My Favourite Reads of the Summer: April - August 2021
Disclaimer: some of the books mentioned below were sent to me as PR copies. I was under no obligation to include them in this post, and all thoughts are my own.
I’ll start this post with an apology - I’ve been a bit slow at blogging in general this year, and haven’t got round to sharing my favourite reads since the end of March. Sometimes life just gets in the way, and I’ve not felt like writing here much recently. I’m going to continue writing my blog, but expect it to be a bit more sporadic than in the past. Saying that, I want to ensure that I continue to keep a record of my favourite books on here. I like having a place to direct people for recommendations of what I’ve enjoyed to read recently. This is a bit of a bumper post of recommendations, featuring all my favourite books I’ve read from April to August. Let me know any recommendations of what you’ve enjoyed reading this summer in the comments.
THE STRANDING BY KATE SAWYER (PR)
Not only is the cover of this book absolutely beautiful, but its a compelling story that kept me gripped for 24 hours. I couldn’t stop reading once I’d started -it’s one of those books you devour all in one go. There are two narratives in the book, told in alternate chapters: Before and After. After begins with protagonist Ruth and a man she’s just met, sheltering from a nuclear blast in the mouth of a whale. It sounds like a preposterous premise, but it’s the beginning of a compelling tale of how to survive and prosper when you’re the last people on earth. The parallel story tells of Ruth’s life before this event, and how she came to be on a beach on the other side of the world as the apocalypse unfolded. It’s one of those books that stays with you for a long time when you’ve put it down, and would make a brilliant film.
FIFTY SOUNDS BY POLLY BARTON
I read Fifty Sounds at a slower pace than how I usually read, as I really wanted to consider Polly Barton’s words and understand what I was reading. Barton fuses a memoir with a deep look into Japanese culture and language, drawing on her time spent living and working in her favourite country. The book dissects her time in Japan, dissecting the nuances of the Japanese language in such beautiful detail that I began to want to study Japanese myself. I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Japan, Japanese or translated Japanese writing.
WILD PETS BY AMBER MEDLAND (PR)
Wild Pets is classic millennial fiction done very well. It’s the story of Iris and the people closest to her, as they navigate those tricky years post-university when you’re somewhere between a student and an adult. The main themes tackle mental health and power imbalances between platonic and romantic relationships. I loved how intimate this felt to read, and how you really got inside Iris’s head. One for fans of Sally Rooney.
A CROOKED TREE BY UNA MANNION
This was brilliant - one of my top ten reads of the entire year so far. I raced through it, eager to find out what happened to the main characters, all of whom I really cared about. It’s the story of Libby and her siblings, and the events that unfold after her younger sister, Ellen is left on the side of the road by her mother following an accident, forced to find her own way home. It mixes a coming-of-age tale with hints of a thriller, striking the balance between the two genres perfectly.
DETRANSITION, BABY BY TORREY PETERS
Detransition, Baby lives up to the hype - it’s just a shame it didn’t make it onto the Women’s Prize shortlist. Wonderful writing (reminiscent of Meg Wolitzer) and an engrossing plot with three intriguing main characters all combine to create a great read. Its the story of Reese and her journey to have a baby with her detransitioned ex, Ames and his new partner, Katrina. I read a review calling this ‘the first great trans novel’ and I’m inclined to agree. It’s one of those books that everyone should read to gain a greater understanding of modern womanhood.
THE LAST MIGRATION BY CHARLOTTE MCCONAGHY
Titled Migrations in America, this poignant novel currently holds the position of my favourite book of 2021. I adored everything about this book, and at times felt like I was reading about a real person, the protagonist was that well imagined. This is the story of a woman on a journey to follow the last migration of the last flock of birds on the planet. It is a harrowing tale of mass extinction that feels like a portrayal of the not-so-distant future, combined with the main character, Franny’s own heartbreaking story about her search for her mother, her relationship with her husband and her constant desire to roam. It will have you in floods of tears by the end, and will stay with you for a long time. I still find myself thinking about it now, several months later. Charlotte’s next novel, Once There Were Wolves, is one of my most anticipated books of next year.
