2026 Adult Summer Reading Booklist - HPL

Join the Haverhill Public Library for our 2026 Adult Summer Reading Program! On this list, you'll find book recommendations that match this year's iRead theme, Plant a Seed, Read. You'll find tons of romance, mystery, and other general fiction books centered around the culinary world. If you're searching for non-fiction, you'll find cookbooks, memoirs, biographies, and more with environmental, gardening, and farm to table themes.

Learn how you can join the summer reading fun at HaverhillPL.org

Updated May 5, 2026
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Merrimack Valley Library Consortium Merrimack Valley Library Consortium
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2026 Adult Summer Reading Booklist - HPL

Join the Haverhill Public Library for our 2026 Adult Summer Reading Program! On this list, you'll find book recommendations that match this year's iRead theme, Plant a Seed, Read. You'll find tons of romance, mystery, and other general fiction books centered around the culinary world. If you're searching for non-fiction, you'll find cookbooks, memoirs, biographies, and more with environmental, gardening, and farm to table themes.

Learn how you can join the summer reading fun at HaverhillPL.org

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Against the currant
Matthews, Olivia
Paper Book
In Olivia Matthews's Against the Currant, the first Spice Isle Bakery Mystery, investigating a murder was never supposed to be on the menu... Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York: Lyndsay Murray is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it's everything she's...
Around the world in 80 plants
Drori, Jonathan
Paper Book
An inspirational and beautifully illustrated book that tells the stories of 80 plants from around the globe. In his follow-up to the bestselling Around the World in 80 Trees, Jonathan Drori takes another trip across the globe, bringing to life the science of plants by...
Arsenic and adobo
Manansala, Mia P.
Paper Book
A RUSA Award-winning novel! The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes-one that might just be killer.... When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical...
Battle royal : a novel
Parker, Lucy (Novelist)
Paper Book
"Lucy Parker writes deliciously fun enemies-to-lovers perfection!"  -- Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author Beloved author Lucy Parker pens a delicious new romantic comedy that is a battle of whisks and wits. Ready... Four years...
Be ready when the luck happens : a memoir
Garten, Ina
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten--aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon--shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table....
The best cook in the world : tales from my momma's table
Bragg, Rick.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  From the beloved, best-selling author of All Over but the Shoutin', a delectable, rollicking food memoir, cookbook, and loving tribute to a region, a vanishing history, a family, and, especially, to his mother. Including seventy-four...
The container garden recipe book : 57 designs for pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, and more
Williams, Lana (Gardener)
Paper Book
Over 50 step-by-step recipes for stunning outdoor planters of all shapes and sizes, in Artisan's bestselling flower recipe book format. We're taking the Recipe Book series outside! In the Container Garden Recipe Book, Lana Williams of the Oakland-based...
Cookin' the books
Meade, Amy Patricia
Paper Book
Literary caterer Letitia 'Tish' Tarragon fights to save her reputation and catch a killer when a murder occurs during a fundraising dinner for the local library.Letitia 'Tish' Tarragon has just moved to Hobson Glen and opened a new restaurant and catering business, Cookin' the Books Cafe. So when...
A deadly inside scoop
Collette, Abby
Paper Book
This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop-with a fabulous cast of quirky characters. Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family's ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she's going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse...
Death by bubble tea
Chow, Jennifer J.
Paper Book
Two cousins who start a food stall at their local night marketget a serving of murderin this first novel of a delicious new cozy mystery series by Jennifer J. Chow, bestselling author of Mimi Lee Gets a Clue. When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong...
Death by dumpling
Chien, Vivien
Paper Book
Welcome to the Ho-Lee Noodle House, where the Chinese food is to die for. . . The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family's restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that helping wait tables is...
Eat, drink and drop dead
LoTempio, T. C.
Paper Book
A former chef gets mixed up in murder when she moves back to her Southern home town in the first Tiffany Austin food blogger mystery - a culinary cozy that will make your brain work and your stomach rumble!"I was hooked from start to finish!" Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of the...
Eight flavors : the untold story of American cuisine
Lohman, Sarah
Paper Book
