https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jun/24/summer-reading-50-brilliant-books-to-discover?utm_source=pocket-newtab-intl-en
Fiction
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sittenfeld
has imagined the lives and loves of both Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton
in bestselling novels. This time her subject is Sally Milz, a
self-deprecating scriptwriter on a Saturday Night Live-style TV show.
When Sally meets Noah, a pop star she assumes to be out of her league,
the ensuing romcom is lifted by Sittenfeld’s sharp writing and eye for
amusing detail. A perfect beach companion.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
From
the author of Skippy Dies, this epic, many-layered tragicomedy of an
Irish family in crisis is as pleasurable to read as it is emotionally
devastating. We enter into the mind of each family member in turn as
long-held secrets, repressed desires and the bad choices of the past
detonate in the present.
A House for Alice by Diana Evans
A
sequel to Evans’s 2018 novel Ordinary People, A House for Alice opens
on the night of the Grenfell fire, then follows Alice – longing to
return to her native Nigeria – and her three daughters as they reckon
with a city and a country in crisis. You don’t need to have read the
earlier novel to enjoy this tender yet political tale, though one of its
pleasures is reconnecting with Melissa and Michael several years on.
The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
The
follow-up to Exciting Times is a sharp sendup of modern romance. Two
spiky protagonists, head-in-the-clouds pianist Celine and
commitment-phobe Luke, stumble into an engagement. Both are bisexual –
and have double the doubts. As the wedding draws closer and friends and
ex-lovers complicate things further, Dolan plays with narrative form and
expectations in a deliciously tart comedy studded with one-liners.
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
A
chunky high-concept mystery from the author of vampire blockbuster The
Passage. On the isolated island of Prospera, the elite live out charmed
lives, rebooted when they become old and weary. But the servant class
are getting restive, and one day a cryptic message appears: “The world
is not the world.” A page-turning inquiry into what makes a good life,
with twists aplenty and cinematic action sequences.
August Blue by Deborah Levy
Levy’s
elegantly ludic investigation into selfhood, mother love and meaning
plays out across Europe, from Parisian cafes to Greek islands to the
streets of London. A concert pianist who can no longer play spots her
doppelganger in an Athens flea market: all that she has repressed begins
to return, as she riddles over the mysteries of her origins and
desires.
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Ward
has carved out a unique gothic space where the fantasy, thriller and
horror genres meet, and this tale of ardent friendships, grisly crimes
and literary rivalry is her best yet. Horrific discoveries on the New
England coast blighted a teenager’s coming of age; those events, and
their repercussions, are constructed both as memoir and fiction in a
twisty psychodrama of denial and desire.
The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman
The
Suede bassist’s madcap adventures of the rebels, dreamers and
reprobates who make up a young theatre troupe in Elizabethan England are
written with wit, invention and a luxuriantly gorgeous prose style.
This is historical fiction that’s larger than life and twice as much
fun.
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin
Set
to become an HBO series starring Jodie Comer, this sexy, madcap novel
follows Greta, whose transcribing job for a therapist leads her into an
obsession with one of his clients. What unfolds seems initially
predictable, albeit in an eccentric, entertaining way. But as Beagin
brings her characters and their pasts into clearer focus, the novel
reveals a surprising, heart-wrenching core.
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
Catton’s
follow-up to the Booker-winning The Luminaries pits a group of young
guerrilla gardeners against a billionaire with secret plans for a New
Zealand national park. Ecological peril, political expediency, personal
ambition and the generational divide are thrillingly debated in a novel
of both action and ideas.
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks
This
scorching, lyrical debut, soaked in dub reggae, draws on the author’s
life as a music-loving young woman in the late 70s and was shortlisted
for the Women’s prize. Against a backdrop of racism and police
brutality, we follow Yamaye from London to Bristol to Jamaica, through
love, loss and peril, as she chases her dreams and connects with her
heritage.
The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemon
Beginning
with the arrival of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, this
globe-trotting, century-spanning epic is a story of love and war,
intimacy and history, as two men – a Bosnian soldier and a Sephardic
Jewish pharmacist – find each other in the world’s tumult. Hemon revels
in languages and storytelling, in a tour de force of narrative
exuberance.
