A Summer of Books

By Megan Cradock, Caroline Dowse, Ana Cecilia Matute, Zalak Shah and Stella

Konstantopoulou

Everyone has a different idea of a perfect summer. There are so many possibilities: whether it’s spent splashing in the waves on holiday, going to a concert or simply curled up in the library with a good book. Looking for some inspiration on how to spend the rest of the summer? Dive into this collection of reads and discover a variety of new adventures perfect for the holidays.

Fancy a Trip to Summer Camp?

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Abby Day only took a DNA test in solidarity with her best friend. She definitely didn’t expect the results to tell her that she has a sister her parents have never mentioned. Yet when Abby finally meets her, she’s disappointed: Savannah Tulley is nothing like her. 

After the sisters unearth a photo proving their parents were once friends, Savvy convinces Abby to join her at camp for the summer so that they can investigate further. But things only get more complicated when Abby’s best friend Leo shows up too. With a secret sister, unresolved feelings for Leo and the daily camp activities, one thing is for sure – summer camp is the biggest adventure of Abby’s life so far.

Channelling all the mischief of The Parent Trap, this sweet romcom demonstrates the popularity of summer camp and offers readers and campers alike a summer of fun and friendship.

Longing for Some California Dreamin’?

Angels by Marian Keyes

Maggie is the sensible member of the Walsh family, happy to lead a quiet life. But that life is turned upside down by two discoveries: her husband is having an affair and her boss is about to fire her. Wounded, Maggie flees to Los Angeles to stay with her best friend Emily, who is a screenwriter, to recover from her heartbreak. Life in Hollywood is different to Maggie’s mundane life in Ireland, as she meets movie stars, finds herself pitching film scripts and makes some interesting new friends. Soon, Maggie faces a choice – should she return home or embrace her new life in L.A.?

Angels is the third book featuring the Walshes, a lovingly dysfunctional family who stumble through life. Full of Keyes’s trademark humour, this sharply observed story, with its wry take on life in Hollywood, will make you long to spend the summer in the City of Angels.

Can you Accept the Unexpected?

Aphrodite in Flames by Lina Ellina

In the province of Rovigo, an abrupt ring of a phone will send Sergio on an adventure. 

Taking place in the grey era of the seventies, the scenery drips with anticipation, and a burning flame of dooming political crisis is waiting to be lit. Lorenzo and his wife need to do whatever it takes to save their daughter Paola, and so they send their nephew Sergio on a mission abroad.

When he sets foot in the scalding desert grounds of Cyprus, he begins his quest for a mysterious man named Giannis, for whom little information has been given by Lorenzo. 

What happens when familial ties are stretched to the brim, and what if amidst the chaos of political upheaval, a love story is hidden somewhere in the middle? 

Recently published by Armida Publications, this novel is a tasty mixture of Italian and Cypriot elements that set the scene.

Want to Beat the Summer Heat with Some Cool Books?

What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (Translated by Alison Watts)

What You Are Looking for is in the Library is a heart warming novel that follows the stories of multiple characters going through difficult life situations and finding solace in the local library. Sayuri Komachi is librarian extraordinaire. As our various protagonists meet her, she guides them with unusual book recommendations to help them navigate their personal dilemmas and find inspiration.

This book explores the beauty of libraries and books. Tinged with magical realism, the book is a celebration of reading and its power to heal and inspire. The evocative prose makes for a leisurely read – you can spend a lazy summer afternoon lost in the serene and motivating world of the novel.

Wanting to Go Back in Time? Let’s Feel the Fuss from the Eighties…

Liveforever by Andrés Caicedo (Translated by Frank Wynne)

In this novel, protagonist María del Carmen Huerta leaves a life full of the privileges of a wealthy Colombian family to experience more. The only novel written by Andrés Caicedo has become a classic for portraying the eighties in Colombia, capturing the euphoria and wildness people preferred over having a balanced life. It is a narrative that helps us to understand what “living on the edge” means, as well as the disregard for social conventions.

This fascinating novel helps us to understand how social identities constantly change as we live and experience more. Moreover, it features a wonderful selection of music that portrays the cultural scene of the unique tropical city of Cali.