THE PAPER PALACE BY MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER (PR)
Another book that’s up there as one of my favourites of the year, The Paper Palace exceeded my expectations. This is one of those books where the blurb really doesn’t do it any justice. This is the story of Elle, the rundown ‘camp’ where she has spent every summer of her life, and a difficult decision she has to make. Combining family saga and love story, the book takes place over a 24 hour period, intersected by flashbacks detailing Elle’s past. It’s incredibly well written - the kind of book that you just want to devour and obsess over every single word. The characters all have deep flaws but the author makes you care deeply about them and their choices. The description of the setting, the Paper Palace, was so descriptive that it was practically another character. For fans of Meg Wolitzer (it reminded me a bit of The Interestings).
HOUSE OF HOLLOW BY KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND
A little secret about my reading habits: sometimes I love to read YA fiction. I love reading a book that is quick and fast-paced with vibrant characters and a captivating plot. It had been a while since I picked up a young adult book that I loved, but House of Hollow was brilliant - definitely one of my favourite YA reads of recent years. The three Hollow sisters are beautiful, mysterious and captivating. Ten years ago, when they were little children, they vanished on a street in Edinburgh and were missing for an entire month. Now the eldest sister, Grey has gone missing again and Iris and Vivi must finally solve the mystery. If you enjoyed The Graces and The Hazel Wood (and love a good dark fairytale), this is for you. It also reminded me of the Channel Zero tv series based around vanishing staircases in the woods and anything I’ve previously read about fairy worlds.
ANIMAL BY LISA TADDEO (PR)
If you enjoyed Three Women, enjoy a novel with an interesting female protagonist, or just love literary fiction - pick up Animal immediately. I think I actually loved Animal more than Three Women, reflecting back on both reads. I don’t want to say too much, as I enjoyed going into this without knowing much about the plot, but it’s basically an incredibly detailed character study of a very flawed yet intriguing woman. Joan, who has a habit of sleeping with married men, has just moved to LA in search of someone named Alice, while alluding to a traumatic childhood as she recounts her past to a mysterious reader. Irrelevant of the plot, Lisa Taddeo is a magnificent writer and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.
GIRL ONE BY SARA FLANNERY MURPHY (PR)
Girl One was very different to everything else I’ve read recently, but I enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of The Power, with strong influences from the X-Men series. There have been a series of experiments in producing virgin pregnancies which have resulted in nine extraordinary girls. Josephine, the protagonist, is searching for her missing mother while on a journey to discover herself and reconnect with the other eight girls. It starts off quite slow and I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it, but it soon picks up pace and I was quickly sucked in, eager to discover what happened next. I can really see this being made into a film or TV series.
VOYEUR BY FRANCESCA REECE
I loved this book. I enjoyed Francesca Reece’s writing, the plot had me hooked and I was easily transported to the south of France setting. The story is told in alternate chapters from the POV of Leah and Michael, and while I much preferred Leah’s voice, Michael’s chapters did feel necessary to the plot. Leah finds a summer job transcribing the diaries of Michael, a successful author with a dubious past who has a nauseating attraction to her. Over the course of one summer Leah bonds with Michael’s children as secrets from the past are gradually unveiled.
SORROW & BLISS BY MEG MASON
This felt like reading an alternative series of Fleabag. The relationship between the main character and her sister, and the witty voice of the main character were very reminiscent of the beloved TV show. The plot is focused on Martha, whose husband has recently left her, is jobless and has to move back into her dysfunctional, bohemian childhood home. While I loved Meg Mason’s writing and felt deeply involved with the plot, I also understand why this is a marmite of a book. The main narrative of the story is involved with getting to the bottom of why Martha often feels extremely sad and overwhelmed by life, and a mental illness is alluded to throughout - yet the author choses not to name the illness following its diagnosis, which has divided opinions with readers.
