Bored of the same genres and fancy trying something new? Fancy a new recommendation in a genre you love? Maybe you just like an online browse? I've got you covered in my top Summer picks.
I fancy a summer sizzler... The Idea of You, Robinne Lee
EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME . . .BUT IT'S YOU HE WANTS.
To the media, Hayes Campbell is the enigmatic front-man of a record-breaking boyband.
To his fans, he's the man of their dreams.
To Solène Marchand, he's just the pretty face that's plastered over her teenage daughter's bedroom wall.
Until a chance meeting throws them together . . .
I do think this is the most talked about this Summer, so if you havent yet picked it up- why not? Ohmygoodness. This sizzles! You will swoon for Hayes, and fall under his spell.
Saucy, naughty, fun, shocking and THAT ending. Wow.
I fancy a Cornish seaside treat... Welcome to Ferry Lane Market, Nicola May.
33 year-old Kara Moon loves her hometown of Hartmouth in Cornwall. When her good-for-nothing boyfriend cheats on her and steals her life savings, she finally dumps him and rents out her spare room as an Airbnb.
Then an anonymous postcard arrives, along with a plane ticket to New York. And there begins the first of three trips of a lifetime..
Really enjoyed this one. Full of laughter, cringe moments, poignant moments and much more. Being Cornish I am always reluctant to read things set in Cornwall as it doesn't feel very authentic but this one really does and I definitely recommend it. P.S. the pet names are divine.
I fancy a thought provoking mermaid story... The Mermaid of Black Conch, Monique Roffey
April 1976: St Constance, a tiny Caribbean village on the island of Black Conch, at the start of the rainy season. A fisherman sings to himself in his pirogue, waiting for a catch—but attracts a sea-dweller he doesn’t expect.
Aycayia, a beautiful young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid, has been swimming the Caribbean Sea for centuries. And she is entranced by this man David and his song.
The story of this is incredibly poignant. David and Aycayia''s relationship is a fascinating one. Her transformation from mermaid to woman is also intriguing and powerful. The imagery in this is vivid and captivating. So clever, so beautiful, wonderfully experimental.
I fancy a surprising memoir.... The Consequences of Love, Gavanndra Hodge
Gavanndra Hodge's father was a hairdresser and drug dealer to Chelsea's most decadent inhabitants; her mother an alcoholic ex-model.
But when Candy dies suddenly on holiday aged nine, Gavanndra's family, already so fragile and damaged, implodes.
Now, a mother herself and having only memories of Candy's awful final moments, Gavanndra embarks on a journey to write her way back to the little girl whose death tore her family apart, and rediscover the love she lost.
This is thought provoking, shocking and hard hitting. Its honest, not very pretty and a surprising story to read. Its written so matter of fact, I think that makes it even more impactful. A really brave account about love, loss, and identity.
I fancy a book set in a world that I wont quite recognise... The Hierarchies, Ros Anderson
Sylv.ie is a synthetic woman. A fully sentient robot, designed to cater to her Husband's every whim. She lives alone on the top floor of his luxurious home, her existence barely tolerated by his human wife and concealed from their child. Between her Husband's visits, deeply curious about the world beyond her room,
This is an interesting but challenging concept that I keep thinking about over and over in my mind.
This isn't my usual genre but its fair to say I was intrigued, and drawn in to Sylv.ie's world. Its clever, its dark, its shocking. All the great components for a dystopian read. Women feel threatened by the robots, and the robots can't make sense of this world. Expect the unexpected!
I fancy a laugh out loud spy thriller... The Collation Unit, David Jarvis
In the 1970s computers were beginning to overwhelm the Secret Services. Quickly, too much information was coming into GCHQ and things were being missed. The Collation Unit was set up underground in six floors beneath some old aircraft hangars at Mannington airfield just outside Cheltenham to make connections and prioritise everything.
This is a wonderfully witty, jam packed read. Some laugh at loud moments & clever one liners. A really unusual novel in a subject matter that rarely gets spoken about. Sharp, sophisticated but doesn't take itself too seriously. A male dominated world, but this suits the sense of time and place within and some really great characters too. I highly recommend if you fancy something a little bit quirky but very intelligent.
I fancy a YA medieval wonder... The Unflinching Ash, Angela Armstrong
In a world like ours, Mystics once ruled the night. Well, so long as they were men. On Ash’s day of naming, she chose the Mystic path nonetheless. The same illusions that garner gasps of awe from the lamp-lit crowds earn her scorn from the basilica. There is only one way forward: a perilous quest – earn the Queen’s Seal, a badge of honour, and immunity. She’ll simply have to avoid being hanged, burned or drowned first.
On reading the blurb, I really wasn't sure what to expect, but wow even if I did have expectations, this would have exceeded them. This very much strikes me as an unusual time period that's rarely written about and the language is so clever that it instantly transports you into that world. Great characters, and I liked the main ones in equal measure. Packed with action, drama and shocks. A thoroughly enchanting escapism read.
I hope something out of this collection has captured your imagination. Happy reading.
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