Every Book to Buy Today to Read Over Memorial Day Weekend
Don't forget to add a good page-turner to your packing list.
Forget portable fans, sunscreen, and white jeans: The No. 1 thing on our Memorial Day weekend shopping list? Books! We’ve got our hearts set on three days of bliss, A.K.A. an entire holiday spent making a serious dent in our TBR list.
This spring, a handful of novels and memoirs have hit shelves that we can't wait to pick up as we jetset off for our first summer travels or settle in for our staycation. From celebrity-penned literary hits to long-awaited follow-ups from bestselling authors, there are more than a few page-turners worth adding to your cart, grabbing at the airport before you board, or nabbing at your local bookstore. They've even got the #BookTok and celebrity book club stamp of approval.
Whether you’re planning to lay low at home and read to your heart’s content or need a good beach read for your destination (or more likely, the plane), we’ve got you covered. Below, find every book you should buy today for Memorial Day weekend and beyond.
The latest offering from romance author Carley Fortune was released in May 2026—but it's already following the trajectory of her four other novels, climbing the New York Times Best Sellers list. And why shouldn’t it? It’s got a classic friends-to-lovers trope—Frankie’s bestie George comes to the rescue when her fiancé calls off her wedding—a gorgeous coastal setting, and the kind of flirty banter that will have you grinning from ear to ear. That should be more than enough to convince you to dive into this sweet summer read, but if you're looking for a preview of what's on the page, we shared an exclusive excerpt on Marie Claire.
We couldn't be happier to have Lena Dunham back in the spotlight—and her brilliantly witty prose to read—now that she's returned with her first book since 2014's Not That Kind of Girl. Her acclaimed, best-selling memoir explores how, almost immediately after the ingenue sold the pilot of HBO's Girls, she was thrust into the spotlight and found herself in the throes of one health and personal crisis after another. With this absolute must-read, she reflects on whether the fame was really worth the pain, and takes us all along for the ride.
Sitting pretty at No. 1 on both the New York Times and Amazon's Best Sellers lists, Belle Burden’s achingly raw self-portrait of a 20-year marriage gone wrong in the blink of an eye is, by all accounts, entirely riveting. It’s also a lesson in humility and resilience, as Belle reflects on the paths that led her to this place—and decides which one she’ll need to take solo.
Four years after its 2022 release, Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures is having a moment, resurfacing on Best Sellers lists once more, thanks to its new Netflix movie adaptation. You can stream it right after you fly through this tale about a super-smart octopus who helps a lonely aquarium employee solve the mystery of her son’s cold case disappearance.
When We Were Brilliant examines Marilyn Monroe from a perspective few have cared to show her from—as a friend. Lynn Cullen’s historical work of fiction reimagines the starlet’s longstanding relationship with legendary photographer Eve Arnold from behind the scenes as the two women experience their shared ascent into stardom.
Not since 2016 has Maria Semple graced us with a novel, and even Oprah thinks this one was worth the wait. (She named it her April Book Club pick, calling it “one wild ride.”) It centers on a middle-aged woman named Adora, who has everything she could ever want in life, except for someone to share it with. And when a handsome stranger appears, it’s anything but straightforward, sending her life into chaos, secrecy, and “international intrigue.”
More than a few Hollywood A-listers have released riveting memoirs this year. Christina Applegate, who has been living with multiple sclerosis since 2021, also bares her soul in You With the Sad Eyes. The comedy legend covers everything, from her childhood stardom to surviving an abusive relationship to being diagnosed with and beating breast cancer—all still composed with her signature sense of humor.
Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has nothing on the group in this thriller. Beverley, Elsie, and Margot not only bring the drama—they forged a connection when their husbands were all convicted of being serial killers—they bring plenty of empowerment. When a new string of murders starts to unfold in their California town over the course of the summer of 1966, they team up to solve it.
"Tradwife" influencer Natalie has it all—and then, one day, she doesn’t. Gone are the comforts of her beautiful life and home, replaced by a dying fire and a pile of clothes she’s expected to hand-wash. She doesn’t recognize her usually pristine children, who are suddenly covered in dirt, and the WASP-y husband she fell asleep next to has been replaced by a hard-working farmer. Everything in her life has gone topsy-turvy, and she’s determined to set it right again—but what if she can’t?
Anytime a book winds up on Reese Witherspoon's Book Club roster, it’s destined for greatness—and our bookshelves. Her pick for May, The Fine Art of Lying, is no exception, giving us equal parts wealthy scandal as protagonist Clare finds herself enmeshed in an underground scheme in the art world, and thrilling mystery. Think Gossip Girl, but for adults.
Laura doesn’t exactly have “direction.” She’s unmarried, unburdened with children, and though she’s not quite unemployed, she’s not exactly thriving on the career front, either. She’s also no spring chicken. In fact, she’s 50, and her “midlife crisis”—or is it “midlife catharsis?”—starts now.
Why Trust Us
New favorite author? There’s a good chance they’re already on our radar. From a writer’s first signs of success on #Booktok to buzzy literary scenes and beyond, we’ve got our ears to the ground (and our noses in their books). Want sneak peeks of their soon-to-be best-sellers? Got ‘em. Full catalog rankings galore? Yep. All the scoop on the inevitable adaptations? Most definitely. In short? We’re the book people—reading’s kind of what we do.