Penance by Eliza Clark
Out
at the beginning of July, the second novel from the author of Boy Parts
is a fiendishly nasty investigation into online fandoms, broken
Britain, the depravity of teenage girls and the voyeuristic appetite for
true crime. A 16-year-old was murdered by her peers on the eve of the
Brexit vote. Now a washed-up journalist lays out the “truth” at the
heart of the story – but has a hunger for content led to a moral vacuum?
Chilling, clever and unputdownable.
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
An
impossibly deep trench is discovered in the Atlantic ocean, shedding
light on the beginnings of life on Earth; a marine biologist with a
difficult family background is caught up in the quest to know more. This
beautifully composed novel of human frailty and cosmic wonder travels
into deep space as well as to the ocean depths, through human
connections and profound solitude, finding enlightenment and new
mysteries on the journey.
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
Everyone
thinks that Geeta killed her no-good husband. They ought to shun her,
but they have no-good husbands they’d like to be rid of too. Longlisted
for the Women’s prize, this witty feminist revenge thriller exuberantly
melds black comedy and zippy dialogue with the grim realities of rural
life for Indian women.
The New Life by Tom Crewe
Based
on the lives of 19th-century thinkers who sought to change medical and
public opinion about homosexuality and women’s rights, this incredibly
assured debut spins intimate dramas from the fight for autonomy in life
and love. A fresh take on the historical novel, with desire at its
heart, written with a charged certainty that the personal is political.
Victory City by Salman Rushdie
Rushdie’s
15th novel, completed before he was attacked in New York last summer,
is a joyfully extravagant alternative Mahabharata: the story of the rise
and fall of a medieval Indian empire told by a semi-divine heroine who
lives for hundreds of years. It’s a mashup of myth and fairytale, comedy
and melodrama, celebrating women’s agency and the enduring power of
storytelling.
Kala by Colin Walsh
In
an Irish seaside village with a dark underbelly, a group of friends
reunites, 15 years after one of them disappeared. Then a body is found
... Tana French fans will relish the stylish prose and slowburn menace
of this impressive debut.
The Short End of the Sonnenallee by Thomas Brussig, translated by Jonathan Franzen and Jenny Watson
Michael
and his friends live in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, so close they
can hear western conversations from the observation platform. Newly
translated into English, this is a charming comedy of mid-80s East
Germany; funny and tender, it damns totalitarianism through its warm
focus on ordinary, riotous teenage life.
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis
The
book Ellis was born to write? An autofictional journey into the dark
heart of both the author and modern society, first published as a serial
podcast, it takes us back to 80s LA, where Bret and frenemies are
finishing high school. A serial killer is on the loose, and closeted
desire makes the world a shifting, treacherous place. This is an
atmospheric investigation into our shadow selves.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
Sometimes
the most passionate love stories are platonic. As sharply witty as it
is warm-hearted and wise, this coming-of-age story about an Irish
graduate and her gay best friend captures the intensity of friendship,
the brittle craziness of youth and the desperation of gunning for an
arts job in a recession.
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
In
this clear-eyed, moving debut, inspired by Pin’s mother’s experiences
as a refugee after the Vietnam war, a family flee their village by boat –
but only the three teenage siblings make it through various camps and
on to London. A tender and illuminating portrait of displacement,
endurance and family love, this is history told from the inside.
Tomás Nevinson by Javier MarÃas, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
In
the final novel from the late, great Spanish author, a spy is coaxed
out of retirement and on to the trails of three women, one of whom may
be an IRA terrorist working for Basque separatists. A meditation on
thought and consciousness, identity and disguise, the gloriously rolling
sentences offer the deep pleasures of a brilliant mind apprehending the
world in real time.
For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie
A
tiny novel that contains multitudes, this is the story of two medieval
mystics, the rambunctious Margery Kempe and the anchorite Julian of
Norwich, and what happens when these two extraordinary women cross
paths. Lightly done but intensely felt, it’s mind-expanding stuff.
Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood
Fifteen
stories from the inimitable Atwood, jumping from ageing to aliens to
apocalypse with her trademark spry wit. At the centre is a sequence
exploring the long marriage between Tig and Nell, and the widowhood that
follows. Bracing, darkly funny and cheerfully unsentimental.
Nonfiction
Time Come by Linton Kwesi Johnson
Indelible
in the minds of many for his performance of Inglan Is a Bitch on The
Old Grey Whistle Test, the resonant Jamaican-British poet has also
written essays, articles and speeches. This collection charts his career
in prose.
Quantum Supremacy by Michio Kaku
Will
a new generation of computers designed to harness the power of
subatomic particles be able to cure cancer, unlock the secrets of fusion
power and stop ageing? Physicist Michio Kaku thinks so, and sets out
his stall in this resolutely upbeat book.
God Is an Octopus by Ben Goldsmith
When
his teenage daughter was killed in an accident on his farm, the
conservationist Ben Goldsmith was poleaxed by grief. This is his moving
account of how reconnecting with nature helped him rebuild a capacity
for joy.
The Power of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
The
German forester became an unlikely celebrity with 2015’s bestselling
Hidden Life of Trees. Here he shows us that the way to help forests
thrive is to leave them alone – and in doing so, reap the climate
benefits these natural carbon sinks provide.
Radical: A Life of My Own by Xiaolu Guo
In
Chinese writing, the “radical” is the part of the character that lends
it meaning; Guo charts her own quest for meaning and purpose in this
kaleidoscopic memoir that follows her from London to New York and back
again.
Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder by Dacher Keltner
Twenty
years of research has convinced this psychology professor that a little
awe goes a long way. Here he sets out the various types, from “moral
beauty” to “collective effervescence”, and offers tips for finding it,
not just on mountaintops, but in everyday life.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
From
the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a forensically researchedn
historical yarn that mixes Mutiny on the Bounty with Lord of the Flies.
In 1740, a ship leaves Britain on a secret mission against Spain and is
wrecked off the coast of Patagonia. Two years later, separate groups of
survivors wash up, with contradictory stories of terrible crimes. Packed
with literary references from Coleridge to Melville, this is a
thrilling account of adventure, endurance and the ravages of
imperialism.
An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals by Polly Toynbee
Is
there a conflict between personal privilege and progressive politics?
In an attempt to answer that question, the Guardian columnist subjects
her illustrious family and herself to an unsparing analysis, spiced with
anecdote and humour.
The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery by Adam Gopnik
What
does it take to become a master magician, a great painter, a brilliant
baker or just someone who can drive? The New Yorker critic embarks on a
study of craft – from the celebrated to the unsung.
End Times by Peter Turchin
From
the man who predicted the rise of Trump – or someone very like him – a
remarkably clear, data-driven explanation of why societies fall into
crisis, and how to engineer a soft landing.
Reach for the Stars by Michael Cragg
In
the early 2000s so-called British bubblegum swept all before it, with
bands such as S Club 7, Boyzone and Blue shifting millions of units.
This oral history fizzes with gossip and insight into the surprisingly
hard grind of being a jobbing pop star.
Is This OK?: One Woman’s Search for Connection Online by Harriet Gibsone
What
is it like to come of age with the internet? And can relationships
conducted online ever compare to the real thing? Journalist Gibsone’s
candid memoir is comic and dark by turns.
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The Earth Transformed: An Untold History by Peter Frankopan
In
this follow-up to the magisterial Silk Roads, the Oxford historian
seeks to show the environment’s inescapable influence on history – from
the volcanos whose ash clouds caused crop failures in antiquity to the
climate challenges of the present day.
Fancy Bear Goes Phishing: The Dark History of the Information Age, in Five Extraordinary Hacks by Scott Shapiro
Matthew
Broderick’s teen hacker in the 80s movie WarGames is an odd starting
point for a new era in world affairs, but that’s what first turned the
US government’s attention to the increasingly urgent problem of
cybersecurity. In a series of vivid case studies, Yale professor Scott
Shapiro surveys the strange new landscape of hacking and its unlikely
practitioners.
