Summertime is the perfect season to pick up a book and relax. But before you can sit out in the sun and lose yourself in another world, you have to go through the hardest part of the process: deciding what to read.
Luckily for you, here’s a list of seven of our favourite summer reads. Slather on some sun cream and find somewhere comfortable to settle, because you’ll struggle to put down these fantastic books…
1. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Kya lives alone on the marshes of North Carolina. But when a local man is found dead in the tiny fishing village nearby, she immediately becomes the prime suspect. Drawn back into polite society for the first time in years, Kya’s world is turned upside down, and the only people who have her back are two men intrigued by her strange way of life.
With clues to the page-turning mystery buried in the vivid descriptions of the landscape, Owens’ fascinating characters and gorgeous settings form a novel that will stay with you long after you finish it.
Let yourself be transported to the summer of 1969 and watch the murder investigation unfold as Kya’s life changes forever.
And if you enjoy the book, you might also enjoy the film adaption of Where the Crawdads Sing, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Taylor John Smith.
2. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Delaney family appear perfect. A loving marriage, four successful children. But when their matriarch goes missing, the children split into warring factions; those who believe their father is responsible, and those who want to protect him.
From the award-winning author of Nine Perfect Strangers, Moriarty delivers another delicious drama for you to sink your teeth into. Her sharp observations about the dysfunctional family dynamic and a riveting plot make this book perfect to read while you soak in the sun.
3. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Alice never expected to marry the president. But when she enters the rich and privileged Blackwell family, she is quickly thrust into a world of politics and responsibility that she isn’t prepared for.
As her husband’s tumultuous second term in office drags on, Alice must finally face the contradictions they founded their marriage on and decide whether the pain of staying is worth her husband’s love.
Loosely based on the life of Laura Bush, Sittenfeld explores Alice’s psyche through a meaningful narrative about the trials of love and the draw of power.
As she explores the conflict between Alice’s personal views and the public persona she creates to support her husband, Sittenfeld delivers a sharp and touching commentary on politicians that you won’t be able to put down.
4. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is used to the sexist comments made by her all-male co-workers at the Hastings Research Institute. But when she suddenly finds herself both a single mother and the unwilling star of America’s most beloved cooking show, something starts to shift.
Elizabeth isn’t just using her chemistry to teach women how to cook – she’s daring them to finally stand up for themselves.
Winner of the Goodreads Best Debut Novel Award, Garmus’ witty writing style and fabulously strong female characters come together to create one of the most original and brilliant novels of our time.
The television adaptation of the book will be released later this year. Starring Brie Larson and Caryn West, watch it on Apple TV from October 2023.
5. French Braid by Anne Tyler
The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer of 1959. From there, Tyler follows them through the generations as the influences they have on each other ripple across the decades and the three children take very different approaches to flying the nest.
Tyler’s ability to write a complex and compelling family dynamic culminates in her most emotional novel to date. Capturing both the resentment and care we feel for our loved ones, Tyler spins a skilful tale of heartbreak and humour that will leave you wishing for your own family holiday.
6. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
When June Hayward witnesses literary darling Athena Liu’s death in a freak accident, she makes the split-second decision to steal her unfinished manuscript. Some quick edits and a rebrand later – turning June into the ethnically ambiguous Juniper Song – and the book about the unsung contributions from Chinese labourers to the allies in World War One is released to rave reviews.
But when new evidence threatens to expose June’s lies, how far will she go to hide her secret?
Kuang’s sense of wit and dark humour merge with an unsettling thriller to create a magnificent commentary on diversity in the publishing industry. Her ability to splice her own real-life experiences with satirised characters makes the novel one of a kind.
7. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
At the time of her retirement, Carrie Soto is the best and fiercest tennis player in the world. But when her record is stolen by a British competitor six years after she quit, she makes the monumental decision to compete – at age 37 – in one final season to fight for her title back.
Reid’s breathtaking novel about the cost of greatness won the Goodreads Best Historical Fiction award in 2022 and will transport you onto the summery tennis courts of the 1990s. With everything to prove and her pride to swallow, Carrie’s story will keep you hooked from beginning to end.
