What makes the perfect summer read? This is a question I’ve contemplated possibly a little too deeply since beginning to put together this guide.
The best holiday books, I decided, aren’t just escapist – they pull you in completely. They are the kind of stories you can’t wait to get back to after a swim, a nap, or a long, lazy lunch. They entertain, yes, but they also linger: sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes utterly heart-shattering. They’re smart but readable, emotionally rich but never overly heavy, page-turning yet satisfying.
Whether you’re heading for a sun lounger, a shady hammock, or just into a quiet, restful weekend, here are the 30 books which do exactly that…
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
At an elite liberal arts college in Vermont, a tight-knit group of classics students commit a murder, then slowly unravel under the weight of their guilt. Tartt’s debut is a masterclass in psychological suspense, exploring morality, elitism and obsession with icy precision. The prose is lush, the pacing meticulous, and the mood utterly immersive. Its cerebral intensity makes it the perfect book to get lost in over long, lazy summer days when you can surrender to its slow, sinister pull without distraction.
Penguin, £9.99
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Inspired by former First Lady Laura Bush, this novel follows Alice Blackwell from her modest upbringing to the East Wing of the White House. It’s a deeply introspective look at how private convictions clash with public roles, and Sittenfeld paints a nuanced portrait of a woman shaped by both love and circumstance. The mix of political intrigue and personal drama makes it dreamy holiday reading: juicy enough to breeze through, but substantial enough to linger in your thoughts long afterwards.
Black Swan, £9.99
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
This historical novel reimagines the short life of Shakespeare’s only son and the toll his death takes on a family torn by grief and creative ambition. O’Farrell blends history with emotional truth in prose that’s poetic but never saccharine, while its themes of love, loss and the creation of art resonate across centuries. Textured and steeped in the sensory, it’s a story to savour over uninterrupted afternoons in the sun (so long as you don’t mind shedding a tear or two while you’re at it).
Tinder Press, £9.99
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A story of migration, identity and unfinished love, Americanah follows teenage sweethearts Ifemelu and Obinze, who part ways when they leave Nigeria in search of different futures. Ifemelu heads to America, where she grapples with race in a way she never had to at home, but finds success as a blogger and cultural commentator, while Obinze ends up living undocumented in London. Fifteen years later, they reunite in a changed Nigeria, and confront what they left behind. It’s one of those expansive novels you can stretch out with for days; a literary heavyweight that reads with the ease of a summer breeze.
Fourth Estate, £9.99
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Miller’s novel retells the story of Achilles with a focus on his love for Patroclus – an exiled young prince, through whose eyes the story is told. Theirs is a bond that will shatter your heart: tender, complicated, and tragically doomed. Miller’s prose is lyrical but grounded, blending myth and intimacy with devastating effect. It’s a book to disappear into, and one that makes time blur and emotions swell.
Bloomsbury, £9.99
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
This sweeping novel about immigrant families in London is both hilarious and profound; 25 years after it was published, you can see why it announced its author as one of the greatest new literary talents of the 21st century. Smith juggles big themes – race, religion, identity – with a lightness of touch and crackling dialogue. It is the kind of book you can dip in and out of between holiday activities, or read in big gulps late into a warm night.
Penguin, £9.99
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
In the heat of an Italian summer, 17-year-old Elio meets Oliver, a charming American academic staying at his family’s villa. What begins as a slow dance of glances and hesitation grows into an intense, all-consuming affair. Aciman captures the ecstasy and agony of first love with aching precision. This novel is practically tailor-made for holiday reading – intimate, nostalgic, and steeped in summer heat, it demands to be read slowly, and ideally with a gelato nearby.
Atlantic, £9.99
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
Eva Mercy is a bestselling erotica author and single mother; Shane Hall is a reclusive literary fiction writer with a troubled past. When they cross paths at a Brooklyn event, old wounds surrounding the heartbreak they shared as teenagers resurface, but over the course of a week during a hot New York summer, they start to reconnect. This is a romance novel with depth: Williams writes with heart and humour, delivering excellent sex scenes and heart-piercing emotional clarity in equal measure.
