Jimmy Fallon Starts His Very Own Summer Book Club – and We're All Invited to Join
Books have officially taken over The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!
On Friday, Fallon announced a summer reading program — “Tonight Show Summer Reads” — and asked viewers to vote for their favorite novel from his curated list. The winning book will be revealed during the show on June 29.
The host’s list is sure to intrigue readers. From a novel about four siblings whose lives are forever changed after a psychic reveals the date of their deaths, to the discovery of inner magic and a surprise disappearance, Fallon’s list is perfect if you want fantasy and some thrills added to your summer vacation.
“Summer’s officially here and I don’t have a book to read,” Fallon, 43, told his audience. “I don’t have a summer read. So I figured it’d be kind of fun to do a summer book club.”
“We should really do a thing and we’re calling it the Tonight Show Summer Reads!” he continued, adding, “I got five books. I’m going to have you guys vote on it… and we’ll read it together.”
See below for the full list.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The author may be 24 years old, but she’s already delighting the reading world. The novel draws from the experiences of West Africans and black Americans to create a story of fantasy that’s timely and relevant. Heroine Zélie Adebola is tasked with returning the magic that was stolen from her people — and ends up discovering her own magic along the way.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
In 1969 Simon, Klara, Daniel and Varya Gold sneak out to visit a psychic on New York City’s Lower East Side, and one at a time, she tells each of them the day they will die. The Gold children’s lives unfold over five decades, haunted by those foretold fates. Whether the predictions come true, and how, is revealed in four meticulous sections, each well-crafted enough to stand alone. This literary family saga is perfect for fans of Donna Tartt and Celeste Ng.
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
At long last, South Korea’s preeminent author of psychological thrillers has arrived Stateside. The Good Son is Jeong‘s first novel to be translated into English, and it’s a perfect introduction: an ingeniously twisted mother-son saga that keeps your heart pumping—and then breaks it.
IQ (an IQ Novel) by Joe Ide
Ide‘s crackling page-turner of a debut follows a brilliant loner, IQ, who tackles cases the LAPD won’t touch.
Providence by Caroline Kepnes
A kidnapped teen returns with a special power that’s not exactly a cause for celebration. Part love story, part supernatural thriller and completely engrossing.
Viewers can vote for their choice of summer read here.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC.