Rock Hill's Summer Reading Recommendations


Summer vacation means more time for reading, and Rock Hill Library is here to help you create the ultimate summer reading list! Whether you’re at the beach, lounging by the pool, or chilling at home, our recommendations will keep you entertained throughout the sweltering St. Louis summer.

Susan's Picks 

Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley

Jubilee Jenkins has a rare allergy to human touch, but
an encounter with a patron at her library encourages her
to take a risk and change her life. An eccentric, touching
love story, Close Enough is a complex tale that effortlessly
intertwines humor and heart-wrenching emotion. 




Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson,
Maplewood, Rock Hill, University City, Webster Groves

Chemistry by Weike Wang

Charming and insightful, Wang’s novel is a relatable take on
 questioning and exploring oneself. The unnamed narrator 
in Chemistry is a confused twenty-something stumbling 
through life. After dealing with a string of failures in her 
academic and personal pursuits, she takes the plunge to 
figure out the age-old question: What do I really want?



Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Kirkwood,
Maplewood, University City, Webster Groves

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Who doesn’t love historical fiction? Schmidt’s debut novel 
retells the infamous Lizzie Borden case. Through Schmidt’s 
passionate storytelling, readers get a sense of the volatility 
within the Borden household leading up to the murders of 
Lizzie’s father and stepmother. Shifting through multiple 
perspectives, See What I Have Done illustrates a fuller
picture of the events of that fateful day.


Available at these MLC Libraries: Ferguson, Kirkwood,
University City, Webster Groves


Deb's Picks

The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen

A vintage cruise ship sets sail for its last voyage in Christensen’s 
newest work. Old friends Christine and Valerie, among other 
fleshed out characters, face mystery, crisis, and an ultimate
test of their characters as they journey from LA to Hawaii.
Filled with fascination and high-end trappings, this vacation
book is a perfect summer read. 



Available at these MLC Libraries: Ferguson, Kirkwood, 
Maplewood, Rock Hill, University City, Webster Groves

Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta 

Eve Fletcher is a mess. As a recent divorcee struggling to adjust 
to her empty nest, she finds herself fixating on her new online
lifethat threatens to upend her quiet suburban life. Her son’s own
anxieties about identity mirror his mother’s as they both become
entwined in morally questionable situations. Raunchy, gritty, and
ironic, Perrotta is at his best as he magnifies suburban angst,
parenthood, sexual awakenings, and identity. 

Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson, 
Kirkwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Rock Hill, 
University City, Webster Groves


Kayla's Picks

Gun Love by Jennifer Clement 


Hypnotic and quirky, Clement’s story follows fourteen-year-old
Pearl France and her mother Margot while they live in their car on the 
outskirts of a Florida trailer park. Amused by the strange things she 
finds in the park, Pearl leads a relatively happy life until an act of 
senseless violence annihilates everything she knows and loves. The 
forgettable minutiae of everyday life is given new meaning through 
Clement’s observant, strong young narrator.


Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Kirkwood, 
University City, Webster Groves 

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner 

Weiner's brand new novel presents the collective voice of 
American women as it asks the question: How should a woman 
be in the world? Mrs. Everything tackles a whole host of social 
issues while following two sisters from the 1950s to the present.


Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson, 
Kirkwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Rock Hill, 
University City, Webster Groves



The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina—embark on a 
pilgrimage to their mother’s homeland to honor her memory. 
Through beautiful imagery and storytelling, this heartfelt story
illuminates the bonds of family and heritage while reminding
readers about what is important in life. 



Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Kirkwood,
Maplewood, Richmond Heights, University City, Webster 
Groves


Meredith's Picks

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Gyasi’s novel spans time, continents, and a cast of characters as 
she recounts the vastly different directions two sides of one 
family take. Homegoing captures the African American 
experience while taking readers from British colonization to the 
American Civil War to the jazz clubs of 20th century Harlem. 
Gyasi’s first novel is a shockingly good epic family saga packed into 
only a few short pages that will be sure to entertain. 

Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson,
Kirkwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, University City,
Webster Groves

Jen's Picks

American War by Omar El Akkad

Set in the near future, El Akkad’s powerful debut novel follows 
a family caught in the middle of the Second American Civil War. 
Partisan politics, a devastating plague, and the author’s bold 
storytelling come together to emphasize drastic consequences 
of war on everyday citizens. 



Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Kirkwood, 
Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Rock Hill, University 
City, Webster Groves

Calypso by David Sedaris 

Sedaris’s collection of semi-autobiographical essays focuses 
on middle age and mortality. Cynical, raw, and darkly 
humorous, Calypso delivers relatable commentary on both 
lighthearted and serious topics that all people approaching 
middle age have grappled with.



Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson,
Kirkwood, Richmond Heights, Rock Hill, University City,
Webster Groves


My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh 

Moshfegh’s unnamed protagonist embarks on a drug-
induced year of rest in this sharply written novel. Her
brilliantly crafted turn of phrase keeps readers engaged as
the narrator attempts to get her life back on track, but is
interrupted in her endeavors by best friend Reva and
on-again, off-again boyfriend Trevor.


Available at these MLC Libraries: Brentwood, Ferguson,
Kirkwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Rock Hill, 
University City, Webster Groves




Happy reading! 
















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