The sun is shining, the pandemic is no longer confined to our homes, and as the world reopens, we begin with the excitement that we are fast approaching our summer vacation.
Whether you’re taking a bet and making a reservation abroad, or whether you’re playing it safe and sticking to UK accommodations, one essential remains constant: the final reading of the summer.
There’s nothing better than a good read on the beach, and lying on the sand of Bali or on the pebbles in Brighton is a must-have for an enticing page game.
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What are the best books to read? That’s where I come in.
Choosing a good summer book is really hard enough. You need to achieve the perfect balance between easy reading and an engaging plot, with a non-embarrassing cover to interfere with the ability to sunbathe in full view. I learned the hard way with Chris Kraus ’cult feminist novel I love Dick Ipanema Beach – I still live downstairs.
This summer, I’ve done a great job of putting together my main recommendations for this year’s summer readings.
Here are the top 17 readings this summer …
1. Crying on H Mart: A Memory Author: Michelle Zauner
What is he talking about? H on Mars crying Michelle Zauner is a powerful memory of the Indian musician’s debut. When Eugene grew up a Korean American, Zauner recalls his increasingly distant relationship with his “Koreanness” and how it was his mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis that prompted him to recover his identity.
BUY CRYING H MART MICHELLE ZAUNER Author
2. No one is talking about this Author: Patricia Lockwood
What is he talking about? No one is talking about this it is an important comment on social media, following its existence following a famous influencer who revolves entirely around his online identity. When a personal tragedy strikes, the two worlds are contrasted and reminded of the love and kindness of the real world, as well as the importance of a real human connection.
BUY NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT PATRICIA LOCKWOOD Author
3. Half of it disappears Author: Brit Bennett
What is he talking about? Half of it disappears She follows the same twin sisters Stella and Desiree, both of whom escaped from the small black community in the 16-year-old south. Ten years later and now far away, the Vignes twins live completely different lives: one in the same southern village with their black daughter and the other secretly going white. That is, until they begin to cross their daughters’ lives.
BUY HALF ALSO BRIT BENNETT Author
4. Detransition Baby By Torrey Petersen
What is he talking about? Detransition Baby reading is important, following the three characters that unite lives through an unexpected pregnancy. Reese, a transgender woman who has always wanted children, is at her center, Ames, after living as a transgender woman named Amy, she made the transition to her ex, and Katrina, Ames ’cisgender leader, who became pregnant as a result of their relationship.
BUY DESTRANSITION CHILD TORREY PETERS
5. How a one-armed sister sweeps her house Author: Cherie Jones
What is he talking about? This compelling book is about women’s survival. Set in Barbados, beyond what tourists see, the story follows three intricate marriages behind the backdrop of poverty and violence. At its core, the one-armed sister’s childhood account is very careful: a warning of what happens when young girls disobey their mother.
BUY HOW ONE ARM DOES HIS SISTER GIVE HER HOME CHERIE JONES Author
6. The Transcendental Kingdom Author: Yaa Gyasi
What is he talking about? The Transcendental Kingdom He is followed by Gifty, a Ghanaian doctor of neuroscience who lives in Alabama with his suicidal mother. Gifty is determined to reach the depths of his family’s suffering by examining the neural circuits of depression and addiction in his science, but also by rediscovering his childhood faith.
BUY THE TRANSCENDENT KINGDOM YAA GYASI
7. Love In color By Bolu Babalola
What is he talking about? Love in Colors is a review of mythical tales from around the world. From Greek mythology to West African folk tales, this collection of women-focused love stories rewritten by Boluk brings forgotten and unknown ancient stories into the 21st century.
BUY LOVE IN COLORS BOLU BABALOLA ACT
8. Sadness and happiness Author: Meg Mason
What is he talking about? Sadness and happiness it’s a beautiful (and important) read about mental health. The novel Martha is a middle-aged woman struggling with depression and is forced to return to her childhood home to live with her dysfunctional family in order to turn life around.
BUY TRIMINA AND GOGOA MEG MASON ACT
9. Ghosts Author: Dolly Alderton
What is he talking about? Ghosts It follows Nina, a writer in her early thirties who (like many of us) is trying to navigate life. But as her friends settle down and move on, her father disappears into dementia and her mother tries to reinvent herself, Nina’s life begins to fall apart, especially when she falls into a relationship and begins to rely on the wrong people.
BUY GHOSTS DOLLY ALDERTON Author
10. Take Less Care Author: Kirsty Capes
What is he talking about? Take Less Care it’s a powerful debut for Bess, who lives on the fringes of a society that is becoming pregnant. Without turning to anyone or looking at him, he is trying not to fall into the cracks.
BUY LESS CARE KIRSTY CAPES ACT
11. How do we know we are doing well? By Pandora Sykes
What is he talking about? How do we know we are doing well? It is a collection of essays on modern life that is considered the manifesto of women in the 21st century. Deepening the culture of Cancel, the modern work / life balance, and the welfare industry, among other things, Pandora explores the tremendous opportunities and pressures we face today.
BUY HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING? PANDORA SYKES
12. Shuggie Bain By Douglas Stuart
What is he talking about? Shuggie Bain Douglas Stuart’s first moving novel is set in a Glaswego mining town in the eighties. With an absent father and an alcoholic mother living in poverty, the three Bain children are forced to fix themselves on their own while trying to save each other and create a better life.
BUY SHUGGIE BAIN DOUGLAS STUART ACT
13. Sunset Author: Jessie Cave
What is he talking about? Jessie Cave’s debut novel follows two sisters, Ruth and Hannah, who are at odds but tied to the core in love and friendship. After a devastating summer vacation, everything changes and Hannah is left alone and heartbroken, forced to reunite.
14. They both die at the end By Adam Silver
What is he talking about? They both die at the end Matthew and Rufus is a novel about two young strangers who have less than 24 hours to live. With the last day in mind, they come together in an app called ‘The Last Friend’ and join forces to go on a final adventure.
BUY BOTH DEAD IN THE END ADAM SILVERA
15. We are all Ugandan birds at the hands of Hafsa Zayyan
What is he talking about? We are all Ugandan birds It is spread over 60 years. He is followed by two men: Hasan, a widow struggling to take care of her family in Uganda in the 1960s, while a new regime is taking power, and Sameer, a successful young London lawyer who returns to his family home in a tragedy and discovers himself. legacy.
BUY WE ARE ALL BIRDS OF UGANDA HAFSA ZAYYAN
16. If Your Face By Frances Cha
What is he talking about? Balu Your Face Four young women continue to navigate contemporary Seoul, Korea, exploring social hierarchies and unparalleled levels of beauty. From the normalization of extreme plastic surgery and the K-Pop obsession to room salons and the people who work there, this book provides an insight into being a woman in modern South Korea.
BUY I HAVE BEEN YOUR FACE FRANCES CHA
17. Only the blue sky By Kathleen MacMahon
What is he talking about? Just the Blue Sky David follows his dead husband after the tragic death of Mary Rose, his 20-year-old wife. Consistent with his grief and reflecting on their marriage, David learns more about his wife and whether he knew her or himself.
BUY NOT JUST THE BLUE SKY Author: KATHLEEN MACMAHON
We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact us @MarieClaireUK or @jenny_proudfoot to tell the best summer readings!
