It’s that time of year again when I zealously start planning my summer reading. Yes, it’s suitably chill behaviour.
I have a great fear or running out of books on holiday so over the coming weeks, I’m going to start building up the stack.
Here are a few of the titles that I’m looking forward to enjoying in the sunshine.
Let the best of all the reading seasons commence.
Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
This book has an intriguing plot. The beautiful and wealthy Madison asks her downtrodden childhood boarding school roommate, Lilian to move in with her to help look after her twin step-kids. The catch - the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated. I’m actually about half way through this novel which does feel original and is pretty funny too. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’m enjoying it as much as the rhapsodic cover blurbs want me to. When I first picked it up, they had me at, “I can’t believe how good this book is” - Taffy Brodesser-Akner. I’m not sure I believe yet either but I’m willing to find out.
Pretend I’m Dead by Jen Beagin
After loving Big Swiss, I’m keen to explore some of Jen Beagin’s other writing. Pretend I’m dead, from 2015, features another emotionally adrift female protagonist. This one falls for a man she calls, Mr Disgusting. I’m in.
Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze
A friend raved about this to me. I love the sound of its unusual and adrenalised prose style - it’s written in street slang and doesn’t always follow traditional narrative rules. Billed as a visceral, violent semi-autobiographical novel, it’s set against the backdrop of gang life on a Kilburn estate and was long listed for the 2020 Booker Prize.
Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Another recommendation from a friend, this doorstop of a novel is set on the sun-drenched Cornish coast in the 1930s and features so many markers of an ideal comfort read: coming of age story, boarding school, beautiful country estate, charismatic family and the looming threat of war. And it’s over 1,000 pages so it should keep me going for a while.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Patchett writes classy, dense, carefully plotted novels about intricate family dynamics. (I enjoyed Bel Canto and really liked The Dutch House.) In her latest, out in August, a mother tells her three daughters the story of her great romance with a famous actor.
What are you looking forward to reading this summer? Please share any tips in the comments.
See you next time!
Hannah