Summer is prime time to slow down and get lost in a good book. McKinsey’s 2026 annual book recommendations feature 12 works of fiction that take readers across places, generations, and even worlds—exploring love and longing, family and history, identity, and the complexities of human connection. Recommended by leaders from around the globe, these stories include page-turners for a day at the beach, novels for a long flight, and more. Explore the highlights below and find your next great summer read among the full list of fiction picks.
Now Then by Morgan Radford
Recommended by Shelley Stewart III, senior partner and global leader of Insights, Reputation & Engagement
“The novel weaves between two timelines: a Harvard student navigating life in 1991 and her mother’s harrowing escape from Cuba during the 1957 government coup. It explores a truth that feels almost genetic: Our past choices are never truly behind us but are always quietly shaping what lies ahead. Having grown up with a deep sense that who we are is the sum of those who came before us—their sacrifices, silences, and decisions—I found the book’s meditation on inherited history deeply moving.”
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Recommended by Melinda Hsu, TV writer and producer, FOX; author, Lead with Kindness: How to Change the Culture of the Workplace and the World
“As an Asian woman who’s a TV writer, I’m drawn to this novel about a female Asian TV writer—especially because of rave reviews about its juicy romance, star-crossed yearning, and surprisingly accurate portrayal of the idiosyncratic, complex creative ecosystem of a TV writers’ room.”
Platform Decay by Martha Wells
Recommended by Daniel Roth, editor in chief and vice president of content, LinkedIn
“I was skeptical when a friend recommended Martha Wells’s The Murderbot Diaries series. I figured I’d be reading about blood, guns, and circuits. Instead, I got a sardonic, self-hating rogue SecUnit [security unit] trying to navigate humans, aliens, and its own emotions—when all it really wants to do is consume crappy TV.”
The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
Recommended by Tracy Francis, senior partner and managing partner for Latin America
“This book is my beach read pick for July. I read a review in the Financial Times that said the book is ‘profound and resplendent.’ May we all do something in our lives worthy of such praise!”