Add These Books By Emerson Alumni to Your Summer Reading Bucket List

Emerson’s alumni include an array of talented writers and authors, and this summer is the perfect time to check them out. This list covers all genres, whether you gravitate toward romantasy, good old-fashioned literary fiction, or even stories about the bond between humans and dogs. Read through to see which book you should add to your reading list before summer ends!

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne ’23

The cover is done in an anime cartoon style, featuring two characters sitting in a living room in comfortable chairs, looking at a stone fireplace and holding mugs of tea.

Rebecca Thorne, a recent MFA grad and author of several cozy romantasy novels, proudly publishes work featuring LGBTQIA+ characters and diverse casts. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, the first novel in Thorne’s Tomes & Tea series, follows Reyna and Kianthe, two star-crossed lovers who dream of opening a bookshop that serves tea. But when an assassin takes Reyna hostage, Kianthe must use her mage powers to help them escape. In a world that needs more sapphic romance, this novel has all the elements we want: love, a self-centered queen, and dragons. If you’re looking for a series that’s just as comforting as it is compelling, start here!

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid ‘05

The book cover features a woman wearing aviator sunglasses as she looks up at the sky, a rocketship reflected in her glasses. She has curly black hair blowing in the wind.

If you’ve passed any bookstores lately, odds are you’ve seen this vibrant cover glistening in the window. Taylor Jenkins Reid may have started as a media studies undergraduate at Emerson, but she has become one of the most prominent names in publishing. Reid’s work, including The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, has swept the world, and her most recent novel hits that same mark. Published in June 2025, Atmosphere takes place during the 1980s Space Shuttle program, and centers on Joan Goodwin, a professor of physics and astronomy who makes a bold decision when faced with an opportunity to join the first women scientists in NASA’s Space Shuttle program. This novel explores the transformative power of pushing society’s boundaries and the role of unlikely friendships. This fast-paced and poignant novel is a perfect summer read.

The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa ‘07

The cover is mostly all orange, featuring a big analog clock in the center with two cartoon characters, one female and one male, on either side of the clock looking over at each other.

Published by Canary Street Press in July 2024, The Backtrack is La Rosa’s fifth book! When Sam Leto returns to her small hometown in Georgia, she finds herself overcome with memories of her high school best friend, Damon, whom she had never admitted her feelings for nearly twenty years earlier. As she goes through her old belongings, she finds an old CD player that allows her to move back in time with each passing song, flashing her back to senior prom, graduation, and more, to relive how life could have been different with Damon by her side as more than just a best friend. For fans of rekindled romances with elements of magical realism, this is the summer read for you.

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore ‘00

The book cover has a teal background with a cartoon image of a big owl sitting on top of an old building, all in hot pink. "The Dollhouse Academy" is in blocky white letters.

The Dollhouse Academy, published by Flatiron Books in February 2025, is Montimore’s third book. What does it take to make your wildest dreams come true? This novel, a blend of mystery and dark academia, follows a pair of twenty-two-year-old best friends who join The Dollhouse Academy, an elite boarding school for aspiring actors. In their time there, both girls must overcome resentment, jealousy, and ambition, while discovering haunting secrets from the school’s past. Montimore is a proud graduate of Emerson’s BFA in Creative Writing, and her previous novel, Oona Out of Order, is a USA Today bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club pick.

Water Finds a Way by Meghan Perry ‘09

The book cover has the words "Water Finds a Way" in big white letters, over a backdrop of nature with water puddles and birds in the sky.

Published by Delphinium Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Audio, in November 2024, this debut novel will resonate with fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone. The story follows Blake Alvares as she returns to her coastal Maine hometown, a small fishing village, after her recent release from prison. This book tackles both painful legacies and second chances. As a 2025 IPPY Silver Medal Winner and a Newsday and Condé Nast Traveler top fall pick, this is a must-read as we head into the cooler months.

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley ‘94

The book cover is an aquamarine background featuring "Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley." It has a small brown cartoon weiner dog on the front.

As a nominee for Readers’ Favorite Fiction (2016) and for Reader’ Favorite Debut Goodreads Author (2016), this wholesome read is the perfect accompaniment to a relaxing day on the beach. For Ted Flask, his dog, Lily, is more than a trusted companion; she is someone he can’t live without. But when Ted learns unexpected news regarding Lily’s health, he must come to terms with how they can live life to the fullest together. While this book may cause fits of public displays of emotion, whether sobbing or laughing, you won’t be sorry you picked it up. This story isn’t only for dog lovers, but for anyone learning the art of loving and letting go.

Emerson the Performing Duck by Maria D’Arcangelo-Lapides ‘85

A blue cartoon duck wearing a purple sweater with a yellow "E" on the front soars through a blue sky with pink clouds. It reads "Emerson the Performing Duck by Maria D'Arcangelo-Lapides."

Is this book designed for readers ages six and up? Yes. Do we still love every page? Absolutely. Emerson the Performing Duck has only one dream: to become an Emerson College student and a famous performer in the duck community. Maria Lapides wrote this touching children’s book as an homage to Emerson and Boston, the places where she learned to chase her dreams and eventually became a talent manager. And don’t worry, Emerson the Performing Duck Goes to Hollywood is coming soon!