Check out these 16 books by Charlotte authors to add to your summer reading list

Here is a list of recent books by Charlotte authors from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library that could be good candidates for your summer reading list — or reading any time of the year.

Fiction

“What the Mountains Remember,” by Joy Callaway. Callaway, an International bestselling author, returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty (in this case Asheville’s Grove Park Inn)—and the question of who gets to tell their stories.

“Doctors and Friends,” by Kimmery Martin. Written prior to COVID by a former emergency medicine physician, “Doctors and Friends” incorporates unexpected wit, razor-edged poignancy, and a deeply relatable cast of characters who provoke both laughter and tears. Martin provides an insider’s perspective into the world of medical professionals working to save lives during the most difficult situations of their careers.

“The American Queen,” by Vanessa Miller. “The American Queen” weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.

“Daughter of Mine,” by Megan Miranda. Riveting and suspenseful, “Daughter of Mine” is Miranda’s best novel yet, filled with “delicious twists, dark secrets, and a deadly past” (Ashley Elston, New York Times bestselling author of “First Lie Wins”) that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.

“Fire and Bones,” by Kathy Reichs (comes out Aug. 6) New York Times bestselling author Reichs returns with a twisty thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself at the center of a Washington, D.C., arson investigation that spawns deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence.

“The Bone Hacker,” by Kathy Reichs. In this “attention-grabbing” (Booklist) narrative, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan follows a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos and enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.

Teen Fiction

“A Walk Between Raindrops,” by Amalie Jahn. Jahn handles mental health issues with truth and grace as she whisks readers away on an epic summer road trip adventure with feuding sisters struggling to unwind the complicated truth about what caused the wedge between them.

“Mid-Air,” by Alicia D. Williams. A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling in this stunning novel in verse from the Newbery Honor-winning author of “Genesis Begins Again.”

Nonfiction

“MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,” by Gavin Edwards. The unauthorized, behind-the-scenes story of the stunning rise and suddenly uncertain reign of the most transformative cultural phenomenon of our time: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Who’s Your Founding Father? One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence,” by David Fleming. A centuries-old secret document might unravel the origin story of America and reveal the intellectual crime of the millennia in this epic dive into our country’s history to discover the first, true Declaration of Independence.

“Autumn Song: Essays on Absence,” by Patrice Gopo. This collection invites readers into one Black woman’s experiences encountering absences, seeing beyond the empty spaces and grasping at the glimmers of glory that remain. In a world marred with brokenness, these glimmers speak to the possibility of grieving losses, healing heartache and allowing ourselves to be changed.

“Food Babe Family,” by Vani Hari. New York Times best-selling author Hari inspires you with over 100 recipes and everything you need to feed your family in a way that will foster a love for realfood for life.

“Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments,” by Joe Posnanski. New York Times bestselling author Posnanski is back with a masterful ode to the game: a countdown of 50 of the most memorable moments in baseball’s history, to make you fall in love with the sport all over again.

“Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show,” by Tommy Tomlinson. From Pulitzer Prize finalist and former Observer columnist Tomlinson comes an inside account of the Westminster Dog Show that follows one dog on his quest to become a champion — and explores the bond between dogs and their people.

Poetry

“The Hurting Kind,” by Ada Limón. An astonishing collection about interconnectedness between the human and nonhuman, ancestors,and ourselves, from a National Book Critics Circle Award winner and a poet laureate.

“Composition,” by Junious “Jay” Ward. In his debut full length collection, Charlotte’s first Poet Laureate dives deep into the formation of self. “Composition” interrogates the historical perceptions of Blackness and biracial identity as documented through a Southern Lens.

Martha Yesowitch is a community partnerships manager at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

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This story was originally published June 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM.