Novels Everyone Will Be Reading This Summer, Picked by People Who Read Everything
Summer reading lists are usually more about aspiration than honesty. They are filled with the novels everyone agrees they should read, the ones that were longlisted for prizes and discussed on Radio 4, and considerably fewer of the ones that people actually read in three days while ignoring everything else in their life.
This list tries to be honest about both categories.
The best summer novels work on two levels: they go down easily and they stay with you after.
This list tries to be honest about both categories.
The best summer novels work on two levels: they go down easily and they stay with you after.
James by Percival Everett is the novel that the literary world cannot stop discussing and, unusually, is as good as the discussion suggests. A retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man at the story's centre, it is formally audacious, politically serious and persistently funny in ways you do not see coming. It is the kind of novel that makes other novels briefly feel insufficient.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney does what Rooney does, which is write about the inner lives of people who are bad at saying what they mean, with a precision that is uncomfortable in the way that only genuinely accurate observation is uncomfortable. If you have read her previous novels, you know whether this is for you. If you have not, this is a reasonable place to start.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney does what Rooney does, which is write about the inner lives of people who are bad at saying what they mean, with a precision that is uncomfortable in the way that only genuinely accurate observation is uncomfortable. If you have read her previous novels, you know whether this is for you. If you have not, this is a reasonable place to start.
For memoir, Will Self’s Will is not a straightforward recommendation because it is not easy reading, but it is some of the most honest writing about addiction and the wreckage of a life lived at extremes, and it has no interest in redemption narratives. It is the kind of book that makes you trust the writer immediately.
The surprising debut is Hayley Scrivenor's Dirt Town, which is a crime novel set in rural Australia that reads like a literary novel about grief and community and the particular silence of places where something terrible has happened. It is compulsive and beautiful in equal measure and has no right to be as good as it is.
The best summer novels work on two levels: they go down easily and they stay with you after. All four of the above manage it. Start with whichever sounds most unlike your usual reading. That one will probably surprise you most.
One more thing worth knowing: reading is better with other people. The best book conversations happen not in review columns but in living rooms, over kitchen tables, and in the kind of group chat that derails into a three-hour argument about an ending. If that sounds familiar, or if you have been meaning to find your people, something new is coming that is worth keeping an eye on.
The surprising debut is Hayley Scrivenor's Dirt Town, which is a crime novel set in rural Australia that reads like a literary novel about grief and community and the particular silence of places where something terrible has happened. It is compulsive and beautiful in equal measure and has no right to be as good as it is.
The best summer novels work on two levels: they go down easily and they stay with you after. All four of the above manage it. Start with whichever sounds most unlike your usual reading. That one will probably surprise you most.
One more thing worth knowing: reading is better with other people. The best book conversations happen not in review columns but in living rooms, over kitchen tables, and in the kind of group chat that derails into a three-hour argument about an ending. If that sounds familiar, or if you have been meaning to find your people, something new is coming that is worth keeping an eye on.
Coming soon: Bookfellers
A new platform launching soon for book lovers who want to start a book club, join one, or simply find their next read alongside people who take reading as seriously as they do. Whether you already run a club or have been thinking about starting one, you can register your interest now by dropping an email to hello@bookfellers.com.
WPP Elevate members have access to book and entertainment discounts through the culture and lifestyle section of the portal. Whether you are shopping for the summer reads above or building a broader library, your membership offers a straightforward way to save.
BOOKS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS
Members save on books, audiobooks and digital content.
Not yet a member? Register at Elevate:
https://elevaterewards
worldprivilegeplus.com
Log in to your benefits hub to browse culture offers
A new platform launching soon for book lovers who want to start a book club, join one, or simply find their next read alongside people who take reading as seriously as they do. Whether you already run a club or have been thinking about starting one, you can register your interest now by dropping an email to hello@bookfellers.com.
WPP Elevate members have access to book and entertainment discounts through the culture and lifestyle section of the portal. Whether you are shopping for the summer reads above or building a broader library, your membership offers a straightforward way to save.
BOOKS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS
Members save on books, audiobooks and digital content.
Not yet a member? Register at Elevate:
https://elevaterewards
worldprivilegeplus.com
Log in to your benefits hub to browse culture offers
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