The summer holidays are in full swing: whether you are dipping your toes into foreign pools or staying at home with the fan blowing in your face, everyone deserves the chance to relax. What better way to do so than losing yourself in a good book? If you are anything like me, you will be looking for some light fast-paced texts to relieve your mind from work and academic pressures. So, here are my top suggestions from my recent reads.

If you are looking to immerse yourself in an idyllic summery setting, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising is the perfect choice. The novel follows Nina Riva, the eldest daughter of famous singer Mick Riva, and her seemingly luxurious life living in a large house on the Californian coastline. Reid’s descriptions of Malibu are incredible and beautifully contrast the inner turmoil faced by the Riva family throughout the novel.

If, like me, you are a sucker for well-developed characters, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a strong contender. The story follows the friendship timeline of Sam Masur and Sadie Green, who meet at a children’s hospital and bond over a mutual love of gaming. Their friendship has such a special dynamic, which makes the more traumatic moments within the book truly heartbreaking.

However, maybe you are not looking to be heartbroken this summer and want something with a comedic edge instead. In this case, Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry is a better choice. Despite covering some heavy subject matter, Garmus injects her debut novel with undeniable feminist wit. The ingenious portrayal of the main character Elizabeth Zott is unforgettable, and I would say she is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time.

So, go and sit in the sunshine and escape into the worlds of these authors. I promise that you will be so engrossed that the glue binding your book together will have begun to melt once you are finished.

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