Foreign Bodies: A History of Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations by Simon Schama
As
we enter an age of zoonosis – with more viruses jumping from animal to
human than ever before – the historian takes us on an erudite tour of
past responses to pandemics, offering plenty of lessons for the next
one.
To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music and Mystery of Connie Converse by Howard Fishman
The
distinctive voice of Connie Converse, an obscure 50s folk singer who
disappeared in the 1970s, captivated writer Howard Fishman when he first
heard one of her records at a party. He attempts to trace her story,
and find out what really happened to her.
The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper
Should
we consign pale, male, stale Shakespeare to the scrapheap? Absolutely
not, argues Farah Karim-Cooper, who believes a race-conscious reading of
his work enriches it and restores his status as a playwright for all.
In Her Nature: How Women Break Boundaries in the Great Outdoors: A Past, Present and Personal Story by Rachel Hewitt
Hewitt,
an avid runner, charts the neglected history of female sporting
pioneers including the Edwardian mountaineer Lizzie le Blond. In doing
so she tells a story of barriers and belittlement, the legacy of which
continues to this day.
Transitional by Munroe Bergdorf
The
model and trans activist on growing up, getting famous, being vilified
and carrying on despite it all. Life, she argues, is a process of
continual transition – no matter what your gender identity.
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer
What
to do with artistic heroes like Pablo Picasso, Roman Polanski and
Michael Jackson, whose personal lives and crimes seem to stand in such
contradiction to their sublime art? Dederer’s exploration offers up no
easy answers, but the journey is never less than illuminating.
Don’t Think, Dear: On Loving and Leaving Ballet by Alice Robb
Once
a student at America’s top ballet school, now a journalist, Alice Robb
looks back at the demanding, obsessional world that captured her
childhood dreams, and the charismatic figures who shaped it.
Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict by Elizabeth Day
The
host of blockbuster podcast How to Fail explores the joys and pitfalls
of friendship – including the stresses of trying to maintain as many as
possible. Could a modest address-book cull be the socially responsible
way to start your summer?
Johnson at 10 by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell
If
you can bear to revisit a period of misrule still painfully raw in the
collective memory, Seldon and Newell’s meticulous book offers
eye-opening insights into the workings of the Johnson administration
from the people who witnessed it first hand.
Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
What
happens if you eat a diet made up of 80% ultra-processed food –
pre-packaged snacks and meals with long chemical names among the
ingredients – for a whole month? Having done just that and seen the
results, public health doctor van Tulleken explains the toll these
products are having on our collective health.
One Midsummer’s Day: Swifts and the Story of Life on Earth by Mark Cocker
The
humble swift is the lens through which nature writer Mark Cocker
presents the natural world in all its dazzling interconnectedness. Or
perhaps not so humble – these are the birds, after all, that think
nothing of nipping over to Germany in a single insect-hunting trip, and
have been reported at heights of 4,400 metres. A natural wonder indeed.
Page-turning paperbacks
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
A
triumph of voice: this Women’s prize-winning reboot of David
Copperfield, set amid the poverty and opioid addiction of Appalachia,
features an unforgettable young hero battling to survive.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Precocious
coders and best friends Samson and Sadie get into the video game-making
business – but will their relationship ever move beyond creative
collaboration? A hugely enjoyable novel about lives and loves mediated
by technology.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
Set
in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, a multi award-winning debut
about a dangerous affair across the political and religious divide.
Bad Actors by Mick Herron
The
latest in the Slough House series about inept MI5 secret agents sees
Herron on top form, slashing through Westminster shenanigans and Russian
thuggery with elegance and wit.
Send Nudes by Saba Sams
Funny, sly and surprising tales of young womanhood from the BBC National short story award winner – perfect poolside reading.
Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
All
you could ask for in terms of juicy titbits from the length and breadth
of the beloved actor’s career; brickbats and bouquets for fellow
performers, snippets of Labour politics and the filming of Harry Potter.
Constructing a Nervous System by Margo Jefferson
The
Baillie Gifford prize winner splices memoir with sharply observed
cultural criticism in this unique meditation on ageing, art and
personhood.
