With holidays on the horizon, we teamed up with one of our favourite Instagram book bloggers, Emily Woosey of @thebreakfast.bookclub, who shared some of her top 2022 summer reads. Trust us, you’ll definitely want to add some of these to your suitcase. Over to you Emily!
“As a book blogger, I read all year-round, but there is something about summer reading that is just that bit more enjoyable – maybe it’s the weather or the late nights providing extra hours to read!
This year I am aiming to read 100 books, I’m currently sitting comfortably at 40 which puts me eight books ahead of schedule, although I am a firm believer that it doesn’t matter if you read a page a day or a book a day – it’s picking a book up the counts.
Another thing that makes summer my perfect reading season is the influx of light-hearted and romantic reads that are released – they’re perfect for beach reads. If romantic comedies aren’t your thing, summer also sees the release of free-spirited, edgy and cool books, the kind you’ll want to be seen at the pool with and you’re definitely not going to be leaving these in the hotel for the next guest as they’ll be taking pride of place on your shelf or coffee table back at home.
I’ve put together a list of 10 perfect summer reads. Whether you’re reading by a pool on holiday or in the comfort of your own garden, hopefully you’ll find a little inspiration here!”
1. Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid
With a previous release (Daisy Jones and the Six) being turned into a TV show by Reese Witherspoon and another (One True Loves) being turned into a movie, Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author to know. Last summer’s release, Malibu Rising, follows the Riva siblings as they throw their annual summer party in Malibu – only by the end of the party, the beach city will be on fire.
This is full of rock and roll glamour and is obviously set in the gorgeous Malibu – it is perfect escapism. There’s also a character in this book (Carrie Sotto) who has inspired this summer’s release called Carrie Soto is Back. I haven’t read that yet so I can’t recommend it but if it’s anything like the others you’ll be wanting to add it to your list.
2. The No-Show – Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary seems to be the go-to rom-com author of the last few years. Her debut The Flatshare is heading to our screens later this year but her most recent release The No-Show is a perfect summer read. It isn’t a conventional rom-com and is full of twists and turns sure to keep you reading all day. The plot follows three women who are all stood up on Valentine’s Day – little do they know they’ve all been stood up by the same man. Slowly, they let him back into their lives but is there more to him than meets the eye?
3. Confessions of a forty-something f##k up – Alexandra Potter
If you prefer to read a book before you watch a TV or film adaptation you’ll want to add this to your list as soon as possible. Confessions of a forty-something f##k up by Alexandra Potter is currently being made into a TV show by 20th Century Fox and is starring Gina Rodriguez, best-known for Netflix’s Jane the Virgin series.
Nell’s life is a mess, she is back at home after leaving her fiancé in California, but her life at home looks very different from when she left. All of her friends are married with babies, rent in London is no joke and the only job she can find is writing obituaries. Nell is determined to turn her life around. This is a hilarious and relatable read – one to leave on holiday so the next person by the pool can enjoy it as well.
4. Conversations on Love – Natasha Lunn
The only non-fiction to make it onto the list but this is a favourite of mine. Author Natasha Lunn interviews a variety of public figures including Dolly Alderton and Candice Carty-Williams about love. The book is written in the interview format, allowing the raw emotion to flow from the interviewees. It’s emotional and poignant and covers multiple facets of love from romantic love, to sibling love and the love we have for our friends. It’s both uplifting and heartbreaking in equal measure and has one of the best final lines of a book I’ve read.
5. Book Lovers – Emily Henry
The latest offering from Emily Henry came out in May and follows two best sellers which are also perfect for a summer read (Beach Read and You and Me on Vacation). Book Lovers provides the perfect escapism to a small town in America. Nora Stephens agrees to go to North Carolina to spend time with her sister Libby who is desperate for a holiday before she gives birth to her third child. But Nora doesn’t expect to be constantly bumping into her peer from New York, Charlie. You can’t avoid someone in a small town and they’re constantly being pushed in the same direction – could this be Nora’s happy ending?
6. It Must be Love – Caroline Khoury
It Must be Love is Caroline Khoury’s debut and is the perfect read for summer, especially if you aren’t going abroad. The book transports the reader to Istanbul, Beirut, Paris and London and is a completely immersive and beautiful love story that began 15 years ago when Abbie first met Oz. They shared 14 amazing days together before Oz went home to Istanbul. Now Abbie is about to get married to the seemingly perfect man – until a chance encounter with Oz changes everything. It’s a wonderful debut that will have you searching the internet for flights before you’ve finished.
7. The People we Meet on Platform Five – Clare Pooley
The second feel-good read from Clare Pooley follows a similar format to her debut The Authenticity Project in that it has a whole cast of characters whose lives are suddenly entwined. This time they meet on a train – a bunch of commuters never so much as acknowledge each other despite getting the same train each day, that is until someone almost dies choking on a grape. This incident brings them together to discover more about themselves and the world around them. This is the perfect read for a light-hearted summer pick-me-up, the chapters are short and can be read quickly – ideal for reading by the pool or between tasks at home.
8. A Tidy Ending – Joanna Cannon
Not a typical pool read but a page-turner nonetheless – think of this as your prime time nine o’clock drama in a book. Linda lives in a nice, normal house with a nice, normal husband and has a nice, normal life. But when her husband starts working late around the same time young women are going missing, Linda’s harsh childhood in Wales is brought back to the forefront. There are so many twists and turns that it’s a good one for a lazy afternoon when you can really get stuck into it!
9. Impossible – Sarah Lotz
A love story but not like one you have ever read before. They weren’t joking when they called this book Impossible! It’s mind-bending to the point that when I began reading I thought I’d have to note down some errors to see if they were consistent, however, there are no errors, just incredibly intelligent yet completely accessible writing. I can’t tell you too much more about this book without giving away key plot points and ruining the surprise, but if you’re looking for a love story that’s not cringy or predictable or romantic in any way… this is it!
10. Just Haven’t Met You Yet – Sophie Cousens
Set on the beautiful island of Jersey, Just Haven’t Met You Yet is Sophie Cousens’s second novel and it follows journalist Laura, who is writing a story about her parent’s epic love story. To do this she has to fly to Jersey where they met. Once she arrives, she picks up the wrong suitcase and convinces herself the man whose belongings are in the new suitcase is her dream man… what could possibly go wrong?! I’m not exaggerating when I say I read this in a day, it’s perfect escapism and one to read with a view.
Hopefully that’s given you plenty of books to get stuck into while lazing in the sunshine. We’d love to hear what’s on your summer reading list and make sure to share how you’ve styled your Oak Furnitureland pieces to create reading nooks by tagging us at #OakFurnitureland on Instagram. Plus, don’t forget to follow Emily at @thebreakfast.bookclub for more literary inspiration.
