16 Jul 2026 Beacon Summer 2026 Reading List
I know that we are already half-way through summer, but books are at the front of my mind because next week I’ll be at the beach and may actually have some time to read for fun. Without further ado, here’s what the team have been reading (or plan to read) this summer.
Rebekah’s Picks
I’m lucky enough to have a book-editor sister-in-law with a remarkable personal library, and most of my summer reads come from pulling her recommendations off the shelf – which is how I found Peace Like a River. Published in 2001, this novel follows asthmatic Reuben Land, his poet sister Swede, and his spiritual father Jeremiah on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother, accused of murder. The prose is beautiful and the storytelling compelling, but it’s the rich family dynamic that keeps me coming back to this one.
How to Be a Person is an illustrated guidebook I’ll be working through with my kids for the rest of summer break (and beyond, most likely). It covers everything from caring for houseplants and handling a phone conversation to contacting your local politician, getting out a stain, and writing a condolence card. Some sections we’ll breeze through, but I hope it will help fill in the “common sense skills” gaps my tweens still have. It’s a fun manual – and one your kids might even pick up and enjoy on their own.
Jared’s Picks
The City & The City, by China Miéville. This novel, like all of Miéville’s, is weird. But if you’re into weird, speculative fiction with a healthy helping of murder mystery, then you will love this. It won several awards upon its release in 2010, and it’s not hard to see why: the writing is tight, the story is compelling, and the other-worldliness of it is out of left field in the best possible way. I can guarantee if you read it you won’t think to yourself, “this reminds me a lot of….”.
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. The movie adaptation of this book is easily one of my favorite movies of the last decade, and the book, while being quite different in tone and scope, was excellent. Sci-fi at its best. Some highlights: people being extremely good at their jobs, self-sacrifice in the midst of terrestrial crisis, and trying to answer the question, “What is home?”
Ellen’s Picks
As Beacon’s resident bestsellers reader, my first pick is The Correspondent which is very popular for good reasons! I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed hearing the cast of characters. This is an epistolary novel about a retired lawyer, Sybil Van Antwerp, who is a very likeable and somewhat cranky woman in her 70s. We learn about her life through her letters to her kids, friends, neighbors, strangers, and a past contact who unearths difficult memories she must face. You might just find yourself inspired to pick up a pen and send some snail mail yourself. Read it before seeing the future movie adaptation with Jane Fonda.
My second pick is one I’m currently reading – Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism. This is written by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook. This is a critical account of Facebook’s practices, culture, and decision-making process. The memoir starts off with a wild story of when she was attacked by a shark, so there’s a wide range of stories told here.
Daniel’s Pick
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. This book has been on my want to read list for a few years now and since then it has skyrocketed in popularity. This summer will be the time I finally read it! It is “a story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder.”
Geoff’s Pick
Author’s note: Geoff is on vacation this week and before he left I didn’t ask him what he’d be reading, so I grabbed what’s on his desk.
My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving is a practical guide for anyone helping an aging parent manage money. It explains how to have difficult financial conversations, organize important documents, prevent fraud and financial abuse, understand legal tools such as powers of attorney, and navigate the financial challenges that often come with aging. In our work as financial advisors, the book offers valuable insight into the emotional and family dynamics behind financial caregiving, helping us better support clients through life transitions, strengthen multigenerational relationships, and provide more thoughtful guidance to families facing caregiving decisions.
Ryan’s Picks
I’ll also be reading Project Hail Mary but Jared used that one already, so I’ll offer one that I’m reading for work and one I’ll tackle next week:
Good Money: Six Steps to Building a Financial Life with Purpose. Written by John Coleman, co-CEO at Sovereign’s Capital, it dismisses the idea that accumulating wealth leads to happiness, but rather focuses on six principles that can bring greater fulfillment.
True crime is one of my guilty pleasures and I read Patrick Radden Keefe’s Say Nothing a few years ago. Next week I plan to dive into his latest book, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth.
We hope you enjoy our list, and don’t hesitate to share what books you’re reading this summer!
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