This unique culinary history of America offers a fascinating look at our past and uses long-forgotten recipes to explain how eight flavors changed how we eat. The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population which makes for a continually changing culinary...
Fake it till you bake it
Wesley, Jamie
Paper Book
A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It. Jada Townsend-Matthews is the most reviled woman in America after turning down a proposal...
Farm to table Asian secrets : vegan & vegetarian full-flavored recipes for every season
Tanumihardja, Patricia
Paper Book
In this delightful Asian cookbook, you'll learn the secrets of vegetarian and vegan Asian cooking--how to blend flavors, textures, aromas and colors--to create full-flavored vegetarian dishes that are missing none of the umami associated with meat and dairy. Each chapter...
Fresh brewed murder
Duncan, Emmeline
Paper Book
With its entrepreneurial, 20-something protagonist, focus on a hipster-run food truck pod in Portland, Oregon, and real-world issues involving homelessness and gentrification, Fresh Brewed Murder is a trendy, updated cozy mystery that offers strong appeal to Millennial and Gen Z readers.<...
Fuck, that's delicious : an annotated guide to eating well
Action Bronson
Paper Book
This ain't no cookbook. This ain't no memoir. This is Action Bronson's devotional, a book about the overwhelming power of delicious - no, f*cking amazing - food. Bronson is this era's Homer, and F*ck, That's Delicious is a modern-day Odyssey, replete with orgiastic recipes, world travel, siren...
The garden refresh : how to give your yard big impact on a small budget
Holmes, Kier
Paper Book
Grow more, spend less So you want a stylish, healthy, and productive garden that is budget and Earth-friendly? Of course you do. Garden designer Kier Holmes shows you how, in this accessible and spunky guide. She shares everything you need to create a productive and...
The golden spoon : a novel
Maxwell, Jessa
Paper Book
Good husbandry : growing food, love, and family on Essex farm
Kimball, Kristin
Paper Book
From the celebrated author of the beloved bestseller The Dirty Life, a "beguiling memoir about the simple life" (Elle), Kristin Kimball describes the delicious highs and sometimes excruciating lows of life on Essex Farm--a 500-acre farm that produces a full diet for a community of...
Good lookin' cookin' : a year of meals : a lifetime of family, friends, and food
Parton, Dolly
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * You're invited to pull up a chair to a year of meals, friends, and fun with the Partons, as Dolly and her sister (and favorite cook) Rachel share beloved, crowd-pleasing recipes and family stories.   "Hey, good lookin'--what ya got cookin...
Kitchen yarns : notes on life, love, and food
Hood, Ann
Paper Book
In this warm collection of personal essays and recipes, best-selling author Ann Hood nourishes both our bodies and our souls. From her Italian-American childhood through raising and feeding a growing family and cooking with her new husband, food writer Michael Ruhlman, Ann Hood has...
Knife skills
Church, Wendy (Consultant)
Ebook
"Dizzying . . . Audiences who wished the TV series The Bear had made room for Russian mobsters are in for a treat" Kirkus Reviews Starred ReviewSagarine Pfister is a great cook but has been blacklisted by almost every restaurant in Chicago. She gets her chance at Louie's, a below-average restaurant,...
The last garden in England
Kelly, Julia
Paper Book
From the author of the bestseller The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special garden. Present day: Emma...
Legends & lattes : a novel of high fantasy and low stakes
Baldree, Travis
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2022 A Library Reads Pick An Indie Next Pick A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee The much-beloved BookTok sensation, Travis Baldree's novel of high...
Lessons from plants
Montgomery, Beronda L.
Paper Book
An exploration of how plant behavior and adaptation offer valuable insights for human thriving. We know that plants are important. They maintain the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They nourish other living organisms and supply psychological...
The light eaters : how the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on Earth
Schlanger, Zo
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 * TIME's 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 * New York Magazine's 10 Best Books of the Year * Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction of 2024 *...
Love & other disasters
Kelly, Anita
Paper Book
The first openly nonbinary contestant on America's favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as "an essential read." Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson...
Love & saffron : a novel of friendship, food, and love
Fay, Kim
Paper Book
The Instant National Bestseller and #1 Indie Next Pick For fans of The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and 84, Charing Cross Road, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that...
Mango, mambo, and murder
Reyes, Raquel V.
Paper Book
Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quinones-Smith becomes a seasoned sleuth in Raquel V. Reyes's Caribbean Kitchen Mystery debut, a savory treat for fans of Joanne Fluke and Jenn McKinlay. Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith's move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami,...
