7 books to get completely lost in this season
Sun’s out, esky’s full, and the air is practically begging for a hammock or beach towel session. Long summer days are perfect for getting lost in a story. Do you want to laugh? Gasp? Or just disappear for a few hours? Days maybe? These stories offer each of those and more, just have your pick. Consider this your ultimate summer reading starter pack on Libby.
Better than the Real Thing
by Brooke Crawford
Ever stumble across a diary and think, yep, this is trouble waiting to happen? Melbourne teacher Netta Phillips does, and suddenly her fortieth birthday isn’t just about bad luck—it’s about dodging paparazzi, fake dates that feel a bit too real, and confronting the past she swore she’d never face. Crawford spins a story that’s messy, clever, and full of heart, where love, cash, and chaos collide across continents. Who says second chances can’t come with a side of jet lag?
Chosen Family
by Madeleine Gray
Nell and Eve’s friendship is like Sydney in summer, messy, brilliant, and impossible to ignore. Gray charts eighteen years of love, guilt, and all the in-between, showing that some bonds are both a lifeline and a puzzle you cannot quite solve. If you have ever wondered whether friendship can burn as hot as romance, grab this one and prepare to get burned in the best way.
House of Day, House of Night
by Olga Tokarczuk
A sleepy Polish village? Think again. This remote spot is filled with drunken Mareks, nightmare-haunted Franks, and ghosts who are surprisingly opinionated. From cosmic oddities to local scandals, this constellation novel twists history, myth, and human foibles into a story you will keep turning pages in even if the sun is doing its own disappearing act. Weird, wild, and wonderful.
Iluka
by Cassie Stroud
Three siblings, one mysterious mother, and a beach house full of secrets. Iluka feels like your family drama dialled up to eleven. As letters appear that nobody expected, the past gets tangled with the present, and every memory feels like a photograph taken in the wrong light. Think of it as summer with a side of emotional detective work.
The Long Night
by Christian White
Em thought she knew her small-town life. She was wrong. Kidnapped in the dead of night, she is thrown into a web of past traumas, dark secrets, and heart-pounding peril. White crafts tension that sticks to your skin like a summer sweat, and just when you think you are safe, the darkness sneaks back in.
Snake Talk
by Tyson Yunkaporta
Ever wonder what the world would look like if serpents were the wise ones? From Kathmandu to the Great Dividing Range, Yunkaporta and Kelleher weave a global story of creation, crisis, and human potential. This is a book that will have you seeing myths in your backyard and patterns in the clouds. Snakes are cool, right?
The Transformations
by Andrew Pippos
George Desoulis has always had one foot in print journalism and the other in quiet observation. Enter Cassandra Gwan, a whirlwind reporter with no regard for careful routines, and suddenly his world tilts. Pippos examines endings, beginnings, and the complicated spaces in between, perfect for those long summer evenings when you are reflecting on life but secretly just want a page-turning romance to chew on.
Published Nov 26, 2025
Kiki Faison
Kiki Faison has dreamed of being a writer for as long as she can remember, and today she’s living that dream. When she's not working or volunteering locally, she enjoys exploring nature with her daughter and pup, getting lost in suspense novels, and hunting for treasures while thrifting.