“A thousand moments that I had just taken for granted- mostly because I had assumed that there would be a thousand more.”
Whether it be a page-turning psychological thriller, a poignant piece of historical fiction or a cutesy second-chance romance story, few things pair better with summer than a book. The best summer reads are able to whisk us away to faraway places and crank up the temperature with an absorbing plot that keeps you hooked throughout. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would compile a list of great summer reads for you to dive into whilst we can still enjoy the long days and warm weather. From captivating crime thrillers to fun romances, these summer beach reach reads are perfect material, whether you’re by the pool or on the plane!
Pineapple Street – Jenny Jackson
Kicking off our list of great summer reads is Pineapple Street, the 2023 debut novel by Jenny Jackson. Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old-money Stockton family followed her heart, trading her career and inheritance for motherhood, but giving up far too much in the process. Sasha, a middle-class New England girl has recently married into the Brooklyn Heights family and finds herself cast as an outsider. Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen for someone she can’t have, and must decide what sort of person she wants to be.
Told through the lens of the indulgent pleasures enjoyed by New York’s one-percenters, Pineapple Street is a glamorous escapist novel brimming with wit. Jam-packed full of unforgettably colourful characters, it is the perfect summer read for anyone looking to explore the miles between the haves and the haves-nots, and the unpredictability that comes with love.
The Family Retreat – Bev Thomas
When Rob decides the family needs to get away for the summer, Jess is not convinced. After all, won’t all their worries be there waiting for them when they return? Nevertheless, the kids are thrilled. Before long, their idyllic little cottage, the sea air, and the feel of sticky skin from sun cream, ice lollies and sand are all working wonders. Jess allows herself to sink into the holiday vibe, and the family even make holiday friends.
As the summer heat intensifies Jess unearths a secret. A problem she’s certain that she can help solve. But, things are never always as they first seem. The water may seem tranquil, but even the tamest-looking waves can hide deadly undercurrents. As the summer months wane, Jess will come to discover that this getaway is going to end in a way no one could have imagined.
Any Human Heart – William Boyd
Logan Gonzago Mountstuart was born in 1906 and died of a heart attack in 1991, aged 85. William Boyd’s acclaimed Any Human Heart is a disjointed autobiography following the life and escapades of Monstuart’s life. From his early childhood in Montevideo, through his years at a Norfolk public school and at Oxford and across half a century’s worth of personal and professional successes and setbacks, leading to multiple failed marriages, internment, alcoholism and abject poverty.
The story of Logan Mountstuart, backed up by a number of charismatic supporting characters, takes readers on a journey through the General Strike, the Spanish Civil War, Paris in the 1930s, wartime espionage and even New York avant-garde art. Witty, inventive and exceptionally moving, Any Human Heart is the ultimate escapist summer read.
Beach Read – Emily
What list of great summer reads would be complete without Emily Henry’s Beach Read? January Andrews writes bestselling romance books. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed literary fiction novelist. Whereas she pens happily ever afters, he bumps off his entire cast. They are total opposites.
The only thing they have in common is the fact that, for the next three months, they’re living in neighbouring beach houses, broke and racked with writer’s block. That is until one hazy evening when they strike a deal intended to give their imagination a boost. They will both swap genres and attempt to finish a story. And absolutely no one will fall in love in the process. Promise.
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Termrush – Sven Holm
Welcome to Termush: a luxury coastal resort like no other. All the wealthy guests are survivors, preppers who booked rooms long before the Disaster. Inside, they are able to enjoy exclusive radiation shelters, ambient music and generous provisions. Outside, radioactive dust falls on the sculpture park, security guards tred over dead birds and a reconnaissance party embarks.
Despite enduring a nuclear apocalypse, their problems are only just beginning. Soon, the Management begins censoring the news. Disruptive guests are sedated. Initial generosity towards Strangers is brought to an end as the fears of contamination and limited resources grow. As the numbers and shared desperation grow, the Survivors must decide what it means to construct a new moral code at the end of the world in Sven Holm’s Termrush, a compelling post-apocalyptic read perfect for the summer.
Holiday – Stanley Middleton
Edwin Fisher is on holiday at the English seaside – but this revisiting of childhood haunts is no ordinary getaway. Edwin is looking to discover what led to the failure of his marriage with Meg. But, it turns out that her parents are staying at the same resort – whether by design or coincidence – and are keen to mend their relationship.
As the past and his eccentric wife loom larger, deeper truths emerge and the perspective shifts in unexpected ways. One of the quintessential portraits of English provincial life and still one of the great summer reads, Holiday is the Booker Prize-winning novel by Stanley Middleton, featuring all the depth and artistry the novelist has become known for.