Quercus, £10.99
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Our unnamed narrator marries a brooding widower and moves into the estate of Manderley, where she’s haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca. Du Maurier builds suspense with psychological subtlety and gothic flair, while the coastal setting is moody and evocative –perfect for stormy holiday evenings. It is a timeless read with atmosphere to spare and just the right amount of dread. If only all classics were this gripping.
Virago, £10.99
One Day by David Nicholls
Emma and Dexter meet on the night of their university graduation and we follow them on the same date – July 15th – every year for the next two decades. Sometimes they’re in love, sometimes they’re not speaking; always, their lives are changing. Nicholls captures the complexity of timing, friendship and missed chances with warmth and wit. As brilliant as last year’s Netflix adaptation was, nothing compares with the joy and devastation of being pulled into the pages of this book.
Sceptre, £9.99
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
Rachel checks into rehab expecting a relaxing retreat, but gets a wake-up call instead. Keyes combines hilarity with heartbreak as she unpacks addiction, family and self-worth. At 600 pages, this isn’t a quick read, but its flawed, funny, and painfully relatable heroine is always a pleasure to be alongside. Rachel’s Holiday is also light enough to make you laugh out loud on a sun lounger, yet honest enough to change how you view life.
Penguin, £9.99
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro explores humanity, loneliness, and technology through a futuristic fable about Klara, an Artificial Friend, who views the world with innocent curiosity and quiet devotion. The narrative is subtle, affecting and well-suited for quiet mornings or solitary moments over summer when you’re in the mood to ponder big questions about life.
Faber, £9.99
Atonement by Ian McEwan
A young Briony’s false accusation changes three lives forever in this tale spanning pre-World War Two England England to post-war France. McEwan’s writing is elegant and layered, with devastating consequences unfolding gradually. It’s a book of moral complexity and emotional weight – with an ending to floor you. Ideal for holidays when you can lose yourself in a rich, immersive narrative and emerge emotionally altered.
Vintage, £9.99
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Sam and Sadie are childhood friends who reunite and co-create video games, their relationship evolving over decades. Zevin turns the gaming world into a stage for exploring creativity, friendship and life’s great choices. It’s clever, ambitious and deeply heartfelt, so no wonder it has become one of the most loved and talked-about books in recent years.
Vintage, £9.99
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Rachel travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, only to discover he’s Asia’s most eligible bachelor and eye-wateringly wealthy. Kwan’s story is full of scandal, shopping and social commentary – juicy as a soap opera but smarter than it looks. And if you want a glamorous, laugh-out-loud distraction while hanging around an airport, this one delivers.
Corvus, £9.99
The Beach by Alex Garland
When backpacker Richard stumbles upon a secret island commune in Thailand, he thinks he has found paradise – only to discover that utopia curdles quickly. Garland’s novel, famously adapted into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is both a thriller and a philosophical commentary on idealism gone wrong. It’s gripping and just the right amount of unsettling: read it on your own tropical escape and feel grateful for home.
Penguin, £9.99
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Martha is brilliant, brittle, and battling mental illness, and this novel charts the fallout in her relationships with humour and honesty. Mason writes with such clarity and compassion, you can’t help but root for Martha. It’s emotionally intense but also somehow funny and not at all depressing – a great choice for when you want to read something meaningful without feeling weighed down.
W&N, £9.99
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede’s younger sister Ayoola keeps killing her boyfriends, and she keeps cleaning up her mess. That is, until Ayoola sets eyes on the man Korede has always lusted after. Bringing Lagos to life, this novel is at once a shrewd look at sisterhood and a darkly comic thriller. It is also short, sharp and satisfying – you could read it one sitting under the parasol if you wanted to.
Atlantic Books, £9.99
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
Elle faces a choice that will reshape her life: stay with her husband or pursue an old flame. Told across one hot summer and flashbacks from her past, the novel is sensual, layered and emotionally fraught. Set among lakes, woods and weathered cabins, this is dreamy yet thorny holiday reading.