Mastering the art of French murder
Cambridge, Colleen
Paper Book
Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child, will adore this magnifique new mystery set in Paris and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidante, and fellow American. From the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall, this...
Mrs. Quinn's rise to fame
Ford, Olivia
Paper Book
"As cozy as a cup of tea and cake."--People "One of those books you just want to hug to your chest. I loved it so much."--Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of While We Were Dating A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a...
My Paris kitchen : recipes and stories
Lebovitz, David.
Paper Book
A collection of stories and 100 sweet and savory French-inspired recipes that reflect the way Parisians eat today, featuring lush Parisian photography "David Lebovitz is a rare specimen- both a terrific storyteller and a brilliant, uncompromising recipe writer."-Yotam...
My two souths : blending the flavors of India into a southern kitchen
Gomez, Asha
Paper Book
~i~> From award-winning chef and restaurateur Asha Gomez comes this collection of recipes that fuse together the "Two Souths" that are near and dear to her heart: the beloved cuisine of Southern India, and the downhome tastes of the American South. <...
Planta sapiens : the new science of plant intelligence
Calvo, Paco
Paper Book
An astonishing window into the inner world of plants, and the cutting-edge science in plant intelligence. Decades of research document plants' impressive abilities: they communicate with each other, manipulate other species, and move in sophisticated ways. Lesser known, however, is...
Praisesong for the kitchen ghosts : stories and recipes from five generations of black country cooks
Wilkinson, Crystal
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, throughpowerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poetlaureate of Kentucky."With Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts,...
Pride, prejudice, and other flavors : a novel
Dev, Sonali
Paper Book
Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco... It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be...
Rosaline Palmer takes the cake
Hall, Alexis J.
Paper Book
Fans of Casey McQuiston, Christina Lauren, and Abby Jimenez will love this scrumptious and sweet romantic comedy from the author of Boyfriend Material. "[Hall] crafts some of the most sparkling prose in contemporary romance ... we give this fully baked concept...
Sadie on a plate
Elliot, Amanda
Paper Book
One of Parade's Favorite Books of Spring! A chef's journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy. Sadie is a rising star in the trendy Seattle restaurant scene. Her dream is to create unique, modern, and...
The seed keeper : a novel
Wilson, Diane
Paper Book
A 2025 National Endowment for the Arts Big Reads Selection Winner of the Minnesota Book Award A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakhóta family's struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters...
The serviceberry : abundance and reciprocity in the natural world
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world....
Sourdough
Sloan, Robin
Paper Book
New York Times Bestselling AuthorSMLIn his much-anticipated new novel, Robin Sloan does for the world of food what he did for the world of books in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Leavened by the same infectious intelligence, while taking on even more satisfying challenges, Sourdough marks the...
Taste of Home farm to table cookbook
Paper Book
Relish the goodness of garden fresh foods and make the most of your garden and farmer's market finds with this all new cookbook. With 279 sensational recipes to use all of the fresh food you bring in to your kitchen. We show you how to use fresh produce all year long. Have a...
Two parts sugar, one part murder
Burns, V. M.
Paper Book
"Snappy dialogue, a well-drawn supporting cast and an irresistible canine companion all add delicious flavor. Gulp this book down or savor it, but consuming it will guarantee a sustained sugar high." -The New York Times Book Review In a brand-new culinary cozy series with a...
The vegetable garden problem solver handbook : identify and manage diseases and other common problems on edible plants
Mulvihill, Susan
Paper Book
If you're tired of battling blight on your tomatoes, losing your basil to downy mildew, and watching deer raid your vegetable garden, you'll find all the answers you need right here. *2024 American Horticultural Society Book Award Winner*  In The...
We are each other's harvest : celebrating African American farmers, land, and legacy
Baszile, Natalie
Paper Book
A WALL STREET JOURNAL FAVORITE FOOD BOOK OF THE EAR From the author of Queen Sugar--now a critically acclaimed series on OWN directed by Ava Duvernay--comes a beautiful exploration and celebration of black farming in America.  In this impressive anthology, Natalie...
What I ate in one year : (and related thoughts)
Tucci, Stanley
Paper Book
From Stanley Tucci, award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author, a deliciously unique memoir chronicling a year's worth of meals. "Sharing food is one of the purest human acts." Food has always been an integral part of Stanley Tucci's...
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