lou's library

One of the things I look forward to the most on summer holidays is the seemingly infinite amount of time I can dedicate to reading. I usually do a digital detox when I’m away, so I put my phone in a cupboard and don’t look at it for a couple of weeks and instead just read, read and read. And it’s bliss. Personally, I tend to gravitate away from non-fiction when I’m on holiday, focusing instead on historical novels, romance books and fantasy. I want something that draws me in straight away, something to get lost in. I love choosing my summer holiday reads in the weeks leading up to it, and will purposely keep some of the most exciting books on my shelves for those two weeks in summer. Seeing as I’m back from holiday now, here is what I’ve read while I was away.

One Day by David Nicholls

Jesus Christ on a bike. THIS BOOK!! I knew what I was getting myself into, because I had seen the Anne Hathaway adaptation ages ago and also the first four episodes of the Netflix show. I then decided I had to read the book, and that I would do so while on holiday. And it was the perfect choice, because it was so easy to get lost in the story and to fall in love with the characters. And fall for them I did, believe me. Dexter Mayhew?? One of the best written characters I’ve ever come across! He’s such an idiot, but so, so loveable. I wanted to shake him half the time, and hug him the other half. Essentially, he’s blissfully human and all I wanted for him was a shot at happiness. Same goes for Emma, by the way. Her struggles are different and often less obvious than Dexter’s (and I didn’t want to shake her nearly as much as him), but she’s also flawed and brilliant and I couldn’t help but root for her. Root for them. No spoilers here, but even though I knew what was coming, I was not okay. I’ve since finished the Netflix show, and now I’m really not okay. Send help. And pack tissues, if you’re gonna read this on holiday.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

I saw lots of people recommend this book online and when I checked the premise, knew instantly that this one was for me. England, First World War, love story. Check, check, check. I’d recommend going into this without knowing much more, but let’s hope you’ll have some of those tissues from One Day leftover, because you’re likely going to need them. What I loved about this more than anything was the writing. It was sublime. Just stunning, really. To think that this is a debut novel is ridiculous. How can anyone write so well so early in their career?? In the acknowledgments it says that she’s written novels before, and this is the first to have been published, but STILL! It’s full of references to poets and novelists, but you don’t need any sort of literary knowledge to be able to understand or appreciate them. Also, given the boarding school setting at the start of the book (which might have been my favourite part of the story), it also has slight dark academia vibes to it. Obviously, a story set during wartime is always going to be brutal and gut-wrenching, but there is hope in this too. And after only a couple of pages I was just so ready to have my heart torn out by Alice Winn’s characters. I wish I could read this again for the first time, but also know I’ll revisit this again and again.

Brooklyn by Cólm Toibín

One of my literary goals this year is to read more Irish fiction, so this one was high up on my reading list for 2024. What was also high were my expectations, because I’ve heard lots of praise for this book, and also had seen parts of the adaptation with Saoirse Ronan. In my mind, anything that Saoirse Ronan is involved in must be seriously good stuff. The novel is set in 1950s Ireland, where a young girl must leave her home town for Brooklyn because she cannot find a job at home and the economic prospects aren’t looking too good. We then follow her as she struggles to settle in New York and how she slowly overcomes her homesickness. When she has to return home suddenly, everything starts becoming messy. Anyone who’s ever been away from home and has ached for its comfort will be able to relate to this story. So will anyone who has ever been unsure about where they belong. But while I did feel for the protagonist, the story failed to really capture my attention and draw me in. I found that the stakes were low for me in this one, because I couldn’t bring myself to care about it all. I was really surprised by that, because the premise did sound promising. I suppose I had hoped for a bit more development, in the first half of the book and then the ending also left something to be desired for me. Basically, without spoiling anything, I thought the book ended right when things became really interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I guess this felt unfinished for me. I’d still recommend it to people who want to read about homesickness, the notion of home and Ireland. And I definitely want to read more books by the author, because maybe this one just wasn’t for me.

