Books Of Summer 2024

By Erin Deborah Waks

The beaches of the Greek island of Rhodes, the coast of France and the coffee shops of Nice accompanied my summer this year. Oh, as did some books. Some really fabulous books. And, while I seldom write book recommendations, I’m often asked for them. So the best ones? Well…

1. The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden

I grew up on Jane Austen, the Brontes and Daphne du Maurier, so this period piece in the style of such novels as Pride And Prejudice was a perfect sunshine accompaniment. Love, lust, elicit affairs and drama galore, it’s like Bridgerton written with literary class - and a little bit less sex.

 2. The Yellow Kitchen by Margaux Vialleron

Loaned to me by a similarly literary-minded friend, this book tells a relatable and yet complex tale of female friendship, complicated by messy feelings and romantic entanglement. The experience of three totally different women bonding and finding their people rang true of my own experiences of the depth of companionship.

3. Lullaby by Leila Slimani

Equal parts gripping and terrifying, this novel explores the story of a babysitter - with a twist. Put aside the time for this psychological thriller, though - you’ll need to demolish it in one go.

4. Beach Read by Emily Henry

You can’t think I went on holiday without a classic, unputdownable, trashy, chill, romantic comedy for the beach? This one, like Emily Henry’s books in general, is so great I think it does the genre a credit. 

5. Delta Of Venus by Anais Nin

The naughtiest of my reads this summer, this explosive, ground-breaking collection of short stories marked the female foray into sex writing. While it isn’t so romantic - or erotic, for that matter - it is highly interesting, an examination of male sexuality from a female writer.