We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
17 brilliant beach reads
Looking for some holiday reading inspiration? Books Editor Joanne Finney has picked 17 page-turners perfect for lounging by the pool (or in the back garden!)
1
A Year Of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
Actress-turned-author Sarah Winman had a runaway hit with her first novel, When God Was A Rabbit. Her follow-up, A Year Of Marvellous Ways, has the same dream-like quality. Set in 1947, it tells the story of a 90-year-old woman who spends her days alone until an injured soldier turns up on her doorstep. A thread of magic runs through the pages, but it still packs an emotional punch. One to read slowly and savour every beautiful sentence.
Like this? You'll love...
Join GH’s online book club
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
Like this? You'll love...
Join GH’s online book club
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
2
In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
Teen fiction queen Judy Blume (her books have sold more than 85 million copies worldwide) rarely writes for adults – but what a treat when she does. Based on real events, In The Unlikely Event movingly relates how a series of plane crashes in New Jersey in the 1950s, leaves a close-knit community reeling.
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
3
The Turning Point by Freya North
Keep tissues close for The Turning Point, the latest novel from Freya North. In this gripping love story, a single mum falls for a man who appears to be perfect for her – except that he lives 4,000 miles away.
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
More book reviews
4
All Together Now by Gill Hornby
Nick Hornby’s sister, Gill Hornby, has the same talent as her brother for spot-on observations about people and the quirks that make them. Charming and very funny, her book All Together Now chronicles a bunch of eccentrics who form a choir.
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
5
The Long, Hot Summer by Kathleen MacMahon
Think your family is crazy? You haven’t met the MacEntees... The Long, Hot Summer by Kathleen MacMahon follows three siblings as they battle personal demons – but more shocks are in store as family matriarch Deirdre celebrates her 80th birthday.
Like this? You’ll love...
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
6
Techbitch by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza
Low cunning and high stakes at a glamorous Manhattan fashion magazine create an irresistible mix in Techbitch by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza – think The Devil Wears Prada for the digital age.
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
More book reviews
7
Watch The Lady by Elizabeth Fremantle
Be transported to the court of Elizabeth I, where Penelope Devereux is prepared to do anything in the scramble for power. Watch The Lady by Elizabeth Fremantle combines fast-paced storytelling with rich period detail.
Like this? You’ll love...
14 best crime books and thrillers
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
14 best crime books and thrillers
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
More book reviews
8
The Versions Of Us by Laura Barnett
One Day meets Sliding Doors in The Versions Of Us by Laura Barnett. We meet two characters, then time splits and follows three different versions of their lives. Each strand is distinctive and equally captivating.
Like this? You’ll love...
14 best crime books and thrillers
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
14 best crime books and thrillers
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
9
The Truth According To Us by Annie Barrows
From Annie Barrows, who co-wrote The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society, comes The Truth According To Us. A beguiling novel about friendship and finding yourself which combines small-town charm and larger-than-life characters.
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
More book reviews
10
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins by Antonia Hodgson
Take a rip-roaring ride through the back streets of Georgian London with The Last Confession Of Thomas Hawkins. This historical mystery by Antonia Hogdson is wonderfully atmospheric and entertaining.
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
11
The Invisible Woman by Helen Walmsley-Johnson
She covers fashion for the older women in her blog, Vintage Years, and now Helen Walmsley-Johnson has written The Invisible Woman – a funny and frank look at those of a certain age who are fed-up with being overlooked.
Like this? You’ll love...
More book reviews Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
Like this? You’ll love...
More book reviews Read an exclusive short story by Cecelia Ahern
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
12
The Flower Appreciation Society by Anna Day and Ellie Jaunce
Gorgeous photos and inspiring floral projects make The Flower Appreciation Society by celebrity florists Anna Day and Ellie Jauncey a real pleasure to leaf through.
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
13
Saint Mazie by Jamie ttenberg
We guarantee you’ll fall for Saint Mazie, a woman who opens her doors to those in need in Depression-era New York. Jami Attenberg brings both her character and the city brilliantly to life.
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood’s favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
14
A Fortunate Age by Joanna Rakoff
A Fortunate Age by Joanna Rakoff is a coming-of-age tale that perfectly captures the uncertainties of being a newcomer in a big city.
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
15
The Museum Of Things Left Behind by Seni Glaister
A surprise royal visitor throws a small European municipality into chaos in The Museum of Things Left Behind by Seni Glaister. The result is a witty and feel-good read.
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood's favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Margaret Atwood's favourite books
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
16
The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein
The Sunlit Night is a charming novel about loneliness and love from first-time author Rebecca Dinerstein.
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
Watch: Barbara Taylor Bradford on writing
14 best crime books and thrillers
More book reviews
17
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards And Apologies by Fredrik Backman
Best-selling Scandinavian author Fredrik Backman returns with the heart-warming and humorous My Grandmother Sends Her Regards And Apologies.
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Like this? You’ll love...
8 teen fiction books grown-ups will love
60 seconds with Alexander McCall Smith
More book reviews
Watch Next
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
If you love Agatha Christie, you'll enjoy these 7 locked-room mysteries
Fans of Brooklyn rejoice! Colm Toibin has written a sequel and you can read a sample here
Best book festivals 2025
5 brilliant books featuring feisty older women
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below