I'm not entirely convinced we've got much summer left after the heatwave we've already had, but with the season officially here, it felt like the perfect excuse to finally tackle some of the books that have been patiently waiting on my TBR alongside a few exciting new releases.
These are the books I'm hoping will soundtrack my summer, from afternoons in the garden to slow evenings reading with the windows open. Knowing me, I'll probably buy another five before I've finished these... but that's a problem for future Amy.
This list is a lovely mix of everything I enjoy most: sweeping literary fiction, unforgettable characters, emotional family dramas, and stories that give you a reading hangover.
People in Love by Claire Daverley
Without a doubt, this is my most anticipated read of the summer.
I absolutely adored Talking at Night. Claire Daverley has this incredibly quiet, thoughtful way of writing relationships that somehow says everything without needing to shout. It completely broke my heart in the best possible way, so I've been counting down the days until her next novel.
After saying yes to an unexpected proposal from her long-term partner, Nora's carefully planned future is thrown into question when her childhood best friend, Bren, suddenly reappears. As old feelings resurface, she's forced to confront first loves, second chances, and whether the life she's built is really the one her heart wants.
I'm expecting beautiful writing, emotionally complex characters and a likely book hangover feeling for weeks!
I Want You to Be Happy by Jem Calder
I immediately picked this up in Waterstones the other week as the cover just stuck out to me.
After an unexpected meeting in a bar, copywriter Chuck and aspiring poet Joey begin a relationship that quickly exposes the gap between who they are and what they're hoping to find. Set against the backdrop of modern city life, it's a witty, painfully honest look at love, ambition, loneliness and the complicated ways we try to connect with one another.
It’s had comparisons to Sally Rooney, but it sounds like it has a voice entirely its own, I’ve heard there is a specificity to Jem’s writing which really intrigues me. I love novels that quietly observe people and all their beautifully awkward complexities, so this feels right up my street.
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
I've somehow never read Elif Shafak before, despite hearing nothing but incredible things, so this feels like the perfect place to start.
Spanning centuries and continents, There Are Rivers in the Sky weaves together the lives of three seemingly unconnected people, all linked by water, history and the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh. Rich in mythology, memory and human resilience, it promises to be an immersive story about love, loss and the connections that transcend time.
It sounds ambitious, lyrical and completely immersive, exactly the kind of book I love getting lost over a long summer weekend.
Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Can Kristin Hannah write a book I won't love? At this point, I genuinely don't think so.
Every one of her novels leaves me winded, and I already know this one is going to be no different.
After a family crisis forces Ruby to return home, she's reluctantly reunited with the mother she's spent years resenting. As she uncovers long-buried secrets from her mother's past, what begins as a story of conflict becomes a moving exploration of forgiveness, family and the complicated love between mothers and daughters.
Kristin Hannah somehow always manages to combine deeply personal relationships with breathtaking settings (that I then want to visit), and this feels exactly the kind of emotional summer read I'm always drawn towards.
Sunstruck by William Rayfet Hunter
This has been popping up absolutely everywhere recently, and every recommendation has made me want to pick it up even more. It made me think of the Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn when reading the blurb and I’ve never put a book in my basket so quickly. I also got a free coffee as it was Waterstone’s book of the month, WIN!
Set between the sun-soaked South of France and London, Sunstruck follows a young man who becomes immersed in the glamorous world of the wealthy Blake family. As he falls for the enigmatic Felix, their relationship is tested by class, identity and the realities waiting beyond one unforgettable summer.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
There are certain books that seem to appear on every list of novels you simply have to read, and Bel Canto is definitely one of them. I've wanted to read more Ann Patchett after loving The Dutch House and recently, Whistler. Summer feels like the perfect time to finally discover why this novel has become such a modern classic.
What begins as a glamorous diplomatic party quickly turns into a hostage situation, but as days stretch into weeks, unexpected friendships, romances and moments of extraordinary humanity begin to emerge. Bel Canto is said to be a beautiful exploration of connection, hope and the surprising relationships that can grow in the most unlikely circumstances.
Whether you're heading off on holiday, reading in the garden, or simply trying to squeeze in a few chapters before bed with the windows open, I hope there's something here to inspire your own summer reading list.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be attempting the impossible task of resisting the urge to buy even more books before I've made a dent in this little lot.
