We Visited Ann Patchett’s Bookstore—And Left with 5 Must-Read Books You’ll Devour This Summer (Exclusive)
From slow-burn romance to glamorous historical fiction—these picks are pure gold!
Key Takeaways
- Ann Patchett's Nashville bookstore, Parnassus, is a beloved haven for book lovers.
- Book buyer Lindsay Lynch shares 5 unputdownable summer reads spanning multiple genres.
- Discover page-turners from contemporary fiction to historical romance—all Parnassus-approved!
If you drive down Nashville’s bustling Hillsboro Pike and turn into an unassuming strip mall, you’ll find one of the city’s greatest treasures for book lovers: Parnassus Books. Opened in 2011 by bestselling author Ann Patchett, the nearly 5,000 square foot independent bookstore—which started out half that size—serves as a beacon for book lovers, and dog lovers, alike.
Packed with bright paperbacks and hardcovers corralled by genre and hyper-specific staff recommendations, it’s a dream bookstore in many ways. In fact, Ann herself sometimes still can’t believe it. “The bookstore that did in fact open in Nashville is so beautiful, I can’t even make sense of it,” she wrote in her 2013 memoir This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage. “People still want books…I imagine they remember the bookstores of their youth as tenderly as I remember mine. They are lined up outside most mornings.”
Woman’s World was lucky enough to stop by the famed Parnassus Books last week to catch up with the shop’s resident book buyer, Lindsay Lynch. (We also had a chance to meet several of Parnassus’ four-legged friends wandering around the store—more on that soon!) While there, we discussed all things books—including five of Parnassus’ must-read summer book recommendations. From glamorous historical fiction to slow-burn romance and more, keep scrolling to discover 5 of the staff’s top picks!
‘Whistler’ by Ann Patchett
Their first recommendation for this summer? Of course, it’s Ann Patchett’s latest novel! Ann has penned dozens of life-affirming novels from Tom Lake to The Dutch House—and countless readers are raving that Whistler is one of her best. When Daphne Fuller runs into her former stepfather, Eddie Triplett, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she’s surprised. Eddie was married to her mother when Daphne was 9, but now at 53, she hasn’t seen him in decades—not since the night that changed both of their lives.
Why Parnassus loves it: “This is gorgeous contemporary fiction,” says Lynch. “It is a platonic love story about finding connections, losing connections and people who are just trying to be decent in this world—and kind to each other. I loved it so much.”
Why readers love it: “Reading Patchett is like being tucked into a big comfy blanket on a cold day. Her characters are authentic. Her stories are hypnotic. An endearing quality that puts me into the Patchett trance. This is a quiet story of revelations. A reflection of familial relationships, messy ones, dotted line ones, and their complexities. It also speaks of the love that can be found when unburied.”
‘Star Shipped’ by Cat Sebastian
Cat Sebastian is revered for her queer historical romances and Star Shipped marks her long-awaited foray into contemporary romance. Meet Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show…who cannot stand one another. They’ve spent almost a decade together onscreen—and quarreling offscreen. And now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can walk away from Charlie. What follows is a forced fake public friendship and a road trip that just may lead to something unexpected.
Why Parnassus loves it: “If you’re looking for a romance this summer, I love, love, loved Cat Sebastian’s Star Shipped,” says Lynch. “This one follows two stars on a sci-fi TV show and the fans are like, ‘they are so in love with each other.’ And in real life, they are like ‘no, we are not.’ Then they go on a road trip together and…it turns out maybe they do have a thing for each other.”
Why readers love it: “Such an amazing story with absolutely wonderful characters. I honestly can’t say who I loved more–Simon, Charlie or Jamie. Or Edie, the dog. Excellent representation of mental health, complex and well-developed characters, the dynamic and the relationships between the characters beautifully done. A good balance between being funny and heavy. I loved the found family aspect of the story and all the sci-fi references.”
‘Take Me With You’ by Steven Rowley
Steven Rowley is the award-winning author of The Celebrants and his 2026 release, Take Me With You, is a poignant, laugh-out-loud and totally original love story. The story centers on college professor Jesse, who witnesses his husband Norman get out of bed one night, walk into their Joshua Tree backyard and…disappear under a beam of light. As Jesse struggles to understand Norman’s disappearance, family members show up, neighbors surface in droves and a strange man starts following him. Will Jesse ever get answers?
Why Parnassus loves it: “Another summer read that I absolutely loved is Steven Rowley’s Take Me With You,” raves Lynch. “There’s a couple. They’ve been married for decades. It’s the middle of the night, a light beams down from the sky…maybe it’s an alien situation? And one of them goes willingly into the light…this is such a great story of long-term relationships and queer relationships. I just loved it so much.”
Why readers love it: “Absolutely loved this book. Great writing, witty banter and a very original story in a familiar setting (I live in California). Usually I can figure out what’s going to happen at the end of other authors’ books but I’m always wrong with Rowley’s books—and it’s delightful.”
‘Villa Coco’ by Andrew Sean Greer
If you’re in the mood for a dreamy coming-of-age novel set in the hills of Tuscany, the book sellers at Parnassus—and Woman’s World editors—highly recommend Pulitzer Prize winner Andrew Sean Greer’s latest book, Villa Coco. When a broke young archivist takes a job at a crumbling Italian villa, he expects to catalog antiques. Instead, he ends up doing odd jobs for Lisabetta, the eccentric wealthy widow known as Coco. As summer drums on, the secrets of Villa Coco begin to surface and so does a story of friendship.
Why Parnassus loves it: “We absolutely adored this one!” cheers Lynch. “This follows a young archivist—newly graduated from college—who takes a job at a villa in Tuscany that is run by an eccentric baronessa. This is a novel that you just want to languish in because all of the characters are so great, the writing is gorgeous and, of course, it’s Italy! The food writing is so good.”
Why readers love it: “This is a book full of love, being in the moment and sharing stories of a life well lived with others—even when there might be a few embellishments along the way.”
‘Do Tell’ by Lindsay Lynch
The last recommendation comes from other Parnassus staffers—and Ann herself! It’s Lindsay Lynch’s very own historical fiction novel, Do Tell. Hollywood’s Golden Age? Check! Juicy drama? Check! A protagonist highlighting the complexities of fame? Check! Set in 1939, the story centers on character actress Edie O’Dare as she struggles to land her next gig. Then she’s handed a letter from an aspiring starlet alleging an assault at an A-list party. It’s not out of the ordinary for Edie who has long moonlighted for Hollywood’s top gossip columnist as a way to make extra money. She’s always provided the columnist with the titillating details of every party and premiere—but this new revelation sets off a chain of events that will alter lives.
Why Parassus loves it: “A wonderful, provocative novel about the way time changes how we see the world,” says Ann Patchett. “Edie O’Dare is a failed Hollywood actress who reinvents herself as a gossip columnist in order to keep a roof over her head, only to discover that this is the job she’s good at. Like our intrepid narrator, Do Tell manages to be both funny and substantive, breezy and wise. I stepped into the stream of the narrative and didn’t look up until I came to the last page.”
Why readers love it: “Lindsay Lynch breathes life into a unique story about the golden age of Hollywood, creating characters that you care about along with villians and clear illustrations of who holds the power in Hollywood. If you are a fan of film, love golden age or movie star stories or just want to read a new and talented author, Do Tell is for you!”
For more information, visit ParnassusBooks.net!
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