Penguin, £9.99
Fatherland by Robert Harris
For readers who want their poolside page-turners with political substance, this hits the mark. The novel is set in an alternate 1964 where Hitler won the war, and finds a Berlin police officer investigating a conspiracy with world-changing implications. Harris combines historical imagination with the pacing of a thriller – it’s fast, cerebral and utterly absorbing.
Arrow, £9.99
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
No summer reading is complete without a whodunnit and there is no greater author in this genre than Agatha Christie. Here, a glamorous cruise down the Nile ends in murder, with Hercule Poirot unraveling the mystery. Christie delivers intricate plotting and rich character dynamics in a tightly packaged novel. It’s a joy to read in the sun: smart, escapist, and just the right amount of retro.
HarperCollins, £9.99
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Murray weaves dark comedy with tragic undertones in a multigenerational epic about the Barnes family, who are unravelling at breakneck speed. Pushing 700 pages, this book is long but compulsive. In other words, the kind of novel you want to stretch out with over consecutive beach days; for when you have the time to dig into something meaty and emotionally rewarding.
Penguin, £9.99
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
After her friend’s sudden death, a white writer passes off an Asian American novel as her own. What follows is a searing satire of identity, authorship and moral grey zones. Kuang’s prose is zippy, darkly comic and highly readable, making this book both compulsive and confrontational in the best way. Its thought-provoking themes, meanwhile, make great dinner table debates.
Borough Press, £9.99
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Before this was a starry TV drama, it was the ultimate beach read with brains. The story takes place in a coastal Australian town, unravelling the tensions, secrets and rivalries that led up to a fatal event at school trivia night. Packed with observations on motherhood, marriage and social posturing, Moriarty mixes domestic drama with mystery – making it a stellar poolside read that feels smart without demanding too much.
Penguin, £9.99
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
As the only woman in a lab full of men in 1960s California, scientist and single mother Elizabeth Zott is constantly underestimated – until her unconventional approach to chemistry makes her the unexpected star of a hit cooking show. But not everyone is best pleased with her success: one episode of Supper at Six at a time, she is inspiring the housewives who watch her to challenge the status quo. This zany novel, with its quirky heroine and subversive charm, goes down like a chilled glass of rose.
Penguin, £9.99
SAS: Rogue Heroes by Ben Macintyre
Read any page of this nonfiction book and you would be forgiven for mistaking it for a novel: Macintyre writes history with the pace of a thriller and the colour of fiction. It tells the true story of how a ragtag band of soldiers became the most fearsome unit in WWII. Explosive and gripping, it will please history buffs looking for excitement under the sunshine.
Penguin, £9.99
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway’s memoir of his bohemian Paris years is a sensory delight. He captures the hunger, hope and literary fervour of his youth with evocative clarity. His simple style is hypnotic and there’s also something about its mix of nostalgia and ambition that suits summer introspection. It also helps that the vignette-like chapters are perfect for picking up and putting down between dips in the sea.
Vintage Classics, £9.99
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
A narrative nonfiction dive into the sexual and emotional lives of three real women, Taddeo writes with the intimacy of a novelist and the detail of a documentarian. She spent eight years getting to know Lina, Sloane and Maggie, and while their circumstances vary greatly, together their stories paint a raw, unvarnished portrait of female desire, shame, power and vulnerability. The result is both addictive and unforgettable.
Bloomsbury, £10.99
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Before she was the godmother of punk, Patti Smith was a struggling poet living in New York, trying to make sense of the world. Meeting the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe changed everything for her. This lyrical, intimate memoir captures their formative years – scraping by on nothing, building a world out of art and ideas – and is just the right amount of bittersweet for a summer read.
Bloomsbury, £12.99
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Why do some people succeed far beyond the norm? Gladwell explores the patterns behind high achievement – from Canadian hockey to Silicon Valley – with trademark storytelling flair. Outliers is insightful yet accessible; the kind of nonfiction that you want to feel like you’ve learned something without working too hard. And if you’re looking for a book that fuels good conversations with holiday companions, this is it.
Penguin, £10.99