Landlines by Raynor Winn
In a follow up to the bestselling Salt Path and Wild Silence, much-loved
wild walkers Raynor and her husband Moth undertake their toughest
challenge yet – the Cape Wrath Trail – in the face of Moth’s
deteriorating health.
The Lost Rainforests of Britain by Guy Shrubsole
Who
knew Britain had rainforests? There may not be parrots, but a rich and
precious heritage of ancient woodlands replete with mistletoe, fern and
moss clings on, fed by our damp Atlantic climate. This book is a call to
see the exotic in our own isles, and cherish it.
Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
This
eye-popping memoir lays bare Prince Harry’s childhood trauma, his
grudges and his gripes – as well as a rather intimate bout of frostbite.
Too much information? Not for eager readers, who have made it the
bestselling book of the year so far.
Top children’s and YA books
Art Makes People Powerful by Bob and Roberta Smith
A
thick, satisfying art activity book that invites children of 6+ to
discover their own powers of creation, painting fierce placards or
drawing their own feelings and visions of a better world.
The Thames and Tide Club: The Secret City by Katya Balen, illustrated by Rachael Dean
When
Clem finds a mysterious object and triggers some seriously strange
weather, she and her mudlarking buddies must go on an underwater
adventure to return it. A delightful illustrated quest story for 7+,
from a Carnegie-winning author.
The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder by Kereen Getten, illustrated by Leah Jacobs-Gordon
Fayson
doesn’t like her wealthy cousins, but when she’s sent to their Jamaican
island for the summer, she might just get the chance to realise her
dream of becoming a detective. Like Enid Blyton with a social
conscience, this marks the start of an addictive new series for 8+.
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell
At
birth, each Swift is given a definition from their ancestral
dictionary, and must grow up to embody their name – except Shenanigan
Swift, who doesn’t believe in destiny. When Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude is
and outrageously witty attacked at a family reunion, will Shenanigan
succeed in finding the culprit? Fabulously illustrated, this clever,
comic debut is perfect for 9+ Lemony Snicket fans.
Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson, illustrated by Lisa Paganelli
When
Daisy Thistledown’s mother goes missing, Daisy obeys her mum’s last
order and escapes into Greenworld, an eco-paradise she must fight to
defend. This magical fantasy breathes new life into classic tropes while
offering 9+ readers a cornucopia of wonder, peril and time travel.
Friends and Traitors by Helen Peters
Sidney’s
school has just been evacuated to a rural stately home, where clever
Nancy is working as a housemaid. Then the girls discover that the earl
is hiding something sinister in the stables. Concealed passages and
fiendish plots abound in this second world war mystery, perfect for 9+
Robin Stevens readers.
Cupid’s Revenge by Wibke Brueggemann
Tilly
can’t stand living in a houseful of “creative types”, and now she’s
worried about her grandad, who has Alzheimer’s, moving in. Love is not
on the agenda – until she meets gorgeous Katherine Cooper-Bunting, her
best friend Teddy’s crush, and winds up in the same amdram production.
This sweet, believable queer romance for 14+ is frank, funny and
poignant.
This Summer’s Secrets by Emily Barr
Long
ago, grim secrets were hidden at Cliff House. Now, as teenage Senara
finds herself drawn into the house’s affluent world – and, possibly, a
first romance – those secrets begin to work their way into the light. A
sun-splashed Cornish thriller with a dark heart, ideal for YA fans of E
Lockhart.
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Bengali-Irish
baker Shireen is thrilled to be in the Junior Irish Baking Show – but
less so to find her ex-girlfriend Chris is too. Can Shireen give her
parents’ bakery a boost while working with Chris at close quarters – and
what about the charismatic Niamh? Jaigirdar’s fourth novel is a
sugar-dusted YA treat with a sharp spice of realism.
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
Charity
Curtis loves her summer job as “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake, where
guests pay to be terrified in a cult horror re-enactment. But when her
co‑workers start disappearing, Charity will have to put her skills to
work for real in this pulse-pounding horror, best suited to slasher
flick aficionados of 14+.
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