GHOST WALL BY SARAH MOSS
Why didn’t I read this earlier?! So many people recommended Ghost Wall to me, but I put off reading it until this summer as I didn’t enjoy The Tidal Zone (another Sarah Moss novel). Needless to say, I adored Ghost Wall, and it has cemented itself as one of my favourite ever books. I immediately wanted to pick it back up and read it again, and although I thought it perfectly suited the novella form, part of me wishes it was a much longer novel. It’s eerie and compelling, and fits snuggly into the folk horror genre that I love. I’m now on a mission to read all of Sarah Moss’s books.
DREAMLAND BY ROSA RANKIN-GEE
Dreamland is brilliant and terrifying, and I’ve been recommending it to everyone. Reminiscent of the TV show, Years & Years, it shows a very plausible vision of the not-so-distant future in the U.K, set amidst a background of climate change and increasingly right-wing rule. Working class families are paid to leave cities and move to what are basically slums. As a young girl, Chance and her family relocate to Margate in one such scheme - but this is not the hipster, middle-class Margate of today. This is the Margate of the future, ravaged by ever increasing tides and a government plot to abandon its residents.
OTHER PEOPLE’S CLOTHES BY CALLA HENKEL
I wasn’t sure of Other People’s Clothes when I first picked it up, but ended up staying up late to finish it, unable to put it down. I loved the premise - two American art students living in Berlin in 2009 believe that their landlady is watching them for inspiration for her latest book and decide to create their own narrative by turning their apartment into a nightclub. I loved the story and the surprising twists at the end, but was particularly hooked by the setting of one of my favourite cities and the elaborate descriptions of the Beatrice parties.
PAUL BY DAISY LAFARGE
Paul reminded me a bit of Voyeur with its south of France setting and story of a relationship between an older man and younger girl - but there is something magical about Daisy Lafarge’s writing that elevated this book for me. I found it incredibly gripping and beautifully written, struggling to put it down. I was completely sucked in by the authors wonderful metaphors and her vivid descriptions of the French countryside. I loved how the book was structured, divided into three distinct acts. Part One - Frances meeting Paul, her host at an organic farm where she is working for a week, becoming enamored by his intellect and enthusiasm. Part Two - Frances setting off on her own, contemplating her feelings and making regrettable decisions. Part Three - the two reunited on a road trip that becomes more and more troubling. One of my favourite reads of the summer.
SUNSET BY JESSIE CAVE
A word of warning: Sunset is heartbreaking. Jessie Cave’s style of writing wasn’t my favourite, but I was completely engrossed by this story of the bond between two sisters. It’s the story of Ruth, whose beloved sister dies in a sudden accident, focusing on her grieving process as she struggles to deal with what has happened and how she can continue as normal following such a traumatic experience. It felt very raw and honest, and I believe it was in part inspired by the passing of the author’s brother, which added to the intimacy of the grief.
DEAD RELATIVES BY LUCIE MCKNIGHT HARDY (PR)
These short stories are not for the faint of heart! I loved Lucie’s novel, Water Shall Become Us, and was intrigued to pick up her debut collection of short stories. The stories vary in length - one takes up almost a third of the book while others are just a few pages long. Some are outright scary, there’s a hint of dystopia and lots of creepiness and a general uneasy feeling. It’s due to be released on October 21st - just in time for Halloween! If you’re looking for a creepy, autumnal read, look no further.
COLD EARTH BY SARAH MOSS
This is brilliant - definitely my second favourite Sarah Moss book I’ve read so far. I read this sat out on my terrace in the dark, until the growing feeling of dread and general creepiness of the story forced me indoors. There’s something in this book that reminds me of Station Eleven - it may be the end of the world but the reader is removed from what is happening in the wider world, focused instead on a small gathering of characters. The simple story is a group of archaeologists are isolated in the wilderness in Greenland on a dig. One of them starts to see and hear strange things at night, and begins to think they shouldn’t be disturbing the bodies they are digging up. Meanwhile, there are rumors of a pandemic in the wider world, and the group begin to worry about getting home.