Be Near Me by Andrew O’Hagan

I discovered Andrew O’Hagan last summer, when I randomly spotted Mayflies in a book shop in Aberdeen and read it straight away. It became one of my favourite books of 2023 and because I’m Queen of saying something like that and then never picking up another book by that author, I bought Be Near Me by him and put it on my summer vacation reading pile. I didn’t really know what it was about, and while that can be fun, this time around it meant I was reading something that just really wasn’t for me. Published in the early 2000s, it is set against the backdrop of the Iraq war and grapples with questions of Scottish identity and community. Our protagonist is a priest who has recently moved to Scotland and befriends a few of the locals kids. Throughout the novel, he grapples with his past and where he stands in the present, and I did find it intriguing to learn more about him and understand better why he is the way he is. But I wasn’t on board with where the story went, and couldn’t quite empathise with the protagonist. I get that the book shows a lot about how the culture wars can go wrong, and the devastating effects homophobia can have on people. I just thought that coupling those issues in the way it did and then leading them to the outcome of the book (can you tell I’m really struggling not to spoil anything here?), wasn’t the best choice. That being said, I have a feeling this could be one of those books I should read twice, so my opinion on this might change in the future. The writing was amazing, but I do have a lot of complex thoughts and feelings about this book and evidently am not able to articulate them very well yet.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

While in university, I read White Teeth by Zadie Smith and loved it. I’ve been meaning and failing to read something else by her ever since. Until now. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy On Beauty as much as White Teeth, but I still think this was a masterclass in character-writing. It centres around two families, connected by a feud between the two fathers and spins out from there. There are multiple storylines that all come together in the end and the characters are so flawed you cannot help but be seriously annoyed with all of them at one point or another. But then again, you also love (most of) them at one point or another. There are so many musings on what it means to be human, to grow up and make mistakes between the lines of this book, that I really wonder how Zadie Smith managed to keep it all together, make it coherent and well-rounded. She did totally pull it off, though, and I guess that’s what makes her such a great writer. Some of these characters I could only shake my head at, but I’m also convinced everyone of us knows a Howard. They were all so well-written, I could picture them all at any time, and that is such a feat. I can’t wait to read more Zadie Smith and really hope I’ll not wait years to pick up another one of her books.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I had heard high praise for this novel before I read it. I’d also heard it was slightly strange, so didn’t know what to expect. Safe to say this is unlike anything I’ve ever read, but also so incredibly good. I do need to reread this soon, because knowing what happens surely makes for an entirely different reading experience. I don’t even know how to describe this book but I think going in knowing as little as possible is the best thing you can do, anyway. Just be open-minded and prepared to be swept away by this magical and touching little novel. I loved, loved, loved the protagonist and marvelled at its subtle humour that was laced through it all. It’s one of the most genius books I’ve read in a long while and would highly recommend this as a book club pick, as there’s so much to unpick and talk about! I wish I had an imagination half as vibrant as Susanna Clarke’s and can’t wait to read more books by her. Seriously, read this!!

How To Stay Sane In An Age Of Division by Elif Shafak

I know I said I don’t like to read nonfiction on holiday, but this one is so quick to read and also was a reread for me that it didn’t fall in the category of heavy, long, intense nonfiction. Although, that being said, the things the author talks about in this little books are very heavy indeed. Basically, it’s all about how one can manage to survive (and hopefully thrive) in a world as divided as ours. A dear friend gifted this to me a couple of years ago and I read it straight away. But I find that this is one of those books that’s always worth dipping back into. It was written at the start of the pandemic, so it does mention that crucial turning point here and then, but its wisdom is separate from any one event. To me, this book is a good reminder as to why it’s important not to lose hope, or stop working towards a world that is less filled with horrors. Shit has certainly be going down on a global stage since I first read this, so trying not to feel bleak and horrified at all times can seem like a bit of a challenge. I can’t say that reading this suddenly made me optimistic for the future, but it does help to have a little guidance and to be reminded that there are others out there who also want this world to change.

So there you go, this is what I’ve read while on summer holiday! There were some absolute bangers in there, and then also some more mediocre reads. But overall, I’ve had a great reading holiday and hope you could find some inspiration for your own summer reading list!