Best Summer Books, 2016 Publishers Weekly

Every Exquisite Thing

Matthew Quick (Little, Brown)

Soul-searching and literary passion intertwine in the story of high school junior Nanette O'Hare, whose relationships with the author of a cult novel and a boy who also loves the book prove transformative for all three of them, as Nanette works to understand what she truly wants out of her life.

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The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love

Sarvenaz Tash (Simon & Schuster)

What better setting for a story of a nerd in love than Comic Con? Tash pokes fun at and revels in geek culture as 16-year-old Graham attempts to woo his longtime friend Roxy. Could they be the next Peter Parker and Mary Jane? The next Ron and Hermione? Teens will have to grab the book to find out.

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The Lie Tree

Frances Hardinge (Abrams/Amulet)

There are layers upon layers to Hardinge's lushly written novel—murder, sexism, science, pseudoscience, and belief, for starters. A recent winner of the Costa Book Award in the U.K., the story centers on 14-year-old Faith Sunderly, whose family has moved to a remote island to avoid scandal, and a tree that may "feed" on the lies people tell.

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My Lady Jane

Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows (HarperTeen)

A romantic comedy involving the ill-fated Edward VI and Lady Jane Grey is unlikely enough; throw in a race of shapeshifting humans called E∂ians, and you have a story that should be preposterous. Instead, this three-author collaboration is an uproariously fun comedy of errors that's all about the happily ever after.

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Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

Edited by Stephanie Perkins (St. Martin's Griffin)

Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, and Veronica Roth are among the big-name contributors to this eclectic collection of 12 romances, a summer-themed follow-up to My True Love Gave to Me. With a broad range of settings and romantic pairings, it's about as beach-bag-ready a book as one could hope for.

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