in the Water (opens in new window) by Tara Roberts – Recommended by Jodi Morris (Brooks) – Lush, lyrical, and deeply personal memoir. This book follows the author’s challenging journey joining Diving With a Purpose, an underwater archaeology group exploring Atlantic waters to seek the long-lost wrecks of slave ships, bridging history and personal identity across the globe.

Summer of Dinosaurs & High Adventure

Jurassic Park (opens in new window) & The Lost World (opens in new window) by Michael Crichton – Recommended by Leslie Blanchard (Main) and Olivia Cleveland (Main) – Leslie calls Jurassic Park the perfect summer read: “Action-packed from the first page… you will keep telling yourself ‘just one more page,’ and you don’t have to suspend disbelief about dinosaurs living among us.” Olivia is keeping the thrill going by adding the sequel, The Lost World, to her list.

Prehistoric Binge-Watching & Reading – Recommended by Blake Phillips (Main) – Blake is maximizing the dino vibes by diving into The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World (opens in new window) by Steve Brusatte (praising its engaging storytelling format), re-watching the classic Terra Nova: The Complete Series (opens in new window) on DVD, and flipping through National Geographic Magazine (opens in new window) to unearth a new story.

Road Trip Ready: Incredible Audiobooks

One Summer America, 1927 (opens in new window) by Bill Bryson – Recommended by Rachel Tanner (Dee Brown) – Rachel’s go-to summer road trip audiobook. “With celebrations going on for 250 years of the United States, this book packs a punch with nuanced U.S. historical information and vivid imagery… References to the Great Mississippi flood are especially relevant to Arkansas.”

Fourth Wing (opens in new window) by Rebecca Yarros (Dramatized Adaptation) – Recommended by Taylor Oakley (Nixon) – Experience the blockbuster romantasy hit in a whole new way with a fully dramatized audio adaptation. Taylor is pairing this with The Night and Its Moon (opens in new window) by Piper CJ and a re-read of The Compound (opens in new window) by Aisling Rawle.

Family Favorites: Roald Dahl Classics – Recommended by Eliza Borné (Main) – Eliza is on the hunt for “audio stories” that captivate both grownups and kids (ages 4 and 7). She recommends the celebrity-narrated versions of Roald Dahl’s work. Try The Magic Finger (opens in new window) (narrated by Kate Winslet) for a quick 26-minute spin, or Matilda (opens in new window) (also narrated by Winslet) for a longer trek.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (opens in new window) by Hank Green – Recommended by Ali Welky (EOA/Roberts) – A fantastic, engaging audiobook choice that keeps teens and adults alike thoroughly entertained.

Sci-Fi, Romantasy, & Gripping Fiction

A Wizard of Earthsea (opens in new window) by Ursula K. Le Guin – Recommended anonymously – “This sweeping classic fantasy is always a joy to revisit, and Sparrowhawk’s adventures on the high seas make summer a perfect time to do it. If you’ve never read Le Guin, this is a great place to start!”

Meet Me at the Lake (opens in new window) by Carley Fortune – Recommended by Kyly Hawk (Fletcher) – A sweet summer romance about two characters meeting up again 10 years after an eventful day together. Kyly gives the audiobook a perfect 10/10! (Kyly’s bonus recommendations include Rachel Reid’s hockey romance The Long Game (opens in new window), Casey McQuiston’s sapphic time-slip romance One Last Stop (opens in new window), Jenni Howell’s suspenseful thriller Boys with Sharp Teeth (opens in new window), and Jeneva Rose’s fun zombie-apocalypse rom-com Dating After the End of the World (opens in new window).)

Crazy Rich Asians (opens in new window) by Kevin Kwan – Recommended by Emma (Thompson) – “My definition of a perfect summer book,” Emma says. “It has all the rich people drama vibes that make it feel like reality TV—messy and dramatic but also light, fun, and a little romantic.” Emma is also picking up the ocean-themed Make a Little Wave (opens in new window) by Kerry O’Malley Cerra and the claustrophobic diving horror From Below (opens in new window) by Darcy Coates.

Beasts of Ruin (opens in new window) by Ayana Gray – Recommended by Erica Harris (Brooks) – After falling in love with Arkansas author Ayana Gray’s Beasts of Prey (opens in new window), Erica is incredibly excited to jump right into this thrilling fantasy sequel.

History, Memoirs, & Thoughtful Nonfiction

Deep Dives into Indigenous & Early American History – Recommended by Colin Thompson (Roberts) – After finishing Pekka Hämäläinen’s The Comanche Empire (opens in new window), Colin is moving on to the author’s next historical work: Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power (opens in new window). He’s also adding Fred Anderson’s The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War (opens in new window) to his shelf. Pro-tip from Colin: Maximize your summer “chillax” by pairing your history reads with the alternative rock strains of Dinosaur Jr. (opens in new window) CDs (available in the CALS catalog!).

This Land Is Your Land (opens in new window) & More Essential Nonfiction- Recommended by Joe Hudak (Main) – Joe has a brilliant roster lined up, featuring Beverly Gage’s This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History (opens in new window), Rebecca Solnit’s The Beginning Comes After the End (opens in new window), Heather Ann Thompson’s Fear and Fury (opens in new window), Robert Macfarlane’s The Book of Birds (opens in new window), and Chanda Prescod-Weinstein’s The Edge of Space-time (opens in new window).

Literary Couplings: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (opens in new window) & James (opens in new window)– Recommended by Eliza Borné (Main) – Prepping for a road trip through Missouri, Eliza plans to read Mark Twain’s classic back-to-back with Percival Everett’s critically acclaimed, award-winning retelling, James (opens in new window). Reading them together promises to be an incredibly rewarding summer project.

Quick Summer Hits & Branch Favorites

Main Branch Eclectic Reads: Brandin Gibbons (Main) is keeping things highly varied with Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (opens in new window) by Matt Dinniman, Before They Are Hanged (opens in new window) by Joe Abercrombie, and Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties (opens in new window). Meanwhile, Cyndi Barron-Harris (Main) has a stellar multi-genre stack including We Were Liars (opens in new window) by E. Lockhart, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (opens in new window) by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Tananarive Due’s masterpiece The Reformatory (opens in new window).

Terry Branch Variety: Sara Martin (Terry) is keeping summer playful and local with The Baby-sitters Club: Baby-sitters on Board! (opens in new window), Jerdine Nolan’s whimsical children’s book Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm (opens in new window), David Hill’s Hot Springs-based history The Vapors (opens in new window), and the cozy Arkansas-centered mysteries of Jane Elzey (opens in new window).

Nostalgic Comforts: Kelly Sharon (Main) is throwing it back to foundational seasonal reads, revisiting Ray Bradbury’s poetic Dandelion Wine (opens in new window), Carson McCullers’s The Member of the Wedding (opens in new window), and the childhood classic Charlotte’s Web (opens in new window).

Need a Movie Night Instead?

If you’d rather beat the heat with a movie, follow Jodi Morris’s advice and request the stunning documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams (opens in new window) on DVD, directed by Werner Herzog. Exploring a beautifully preserved prehistoric cave via torchlight, it’s a visual masterpiece perfect for a cozy summer evening.