You can’t wait to get your teeth into a good book this summer, but the overwhelm kicks in. Too much choice! Too many intriguing covers! Too little time! You end up just listening to a podcast and scroll-ing on your phone… Stop. We’ve done the work for you. Here are 5 fabulous books that tick all kinds of bookworm boxes!
// YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls
The book we’ve all been waiting for. Since we binge-watched and balled our eyes out at One Day on Netflix, a fresh serving of a David Nicholls’ will-they-won’t-they is just what the doctor ordered. And this book really delivers. It’s more grown up, the two main characters both divorcees around the 40 mark, and in true Nicholls’ style we are swept into witty, naturalistic, relatable dialogue. Michael and Marnie will become the friends you never realised you needed in your life. Plus, there’s a giant dollop of English weather, epic scenery and quaint little B&Bs with loveable supporting characters. If you’ve ever wanted to be persuaded to go hiking in the great outdoors, this book might sway you. Or not. Depends on how much rain you can handle. This book takes you on a big journey, but Marnie and Michael’s meeting is so much more meaningful than the final destination.
//PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee
To sum it up in two words; epic saga. This is the kind of book you pick up, read the first page and just cannot put down again. The storytelling is effortless. The picture painted is vivid. You can taste the food, feel the heat. You’re instantly transported to Korea and Japan, following a Korean family of immigrants through eight decades and four generations. From a small fishing village on the banks of the East Sea in 1911 to the bustle of Japan in 1989, the story spreads across the Japanese occupation of Korea and World War II. The central character is Sunja, born to loving parents who have lost many babies before her. Young and naive, Sunja falls pregnant to a married man, ending her life of inno-cence and opening up a life of hardship. From her sons to her grandchildren and all those who cross her path, Pachinko is a tale of strength, resilience and identity. No doubt it will stay in your heart long after you devour the final page.
//SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Welcome to the world of ultimate Hollywood glamour. This novel is jam-packed with tinseltown fa-vourites, from the wannabe starlets, to the red carpet premieres, to the Oscars, to the doomed marriag-es and deep sacrifices. Evelyn Hugo is an elderly - reclusive - Hollywood movie icon, her face seen in every magazine and her story splattered across every newspaper. But nobody knows the real story. Now, Evelyn is ready to bare all about her glamorous and scandalous life. But she wants an unknown journalist called Monique Grant to write her story for her. Why Monique? And why now? Get ready to be immersed into the magic of the movies, and the not-so-magical reality behind the cameras. This book is delicious in every way, packed with enough twists and turns to make you dizzy.
//GOOD MATERIAL by Dolly Alderton
You might be a fan of Ms Alderton since her bestseller, Everything I Know About Love, which was made into a BBC drama last year. She knows how to write romance, or should we say, breakups?! Her latest book is a story of heartbreak and friendship and how to survive both. Amateur comedian Andy must reenter the dating world mid-thirties after splitting with his long-term girlfriend Jen. He’s been living out of a suitcase in his best mate’s spare room, waiting for his career to take off, but he’s struggling to process the life-ruining end of his relationship with the only woman he's ever truly loved. Hurtled with a career catastrophe, social media paranoia and a rapidly dwindling friendship group, poor Andy has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story. This book is raw and familiar, especially if you’ve ever wondered what draws us together, and what pulls us apart.
//UNRULY by David Mitchell
Fancy something completely different? If you love facts and listen to a lot of comedy podcasts, then this will be right up your alley. Or should I say, around your moat. David Mitchell uses his humour and intelligence to explore how England's monarchs, while acting as scary rulers with grand visions, were really just as daft and bizarre as they look in their painted portraits. Some might say they were just plain lucky. Then again, the picture Mitchell paints of ye olden times is riddled with grim, saved by plenty of laugh out loud comments. From King Arthur (spoiler: he didn't exist) to Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies), this informative and super entertaining book is the story of post-Roman England. Get ready to dive into the world of narcissists, control freaks, beheadings, horses, arrows and plague, and whole lot of un-ruling. You’ll be shocked to find out just how we all got here.
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