Well, we are in summer (apparently, if you ignore all the rain that we have been having) and many of you may be getting ready for your holidays. Summer reading is a “hot” topic, whether you’re lounging by the pool, relaxing at the beach, or enjoying a quiet afternoon in the garden, summer is the perfect time to dive into a good book (even if it’s raining).
Summer is the season of sunburns, sand in places you didn’t know you had, and the sweet smell of barbecue mixed with a hint of freshly cut grass. But amidst the cacophony of beach balls, ice cream trucks, the sound of lawn mowers and children having fun, there lies a tranquil pursuit that has been a staple of summertime bliss for eons – summer reading: a tale of Sun, Fun, and Books!
Imagine the sun is shining, it’s not too hot, you’re lounging in the garden or on an exotic beach somewhere. with your skin glistening with a cocktail of sunscreen and perspiration, and a nice cold drink within arm’s reach. But something is missing. What could possibly elevate this picture of relaxation? A book, my dear Watson, a book! Maybe one of the many from your to be read pile. Or maybe you are looking for some inspiration and have come to the right place.
But what is summer reading? The options are as varied as the flavours at your local ice cream parlour. Will you go for the literary equivalent of vanilla, a classic that’s been on your shelf since the dawn of time? Or perhaps you’ll opt for the rocky road of a twisty-turny mystery that leaves you more baffled than a GPS in a tunnel.
With libraries stocking a plethora of magical tomes, bookshops being exquisite treasure troves of the printed word and lets not forget the more technological advanced among you in the digital world where ebooks are downloaded faster than you can say “Where’s the nearest charger?” Books are easier to get that catching a virus at a children’s soft play party. The question is “what’s good to read?”
Well, as the days grow longer and the nights less forbidding, the pages will turn, the plots will thicken, and the characters will become your summer flings. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream at the book for its audacious plot twists.
So, grab your bookmarks and reading glasses, for the siren call of summer reading beckons. Whether you’re a paperback warrior or a hardcover hero, there’s a story out there waiting to become a part of your summer lore. Below you will find some of the books for adults that I have enjoyed and think would make excellent reading this summer. Maybe you’ll agree, maybe you won’t – that’s the beauty of books!
Happy reading, bookworms!
Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver
Well as the weather is so up and down at the moment, as changeable as the plot in an absorbing mystery, why not start with a climate thriller (Cli-Fi) that has been expertly combined with another “hot” topic of the moment, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and pick up Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver.
Set in the year 2050, a decade after a heatwave that killed four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, the world is voting for a new global dictator to deal with the climate crisis and extreme heat. The final vote has come down to a former US President and an artilect – the world’s first AI politician.
Synopis
SALVATION HAS A PRICE.
An enthralling murder mystery with a vividly realised future world, forcing readers to grapple with hard hitting questions our relationship with Artificial Intelligence and the price we would be willing to pay, as a species, to be saved from crises of our own making. Perfect for fans of Blake Crouch, Neal Stephenson, Philip K Dick, Kim Stanley Robinson and RR Haywood.
It’s 2050, a decade after a heatwave that killed four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, including journalist Marcus Tully’s wife. Now he must uncover the truth: was the disaster natural? Or is the weather now a weapon of genocide?
A whistleblower pulls Tully into a murder investigation at the centre of an election battle for a global dictator, with a mandate to prevent a climate apocalypse. A former US President campaigns against the first AI politician of the position, but someone is trying to sway the outcome.
As the murder of a crucial witness derails the investigation, Tully must find the truth, convince the world to face it and make hard choices about the future of the species. But will humanity ultimately choose salvation over freedom, whatever the cost?
Artificial Wisdom is an excellent, thought-provoking read. It is a very well-written tale that despite the complex themes of climate change, future tech and AI, is easy to read and understand the issues and a story that is very hard to put down. It is a story that could be frighteningly too real with the world’s current events. Click here to read my full review.
The House of Mirrors by Erin Kelly
AI and politics not your thing? What about a mysterious family drama swimming in secrets? The House of Mirrors is a complex tale of family secrets, murder and cover ups over several decades and what people will do to protect those secrets and their family.
One of them has killed before.
One of them will kill again.
Synopsis
In the sweltering summer of 1997, straight-laced, straight-A student Karen met Biba – a bohemian and impossibly glamorous aspiring actress. A few months later, two people were dead and another had been sent to prison.
Having stood by Rex as he served his sentence, Karen is now married to him with a daughter, Alice, who runs a vintage clothing company in London. They’re a normal family, as long as they don’t talk about the past, never mention the name Biba, and ignore Alice’s flashes of dark, dangerous fury.
