It looks like we have another scorcher on our hands this year! And so what better way to spend the Summer, than by reading everything I can get my hands on. There are so many books on my Summer Reads list, it’s been hard to narrow down. So here are my Top 10 books on my Summer TBR, in no particular order…
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
I almost put this one on my Spring TBR, yet I’ve only just got my hands on this beauty. Therefore it fits in easily on my Summer Reads list instead! Ordinary People has been all over Bookstagram lately and was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. So, I’m hoping it lives up to the hype but, either way, it has the perfect Summer book cover. ?
Synopsis: South London, 2008. Two couples find themselves at a moment of reckoning, on the brink of acceptance or revolution. Set against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s historic election victory, Ordinary People is an intimate, immersive study of identity and parenthood, sex and grief, friendship and ageing, and the fragile architecture of love. With its distinctive prose and irresistible soundtrack, it is the story of our lives, and those moments that threaten to unravel us.
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
This book has TIME TRAVEL! So I know I’m on to a winner. That gorgeous cover certainly helped lure me in too! I’ve only heard good things, so I’m excited to get reading.
Synopsis: One of Real Simple’s Best Books of 2018, this “strikingly imaginative time-travel story” (Elan Mastai, bestselling author of All Our Wrong Todays) follows a couple struggling to maintain their love when they are at once weeks and many years apart, perfect for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Handmaid’s Tale.
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
This one has been lurking on my TBR for a while, but I think it’s maybe time to crack it open. This was also shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction last year. I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m curious to find out.
Synopsis: The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is the debut novel from brilliant new literary talent Imogen Hermes Gowar, exploring the ways in which those disadvantaged by race, gender, and class in 18th century London attempted to build better lives for themselves. From the very first page, the novel oozes style and finesse.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
I have never read anything by Kate Atkinson, so I think it’s time to change that! Transcription has been wildly popular at the library since it was released late last year. I’ve finally managed to borrow one, so I’m intrigued to see what all the fuss is about.
Synopsis: In 1940, eighteen-year-old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying.
If Only by Melanie Murphy
I’ve been a fan of Melanie Murphy on YouTube for years. So I’ve seen first hand how much time and passion has gone into writing this. I’m so excited to finally read If Only when it’s released on the 6th of June.
Synopsis: I actually wrote a whole post about the book release for Ten Eighty magazine. It includes the synopsis and all the details about the book, which you can read here!
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Another Women’s Prize nominee, I wasn’t too sure about this one at first. But since the announcement that it was longlisted, I’ve seen it pop up more and more. Now I feel like I just need to read it already!
Synopsis: A short, darkly funny, hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening.
The Heavens by Sandra Newman
This book seems really special. I haven’t read up on it too much, because I have a feeling it will be best to go in cold. One thing I do know is that I’m in for an experience unlike any other. Also… more time travel!
Synopsis: A work of rare literary brilliance and emotional power, The Heavens is a mesmerizing novel of love and dreams that moves between a reimagined New York City and Elizabethan England and asks how our world comes to be.
Saltwater by Jessica Andrews
If a book is said to be for fans of Sally Rooney, then I’m in! And this one seems to fit the bill, and hopefully fill my heart while I eagerly await Rooney’s next hit.
Synopsis: Lyrical and boundary-breaking, Saltwater explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the challenges of shifting class identity and the way that the strongest feelings of love can be the hardest to define.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My Summer Reads list wouldn’t be complete without An American Marriage, as it is all I’ve seen all over Bookstagram lately! Another award contender, it sounds like it might break my heart.
Synopsis: This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.
Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls
It might not be out until the 11th of July, but that doesn’t mean the hype hasn’t already begun for David Nicholls’ next release. From One Day to Starter to Ten, there’s nothing Nicholls does better than a painfully realistic British love story. Prepare to be ripped in two once again!
Synopsis: Poignant, funny, enchanting, devastating, Sweet Sorrow is a tragicomedy about the rocky path to adulthood and the confusion of family life, a celebration of the reviving power of friendship and that brief, searing explosion of first love that can only be looked at directly after it has burned out.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Last up for my Summer Reads list is this fun read that sounds like it’ll be hilarious and powerful. Which is exactly what I like in a holiday read!
Synopsis: Blackly funny, both merciless and compassionate – dangling its legs over the ledge of 9/11 – My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a showcase for the gifts of one of America’s major young writers.
What’s on your TBR for the Summer?
And if there isn’t anything on this list that takes your fancy, have a look at my Spring TBR list right here for even more recommendations!
