Summer’s Best Reads: 11 Holiday Escapes

Your Summer Reading Sorted: 11 Novels to Escape With

Planning your summer holiday? Sun cream, swimwear, and sunglasses are essential, but don’t forget a captivating book to lose yourself in. Whether you’re jetting off to a sun-drenched beach, exploring a vibrant city, or enjoying a relaxing staycation, these eleven novels offer the perfect escape.

Thrillers and Suspense

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware: A decade after captivating readers with The Woman In Cabin 10, Ruth Ware returns with another gripping tale. Set on the picturesque shores of Lake Geneva, the story unfolds at the grand opening of an exclusive Swiss hotel. Journalist Lo Blacklock, now married with children, finds herself embroiled in a mystery when the billionaire hotel owner’s wife claims she is being held prisoner.

A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kay: Fans of Adam Kay’s hilarious and poignant memoir, This is Going to Hurt, will relish his debut novel. When a hospital consultant dies unexpectedly, a fellow doctor suspects foul play. As more doctors meet similar fates, a tense investigation ensues, promising a blend of humour, macabre twists, and heartfelt moments.

Whistle by Linwood Barclay: A departure from his usual thriller genre, Linwood Barclay delves into horror with Whistle. Children’s author Annie seeks solace in a small town in upstate New York after her husband’s sudden death and a scandal surrounding one of her books. However, unsettling events begin when her son discovers a forgotten train set, leading to eerie sounds and a sinister new character creeping into her stories.

Romance and Relationships

Somewhere Only We Know by Cathy Bramley: The author of The Lemon Tree Café presents a heartwarming story of grief and rediscovery. A woman mourning the loss of her daughter finds her late child’s travel journal and embarks on the gap year trip the 23-year-old had dreamed of. The journey revives memories of a romantic summer in Bali and reconnects her with an old flame.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: This novel is a perfect beach read. Journalist Alice Scott is tasked with tracking down reclusive former heiress Margaret Ives on a remote island to write her memoir. The story heats up when a rival journalist arrives, creating both professional and personal sparks.

You Are Here by David Nicholls: Now available in paperback, this love story embodies the humour, heartache, and hope that define Nicholls’ work. Two lonely individuals are brought together on a challenging coast-to-coast walk. Amidst the rain and discomfort, geography teacher Michael, mourning his broken marriage, and divorced copy editor Marnie, find friendship, solace, and a glimmer of hope in each other’s company.

Family and Identity

My Other Heart by Emma Nanami Strenner: This coming-of-age story explores female friendships across continents and generations. In 1998, Mimi Traung loses her toddler at Philadelphia Airport and is sent back to Vietnam, seemingly losing her daughter forever. Seventeen years later, she returns to search for her. Meanwhile, two best friends, both of Asian descent but from different backgrounds, plan a journey to explore their roots. Eventually, the three women’s paths collide, forcing them to confront their true identities.

The Treasures by Harriet Evans: The first book in the Sevenstones Trilogy, a family saga spanning 50 years and three generations. Beginning in 1965, Alice and Tom grow up in New York and Notting Hill, respectively, their lives eventually intertwined by a lost treasure, a forgotten letter, and a life-changing phone call. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and the counterculture movement, Sevenstones, a house filled with history and secrets, remains a constant.

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This novel centres on the experiences of four African women living on both sides of the Atlantic, each navigating different circumstances shaped by race, wealth, and shame. A wealthy travel writer seeks love, while her best friend, a lawyer, grapples with her biological clock. A housekeeper and a high-flying professional also grapple with their desires and identities.

Dystopian and Dark Humour

The Compound by Aisling Rawle: This debut novel offers a satirical take on reality shows. Lily wakes up in a compound surrounded by other attractive women, all waiting for men to arrive after crossing a desert to escape a war-torn world. The seemingly shallow environment takes a dark turn as producers demand increasingly disturbing challenges. While humorous, the novel explores the dangers of materialism and the lengths people will go to for fame.

Gritty and Contemporary

Men in Love by Irvine Welsh: This sequel to Trainspotting reunites Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie as they move beyond heroin and seek joy on the dance floor during the Thatcher era. Their journey of redemption takes them from Edinburgh to London, Amsterdam, and Paris, culminating in Sick Boy’s wedding day.