Karen has kept what really happened that summer of ’97 hidden deep inside her. Alice is keeping secrets of her own. But when anonymous notes begin to arrive at Alice’s shop, it seems the past is about to catch up with them all …
An absorbing and thought-provoking story with vintage fashion, eco-activism, family dynamics, long hidden secrets, murder and mayhem. It’s a book that invites readers to reflect on their own family secrets and the mirrors we all hold up to our lives. Click here to read my full review.
Urban Scarecrows by Jim Chambers
The UK has just had a change of government, so a political thriller seems appropriate. Urban Scarecrows is a political thriller, almost a dystopian nightmare, that is an exciting, exhilarating and quite a frightening read based around UK politics.
Synopsis
The Labour Party election victory of 2019 ushers into power a radical socialist government which swiftly mutates to a British form of totalitarian Marxism in its quest for social justice and equality. Dominic Green, a Labour Party activist and celebrity chef, is caught up in the economic and social crisis as the country lurches towards civil war.
Taunted by the jibes of his volatile Spanish wife, Rosa, he moves from denial to acceptance to opposition and becomes a totemic media figure in the struggles. His marriage is in terminal decline; Rosa cannot forgive his philandering or his support of the government. His family falls apart as Rosa leaves him and one son is incarcerated, whilst the other attempts to liberate his sibling. Labelled a turncoat terrorist he is hunted by the brutal SNPS state police whose attempts to subjugate the population includes ‘urban scarecrowing’.
Who can he trust as he goes on the run whilst assisting the resistance movement? Will Rosa forgive him as she tracks his public pronouncements and his efforts to free their son? Will Dominic escape the clutches of the SNPS as the net closes? Will international outrage translate into military intervention as sections of the armed forces rebel? And can Dominic survive and recover his relationship with Rosa and their surviving son?
Urban Scarecrows is a fantastic political thriller, a real page-turning exciting read. Whatever your politics, whether you have an interest in politics or not, this is a book that you will just not be able to put down. I thought this was an intelligent well-written, almost believable, story. It is a story of extreme politics and a vision of a political concept that couldn’t happen it the UK – could it? Click here to read my full review.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
One of my favourite authors is Stephen King, I have been reading his books for decades. Despite so many novels and short stories, Mr King still doesn’t disappoint. This summer why not lose yourself in another world with a fantastical fantasy/thriller/horror story based around fairy tales – but not the fairy tales that you would tell your children, this is the dark side of the fairy tale, the more menacing, dangerous and evil side of the tale. Fairy Tale is a spellbinding story of parallel words, dispelled monarchy, a mysterious city, lurking evilness, and a reluctant hero.
Synopis
Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was seven, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself – and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her ageing master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.
Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.
King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy – and his dog – must lead the battle.
Stephen King has written an excellent story featuring a dead city, fairy tale characters and a very reluctant hero. His writing is excellent, with scenery and characters beautifully described so that you can envision that you are there right beside Charlie. The characters are brilliant and the whole story is just captivating. An excellent book to lose yourself in this summer. Click here to read my full review.
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood
If you are just looking for a mystery to tease those brain cells, why not try a cosy (cozy) mystery. If you are a fan of the TV show Death in Paradise then you are going to love The Marlow Murder Club (now also a TV series).
Synopsis
To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…
Seventy-seven-year-old Judith Potts is blissfully happy. She lives alone in a faded mansion in Marlow, sets crosswords for The Times, and there’s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink.
One evening, while out swimming in the Thames, Judith witnesses a brutal murder. When the local police don’t believe her story, Judith and two unlikely friends decide to investigate for themselves. Together, they are the Marlow Murder Club.
But soon another body turns up, and it seems they have a real-life serial killer on their hands. Now the puzzle they set out to solve has become a trap from which they might never escape…
The Marlow Murder Club is an uncomplicated and enjoyable cosy read. An amateur detective novel that will keep you guessing. A refreshing read that whilst murders may occur it isn’t packed with gruesome details and foul language. A novel to sit down and relax with of an evening, in the garden on soaking up the sun on the beach. Click here to read my full review.
This is just a very small sample of books that I have read that I think will make fantastic summer reading, books to really lose yourself with tales of murder, extreme politics, the rise of AI, family drama and plenty of secrets. If these aren’t to your taste, browse the website where you will find plenty more book reviews, hopefully helping you find your summer reading material. So whatever you are doing this summer, wherever you are this summer, don’t forget the books and enjoy a good read. Why not let us know your favourite summer reads in the comments section below.
If you are looking for books for the children this summer, check out my Sumer Reading for Children post.
Happy reading my fellow bibliophiles.
