My 2025 Lit Girl Summer TBR List

Isabela Chieffi
Jul 12, 2025
4 min read

Introduction

It’s officially literature girl summer, and I’m ready to spend this summer reading outside and romanticizing life. There’s just something about slow, summer days that makes me want to read books that feel warm, emotional, and nostalgic.

Before I share what’s on my TBR (To Be Read) list, if you're new to reading terms and you're thinking, “Wait…what even is a TBR? And what’s a book wrap-up?” I got you. Check out my post about the difference between a reading wrap-up and TBR.

Lit girl summer aesthetic

Also, if you're confused on what a lit girl summer is, or how it came to be, read this post: What is Literature Girl Summer?

Why We Romanticize Our Reading Lists

There's something about calling it a "lit girl summer" that makes the TBR feel more intentional than it actually is. Like, I'm not just picking random books, I'm picking a whole vibe. Warm, emotional, nostalgic. And somehow Beach Read and The Poisonwood Bible both fit that, even though one is a fun romcom and the other is 500+ pages of AP Lit assigned reading. The aesthetic does not discriminate.

The loose plan thing is also more important than it sounds. The second I make reading feel like a checklist, I stop wanting to do it. A soft goal just works better for me. I know what I want to read, I'm just not going to stress about the timeline.

And okay, the whole YA fear is a real thing. It's not that I think YA is bad. It's more like the more classics I read, the harder it gets to switch back without my brain being a little snobby about it. Which I don't want. I have a whole stack of YA novels I genuinely want to finish, and I'd like to do that before college turns me into someone who only reads literary fiction and pretends to enjoy it.

Honestly, making a TBR before senior year ends feels like more than just a book list. It's kind of like one last checkpoint of who I am as a reader right now before everything shifts.

The Books on My Lit Girl Summer TBR

Two people read on colored towels, one red, one blue, against a bright yellow background. "BEACH READ" by Emily Henry, "New York Times Bestseller."

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Still on my TBR forever. This romcom gives off such a summer energy, especially because it's set on a beach vacation. It's about writers, enemies to lovers, and emotional depth. I'm hoping it lives up to the hype.

Blue book cover with black palm leaves silhouette. Text: "Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible." Notable: Pulitzer Prize Finalist.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

For my AP Literature class, this is one of my summer reading books. I have already started it, and it seems to be going okay. It is extremely long, though, which makes me a little unmotivated. However, I'm determined to finish it by the first day of school

A man in a white suit poses confidently by a column. The book cover reads "Penguin Classics, Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray."

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

This is one of the other books I have to read for my AP Literature class. I chose this book (out of the other 20 books they had listed) because not only have I always wanted to read it, but it was also the most interesting and one of the shorter options. I am definitely not trying to read two 500-page books over the summer; The Poisonwood Bible is enough for me.

Sticky notes on a blue wall spell "All the Bright Places." Includes a drawing of a bird, a purple flower, and a Netflix film mention.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This isn't really a summer book; however, I'm trying to read all of my YA novels. I am going into my senior year, and I fear that, after reading so many good classics, I will start to see YA books as childish, or worse -- badly written. Therefore, to prevent this problem, I'm only going to read classics if I have to for my classes. I have a stack of 5 other YA novels that I need to finish. Let's hope I get through them before I go to college.

People in red sweaters joyfully lift a man in a white shirt against a blurred yellow background. Text in different fonts reads "Dead Poets Society."

Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

Did I just talk about how I'm not going to read classics and only read YA? Yes. However, I already started Dead Poets Society in February. And because I was so busy and also lowkey forgot about it, I only really started reading it now. So I'm counting it in my summer TBR.

Blue book cover with pink and green text reading "everything I know about love" by Dolly Alderton. New York Times Bestseller badge.

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

I have already finished this book. But I finished during my summer break, so I'm still going to include it here. It's also a very lit girl summer, so it's a perfect fit in this list. I am not going to make a whole book review post about this book because it's a little weird to me to review memoirs. However, in my 2025 lit girl summer reading wrap-up, I will include a mini review.

Want to see how I did? Visit my Reading Wrap-Up: 2025 Lit Girl Summer Books

Conclusion

This list is a mix of romantic, emotional, light, and just a little intense, basically how summer feels to me. I'm not putting pressure on myself to finish them all (only the ones for my AP Literature class), but I love having a loose plan. If you want to build your own reading plan for summer or just need help making time to read, I have linked some helpful resources below.

Let me know what’s on your lit girl summer TBR, or if you’ve read any of these!

Wondering if you should get a Kindle for your summer reading? Check out my comprehensive guide!