5 Books I'm Reading this Summer (and the books from last year you should add to your list)

I have a lovely stack of brand new books here; covers still uncreased, spines yet to be cracked. It hadn’t actually occurred to me that it was time to buy any new books until my friend - and chief book advisor - Tee pointed out that summer was upon us and that surely I should be recommending the top reads to see people through their week in Sardinia/hiking holiday in Pembrokeshire/three days at Center Parcs.

She’s right. And I’ve generally been behind with my reading this year, mainly because Rich and I have been working our way through Narcos and Narcos Mexico on Netflix; first the story of Pablo Escobar, which is just superb (who knew there were so many inventive ways to die very painfully at the hands of a drug overlord!) and then the story of the Mexican drug cartels and all of their violent betrayals and dubious senses of loyalty. Honestly, I could write a thesis on Columbian cocaine and its Mexican distribution channels at this point. And I’ve learned a bit of Spanish, even if it’s mainly profanities and insults.

So yes, I’m only on book number twelve and we’re half way through the year. It’s a poor performance really, considering that usually I might rack up (lol) forty or fifty books in a normal year. An hour or two before bed, every night, and then whenever I manage to grab a moment’s peace. I suppose it doesn’t help that we’re currently doing up another cottage* (The Dorset Nest) so that it’s ready to be let out for holidays and so every spare second I have I’m scrolling through pages of lampshades, trying to find antique tables on eBay, squinting at fabric swatches and trying to imagine what they’d look like if they were two hundred times bigger, lined with thermal interlining and hanging from a curtain rail.

Anyway, I’ve ordered a load of books and here are five I’ll be devouring this summer - as well as three from last summer that I think everyone should read. I gave each of these 2025 reads a solid 10/10 and still think about them frequently. If you’re after something summer-defining and memorable to add to your list, that is where I would start.