If I had to pick a favourite spot in my house, it would be my bedside table. It holds a constant rotation of plotlines, characters, opinions and dialogue thanks to an ever-growing pile of books.
When the winner of this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, The Correspondent author Virginia Evans, said in her speech that she is always in two places at once, in the room and also in a completely other world in the books she is reading, I was nodding furiously in agreement. Reading the books that come out every month is part of my job as Features Director of ELLE, but it is also one of my greatest pleasures. I sometimes feel woozy in bookshops just thinking about all the stories and imagined lives on the shelves.
That can be the exact issue, though. Where, and who, do you look to for your next read, especially when holidays are around the corner and there is real pressure to pack the perfect one?
Look no further. I have picked the eight books to read this summer. From “hot girl homicide” to sweeping family dramas, these page-turners can accompany you anywhere, whether you are on a beach, in the city or simply at home beside your own bedside table.
“Nymph” by Sofia Montrone
Everyone needs a hot summer read, and this is it. Think Elena Ferrante, think Call Me By Your Name, and you are in the right place. A coming-of-age story set over two heavenly Italian summers, it is full of teenage angst and beautiful queerness as Leo, who helps her nonna run the family pensione, becomes captivated by American guest Dolores. Out now.
“Sophie, Standing There” by Meg Mason
From the author of the runaway hit Sorrow & Bliss comes a story following Sophie Pattison, whose life is full of love and meaning except when it is achingly lonely. It is a candid exploration of where and how we seek connection, and what we are really looking for when we search for love. Meg Mason is masterful at combining emotionally packed characters and story arcs with moments of pure hilarity. Out on 27 August.
“The Great Wherever” by Shannon Sanders
Author Tayari Jones called this book “a pleasure and a treasure,” and it is hard to disagree. Sanders writes with pace and emotion, making this a standout summer read that tackles a multigenerational story rooted in the American South. And yes, the afterlife has a starring role. Out now.
“Honey” by Imani Thompson
You will remember exactly where you were when you read this dark, teasingly comedic thriller, described as “hot girl homicide.” The action centres on Ysra, who accidentally kills her male university professor and then cannot stop her murderous avenging on behalf of womenkind. If you loved Luster and My Sister the Serial Killer, you will devour this debut. Out now.
“A Sense of Occasion” by Brodie Crellin
Tender, funny and sexy, this debut by an editor at Granta magazine is as exciting as it is intriguing. The story opens with a death in a dysfunctional family, and as the characters come together to soothe one another and grieve collectively, the result is a heady mix of reflection, love and awkward sexual tension. Out now.
“The First House” by Avni Doshi
From the author of the Booker-nominated Burnt Sugar comes a hypnotic second novel about the out-of-the-blue breakdown of a marriage, sparked when a woman’s husband walks into the bedroom one evening and asks for a divorce. Over the course of a single summer, we watch her life fall apart and then reshape itself with a hopeful new sense of freedom. Out 16 July.
“Heart the Lover” by Lily King
Lily King’s heart-wrenching story about the college love you do not end up marrying will have you tearing up on your sun-lounger, but in a brilliant, life-affirming way. Recently out in paperback and nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, this slim-but-mighty novel is definitely one to pack and then share with your fellow holiday-goers. Plus, who could leave a cover like this behind? Out now.
“Life of M” by Rachel Cusk
You might have to wait all summer for the latest Rachel Cusk, but it will be worth it. Her newest work uses the premise of a writer penning a famous actor’s autobiography to explore what we take as truth and what is really the distortion of reality in an increasingly distracting world. This is Cusk at her most explosive. Out on 27 August.
