The Best Books To Read On Your Next Vacation

One of this generation’s most vital literary voices, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie returns with this hotly anticipated new work, 10 years after her last novel, Americanah. The story follows four women grappling with identity, personal fulfillment and the weight of expectation – in everything from marriage and motherhood to careers and success. As immigrants in America, their ‘outsider’ status offers astute and often uncomfortable observations of the society in which they now live. Both deeply moving and thought-provoking, this is a powerful exploration of female solidarity – and, as one of the most significant literary releases of the past decade, it’s a must-read.

You’ll want to settle into your lounger with a glass of something cold to sip while you read this delightfully witty, warm and charming book that fizzes with nostalgia. The protagonist, Rachel, is on vacation with her family in picture-perfect Cape Cod, where they have summered every year for the past two decades, as she begins to reckon with her mid-life existence – sandwiched between aging parents and grown-up children. Amidst her bittersweet and acerbic observations on the passage of time, the unearthing of some buried secrets threatens to disturb the sun-soaked bliss – with hilarious consequences.

Based on the remarkable true story of a British couple who set sail for New Zealand in 1972, only to find themselves marooned at sea in a tiny raft for 118 days, Maurice and Maralyn is a deep dive into love, endurance and weathering the storms of marriage. In the face of her husband’s sinking despair and hopelessness, it is Maralyn’s sheer will, grit and determination that keeps them afloat amidst perilous conditions. A tale of love and adventure that will restore your faith in the tenacity of the human spirit.

A Sunday Times Bestseller, Butter is one of those books you’ll see in everyone’s hands this summer, so expect to spot fellow passengers reading it on your next flight. Far from your average crime novel, the deliciously dark tale, set in Tokyo, follows journalist Rika’s obsession with convicted killer Manako, a talented cook accused of poisoning her lovers with her homemade food. As the two women’s relationship develops over an interest in gastronomy, it starts to appear that they have much more in common than Rika would care to admit. If you like your vacation reads with a bit of bite, this will leave you hungry for more – in the best possible way.

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam war, The Women is a gripping and emotionally resonant novel that sheds light on the forgotten female medics who served during one of the most turbulent chapters in American history. When nursing student Frankie enlists, she finds herself plunged into a brutal, disorientating world far from her sheltered Californian upbringing. Raw, powerful and full of compassion, the book is a sweeping tale of courage, friendship and the cost of truth – ideal for readers who enjoy historical fiction that’s both heart-wrenching and hopeful.

Elif Shafak’s latest novel is a sweeping, poetic exploration of resilience, told through the unifying force of water. Spanning from ancient Mesopotamia to Victorian London and modern-day Iraq, the book follows three interconnected lives: Arthur, a 19th-century historian; Narin, a Yazidi girl displaced by war; and Zaleekhah, a contemporary hydrologist drawn to water’s hidden stories. With lyrical prose and rich historical insight, Shafak sheds light on cultural trauma and survival. Thoughtful and provoking, it’s the kind of novel that stays with you long after the final page.