Long days, slower evenings, and the promise of stillness make summer the perfect time to dive into a good book or five. According to cognitive neuropsychologist Dr. David Lewis, just six minutes of reading can reduce stress by 68 per cent (Medicine in Lecture, 2023). If you're confused about which summer read to grab, here’s a curated selection to suit every reading mood, destination, and time of the day.

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Books Everyone’s Buzzing About

These books have found their way into book clubs, bestseller lists, and numerous conversations.

• Wild Dark Shore by McConaghy: A chilling eco-thriller set on a remote island, this novel explores family, survival, and the arrival of a mysterious woman who changes everything. Its atmospheric setting and moral tension make it a standout in contemporary fiction.
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman: From the author of A Man Called Ove, this multi-decade saga follows four teenagers from a small Swedish town as they navigate love, grief, and loyalty over 25 years. Heartfelt, wise, and unmistakably Backman.
• Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Set during the pandemic and spanning Nigeria and the U.S., this novel examines the emotional lives of four women. Themes of isolation, love, and grief resonate globally, earning praise from reader who said they “felt this one in their bone.”
• We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes: A woman’s life unravels, her home is falling apart, her daughters are in crisis, her stepfather has moved in, and her long-lost father reappears after 35 years. Moyes excels at depicting emotional chaos with grace.

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Escapes, Thrills, and High-Concept Fiction

Summer is also a time to leave reality behind, if not physically, then through stories that stretch your imagination.

• Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor: A sci-fi writer pens a novel about AI-induced human extinction, until the fiction begins reshaping reality itself. Okorafor’s metafictional twist adds depth to the speculative genre.
• When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scali: Yes, it’s about a moon being replaced by a giant orb of cheese. This genre-bending satire brings comic relief to a space where science fiction often leans dark.
• Dissolution by Nicholos Binge: A psychological thriller that toys with memory and identity. A woman suspects her husband’s memories are being tampered with and might be able to reverse it. One for fans of suspense and mind games.
• Grady Hendrix and Stephen Grahman Jones also offer horror reads that dive into witchcraft and vampire lore, both grounded in eerie 20th-century settings.

For When You Want to Feel (and Maybe Cry)

Not all summer reads are breezy. Some linger long after the last page.

• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry: Romance meets literary intrigues as two rival biographers, one an ambitious newcomer, the other a jaded industry star, compete to write about a reclusive heiress on a remote island. Smart, swoony, and summery.
• The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong: A widow rescues a teenage boy from a suicide attempt, sparking a deep, transformative connection. Vuong explores intergenerational trauma, resilience, and chosen family in poetic detail.
• Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson: From the author of Black Cake, this multigenerational saga examines family legacy shaped by tragedy, inheritance, and cultural memory, infused with Wilkerson’s global sensibility.

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Nostalgia and Destination

Summer is also a time to revisit a familiar universe or discover emerging talent.

• Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collings: A return to Panem, this prequel focuses on Haymitch Abernathy and the brutal 50th Hunger Games. A gripping backstory for fans of The Hunger Games looking to revisit old scars.
• Match Your Book to Your Vacation: Goodreads has 144 books categorised by travel vibes—from beach reads to mountain thrillers to city dramas (Goodreads, 2025). Even if your “vacation” is your sofa, there’s a setting waiting to transport you.

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So as the sun stretches the days a little longer, let it light up your reading list too. Explore, wander, revisit, discover. And when someone asks, “Read anything good lately?” You’ll have more than just one answer. You’ll have a story worth sharing.

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