Red Hot Summer Reads
Summer is the perfect season for reading. It gives you something to do whilst you perfect your tan, you look a lot more blasé and nonchalant (and all the other French words) being indulged in a book rather than yelling at your phone because your Pokemon Go app froze, AND, to top it all off, some of the best books hit the shelves in the summer. Here are just a few that have caught my eye and made my summer so far sizzle.
1. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Most famous for his award-winning Fargo TV series, Noah Hawley's latest novel is none other than sheer brilliance: the g-force of shock and strength of character and plot take the air out of your lungs. He's a genius at creating awkward and comedic dialogue (as seen in Fargo) and it's just as good here. The book is a tragedy, a look into the implications and frightening influence of the media and a whodunnit all rolled into one. It's a perfect summer thriller, but maybe avoid reading on a plane...
Unputtadownable rating: ****
2. The Girls by Emma Cline
It seems PRH have done it again with their £12.99 hardback (do I sense another Girl on the Train?). This book has already been in the top ten charts for the fourth week running and is on all the essential summer reading national press. Despite my initial reaction being that it is very similar to Girls on Fire (Little, Brown), it is addictive. You can feel your innocence torn from your bones bit by bit. It's an out of body experience to read this book; you are lugged along, drugged by the story and the words and yet there is a sharpness to it, like a stabbing chest stitch when you take a deep breath. It's a debut book and the cover is tie-die. Other than the fact that it is a hardback and therefore difficult to carry in a suitcase, this is definitely a perfect summer read. (FYI you can also by this book on your kindle instead of being a book granny like me).
Unputtadownable rating: ****
3. I See You by Clare Mackintosh
If you haven't heard of or read I Let You then you have seriously been under a rock for the last year. Clare Mackintosh's debut novel soared to the top of the bestseller charts and still remains on there to this date. Best known for it's winding kick-in-the-teeth twist half way through, her second book is just as addictive and compelling. Although, for me, the plot isn't as strong, it's still a book that grips you and shakes you and throws you from chapter-end-shock after chapter-end-shock. The most scary thing about the book is the relatability; I take the exact same route as Zoe Walker, the protagonist, each morning and I couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable tingling sensation when reading the passages whilst sitting on the tube. The book has an important message surrounding sexual harassment, abuse and the way this handled is by those close to the victim and the police. I would really recommend for those of you who love Christobel Kent.
Unputtadownable rating: ****
4. Harmless Like You by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
I haven't heard anyone say a bad thing about this book. And it's not even out yet. That just begins to tell you how powerful it is. This is an extraordinarily colourful debut infused with startling images, flawed characters and mundane detail made into something pretty and intriguing from the sphynx cat Celeste to Jay's lack of paternal instinct or love. I fell in love with this book and if I read it again I would trip and fall in love with it again too. The book has also got a beautiful cover (perfect for instagram) and is written by the wonderful debut author Rowan Hisayo Buchanan who is of British, American, Japanese and Chinese descent. This is the book I am most excited for this summer.
Unputtadownable rating: *****
5. The Crime Writer by Jill Dawson
Fiction and fact and crime and Patricia Highsmith... This sounds like the perfect book combination to me. And Jill Dawson cracked it first with this gripping tale about the Queen of Crime. Set as a thrilling crime novel, the book explores who Patricia Highsmith was, and using her own devices ironically is just pure genius on Jill's part. Effortless and striking, this book will stay with you for a long time. Highly recommended.
Unputadownable rating: ****
6. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
This was a book I read when it came out in hardback, but it has now returned for the second round of readers in paperback and how glad I am that it has. The book received quite mixed reviews when it hit the shelves in early 2015, but I, and I seemed like the only one at times, adored it. And not only did I adore it, but I loved it more than To Kill A Mockingbird which is even more controversial (when you read it you'll see why). Seeing Scout, the girl that brightened our childhoods and GCSE syllabuses, as a grown woman who has moved to New York gaining a more liberal view of the world, was fascinating to me. Seeing her trying to fit back into the world that she had once fit so easily, was compelling and heartbreaking. Although I don't think that Harper Lee necessarily intended for it to be published, which I can wholly understand, I'm glad that it was released into the world. This is truly a great book and the ideal summer read, particularly if you want to look intellctual.
Unputtadownable rating: ***
Literary classic rating: *****
7. Becoming by Laura Jane Williams
We're all secretly a little bit obsessed with sex. Don't deny it. It's something that has been forbidden for so long and suddenly, in the last ten years, is something people can't - stop - talking - about. And I'm glad. Laura Jane is one of these people. And bloody hell does she do it well. Becoming is a memoir following her decision of a year long celibacy after her boyfriend dumped her and married her friend. It's hilarious and heartbreaking but most of all it's reasurring because it makes you believe that you're really not doing as bad a job as your anxious thoughts and negative assumptions think you are.
Unputtadownable rating: ***
8. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Although this book came out in April it has still been one of my favourite reads this year.
If you haven't read my review for this then you should because this perfectly sums up my feelings of this novel. Another two words: achingly beautiful. This is the kind of book that will be a classic, the kind of book with language and cadence that you wish you could come up with. Chris Cleave has made something personal and accessible and meaningful and the result is pure wonders. Bring tissues with you when travelling with this book, but definitely pack it in that suitcase of yours.
Unputtadownable rating: ***
Classic Rating: ****
9. The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
Horror is something we tend to associate with Stephen King or terrible budget films with black treacle fake blood, but Andrew Michael Hurley's debut novel is the newest addition to the horror scene and it has split the genre apart. Hailed with praise and winner of the Book Industry Book of the Year 2016 award, this book is sure to get your goosebumps a-tingling and your senses and paranoia meerkatting. Utterly unforgettable.
Unputtadownable rating: ****
10. Barkskins by Annie Proulx
Two penniless French boys and their polar opposite lives, what's not to like? Annie Proulx has done it again. This is a fresh and brutal almost moralistic tale spanning 300 years of ancestry. It's a great summer read and therefore deserving of this spot.
Unputtadownable rating: ***
So, this is my summer round up. I hope you enjoy your summer and the books you read, even if you take nothing from this.
You can check out my reviews for Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave here.