Deep Harbour (High Coast #3) – Tove Alsterdal
Another one of the great summer reads for anyone looking for a gripping crime thriller, Tove Alsterdal reintroduces readers to local detective Eira Sjödin’s in Deep Harbour. Eira is newly pregnant and not talking about it. Nevertheless, she is proud to be heading an investigation. That is until she discovers the man’s identity, and the evidence points towards her own family.
As Eira works to cobble together the truth from the long-buried evidence and her mother’s own fragmented memories, she isn’t sure she is prepared for the discoveries her search for the truth might unleash.
Honey & Spice – Bolu Babalola
Sharp-tongued and (secretly) soft-hearted Kiki Banjo has just made an enormous mistake. As an expert in relationship-evasion and the host of the popular student radio show, Brown Sugar, she’s made it her personal mission to ensure the women of the African-Caribbean Society at Whitewell University do not fall victim to players and heartbreak. But, when she kisses Malakai Korede, the man she has dubbed the ‘Wasteman of Whitewell’, in front of everyone, she finds her show teetering on the brink.
The two soon find themselves caught in a fake relationship ruse in an effort to salvage their reputations. Kiki has never surrendered her heart before, and a player such as Malakai certainly won’t be the one to change that. No matter how surprisingly charming he is or how electric their connection feels during their study sessions or intimate late-night talks.
Hot Milk – Deborah Levy
Two women arrive in a village on the Spanish coastline. Rose is suffering from a bizarre illness, and the doctors are mystified over its nature. Her daughter, Sofia, has brought her here in the hopes of finding a cure via the infamous and controversial Dr Gomez – a man of questionable methods and motivations. Intoxicated by thick heat and the seductive people who pass through it, both women begin their view their lives fully for the first time in years.
Through the different perspectives of mother and daughter, Deborah Levy powerfully depicts the strange nature of womanhood in her novel, Hot Milk. Dreamy and utterly compulsive, it is one of the best summer reads and a delicious tale of feminine potency.
Romantic Comedy – Curtis Sittenfield
Sally Milz is a sketch writer for ‘The Night Owls’, a late-night comedy show that airs prime time every Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks on her record, she’s abandoned any quest for love, opting instead for casual hook-ups, career success and a close relationship with her stepfather. But when her friend Danny begins dating Annabel, he becomes the latest average-looking, talented guy to bag a beautiful, accomplished woman.
Sally channels her annoyance by devising the ‘Danny Horst Rule’, poking fun at the phenomenon and emphasising how unlikely that the reverse would ever happen for a woman. Enter Noah Brewster. A pop sensation with a reputation for dating models, Sally connects with him immediately. But this isn’t a rom-com, it’s real life. And, no matter how many sparks she might feel flying between them, there’s no way someone like Noah would ever be interested in Sally, right?
Penance – Eliza Clark
It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson upended Crow-on-Sea, and the events of that terrifying night are being recorded for the first time in Eliza Clark’s Penance.
In this gripping mystery thriller, Clark takes readers through the varying accounts of the residents of this sleepy seaside town. Journalist Alec Z. Carelli constructs what he deems the ‘definitive account’ of the murder, and everything that led up to it. Built on hundreds of hours of interviews with witnesses, friends and family members, painstaking research and, crucially of all, correspondence with the killers themselves, the end result is one of the great summer reads and a riveting portrait of lives rocked by tragedy and a town left in turmoil.
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Second Chance Summer – Morgan Matson
Sandwiched in between two extraordinary siblings, Taylor Edwards never felt like she stood out. But then her father receives unexpected, terrible news and the family make the hasty decision to spend a summer together in the cramped confines of their old lake house. Taylor hasn’t stepped foot inside since she was twelve and had never planned on going back.
At the lake, she is soon confronted by the people she believed she had left behind, namely her former best friend Lucy and Henry Crosby, her first crush who has only grown cuter over the years. As the days lying on the beach pass into nights spent lazily star-gazing, Taylor realises she has a second chance with friends, family and maybe even with love. From Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer is one of the great summer reads for anyone looking for a young adult book that captures the nostalgic feeling of the season.
In Ascension – Martin MacInnes
Leigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as a means of escaping her volatile father and turbulent home life. Enchanted by the underwater world, she becomes an accomplished microbiologist, travelling the globe and studying ancient organisms. When a trench is discovered in the Atlantic, Leigh joins the expedition team, hoping to unearth evidence of the first life forms on the planet. Instead, what she discovers calls into question everything we know about our own beginnings.
Pulled deeper into the investigation, she learns that the Atlantic trench is one of several related phenomena across the globe. Each piece links up to suggest a pattern beyond human understanding. For Leigh, the discovery leads to an impossible choice: pursuing her passion and leaving behind her declining mother and younger sister, or staying with her family and turning her back on a journey that will take her to the breadth of the cosmos.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
