From Sydney writer Madeleine Gray’s hilarious debut to Ann Patchett’s latest, these are the best summer reads you won’t want to put down.
11 Page-Turning Reads That Will Have You Hooked This Summer
From Sydney writer Madeleine Gray’s hilarious debut to Ann Patchett’s latest, these are the best summer reads you won’t want to put down.
Whether you’re soaking up some sun on the beach or reclining on the balcony on a balmy afternoon, the best company you could ask for this summer is a book… or ten.
Romance, thriller, comedy or memoir – whatever your flavour, there’s a story for everyone this season.
From Sydney writer Madeleine Gray’s hilarious debut to Ann Patchett’s latest, as the weather heats up, these are the best summer reads you won’t want to put down.
1. Green Dot
Equal parts witty, moving, relatable, and smart, Sydney writer Madeleine Gray’s debut novel, Green Dot, is the talk of the town. A hilarious musing on love, millennial despondency, and the terrible allure of wanting something that promises nothing, Madeleine’s storytelling prowess proves she’d be the ultimate dinner party guest.
2. Yellowface
An author writing a novel that satirises the publishing industry is quite the power move, and R.F. Kuang has executed it perfectly. Through the tale of a struggling white writer who claims her Asian American friend’s manuscript as her own, Kuang brilliantly highlights issues of racial diversity and cultural appropriation in publishing. As the stolen book explodes in popularity, social media sleuths start raising their suspicions around the author and her background.
3. Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow
If you missed this read last year, there’s still time to strike it off your 2023 pile. A love story like you’ve never known before, Gabrielle Zevin’s novel spans thirty years, multiple states and cities, and the relationship between two childhood friends whose shared love of video games links their lives forever. A tale of technology, the human experience, and the universality of craving connection, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow will take your breath away.
4. Terrace Story
“If these walls could talk”, perhaps they’d tell a tale like Terrace Story. Writer Hilary Leichter’s imaginative new novel tells the fantastical story of Stephanie, a woman who can make objects around her grow, and so turns her friend’s tiny apartment into a terrace. Comprised of four sections/stories that begin to weave together, it’s a unique read that stays with you long past the final page.
5. Something Bad Is Going To Happen
Inarguably one of Australia’s most exciting writers, Jessie Stephens’ fiction debut is nothing short of spectacular. She captivated us in 2021 with her heartbreaking work of non-fiction, Heartsick, and now she’s back with another deeply compelling story about class, friendship, and mental health. Painfully relatable, moving and wise, Something Bad is Going to Happen is not for the faint of heart, but it’s definitely full of heart.
6. Hello, Beautiful
The sisterly bond is unlike any other. At most times it’s a blessing, until you discover your favourite jeans are missing and suddenly, it’s a curse. Author Ann Napolitano delves a bit deeper than your everyday wardrobe robbery, though. Following four sisters from Chicago through childhood to adulthood, Hello, Beautiful is equally heartbreaking and heart-warming, questioning the meaning of family, trust, and forgiveness.
7. Darling Girls
This year’s most thrilling page-turner by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth is another sisterly tale told with humour and heart. A psychological mystery, Darling Girls traces three foster sisters rescued from tragedy only to be thrust back into turmoil when a body is found under their childhood home. Sisterhood, suspicion, and a whiplash-inducing twist await.
8. Tom Lake
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Ann Patchett has gone and written another absolute masterpiece. It’s been four years between novels, but Tom Lake is well worth the wait. Set in a cherry orchard in Michigan during the pandemic, three sisters learn of their mother’s past summer romance with a now-famous actor, retold with lust and yearning. A film adaption seems almost definite – someone get Ryan Gosling on the line.
9 . Really Good, Actually
Just like its title suggests, Monica Heisey’s hilarious debut is really good, actually. As a writer on Schitt’s Creek, you’d expect some quick wit and humour, but Heisey goes above and beyond as she tells the story of a woman who finds herself divorced before she’s even turned 30. Inspired by her own experience as a ‘Surprisingly Young Divorcée™’, Really Good, Actually is sharp, relatable, and even a little bit silly. Prepare to send multiple excerpts to the girls' group chat.
10. Happy Place
You can always count on Emily Henry to deliver the perfect romantic page-turner. She writes relationships like no one’s business, and her latest novel, Happy Place, is no exception. Ex-fiancés Harriet and Wyn embark on a final summer trip with friends, only there’s one problem – no one knows they’ve broken up, and they’d like to keep it that way.
11. Lola in the Mirror, by Trent Dalton
If you've read Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton, Lola in the Mirror should be next on your list. Set in the streets of Australia, this heartbreaking and gritty novel tells the story of a young woman and her mother who have been on the run for 16 years from the police and and a man with “monster blood” and a knife in his throat. You'll likely want to consume this book in one weekend!
