Bookends Beach Party | Top summer reads 2019

Each week we’ll be asking some of our favourite authors to share their summer essentials – from holiday routines to travel bucket lists. This week we asked David Nicholls, Deborah Moggach and Beth O’Leary, what are your summer 2019 must-reads?

David Nicholls, author of Sweet Sorrow

My two favourite books this year have been memoirs; Emilie Pine’s Notes to Self and Sinead Gleeson’s Constellations; insightful and startlingly honest and beautifully written, I tore through both of them. 

Deborah Moggach, author of The Carer

Tim Lott: “When We Were Rich”, (pub June), addictively readable novel about a group of London friends, their treacheries, adulteries, and drunken reconciliations, all set against a backdrop of property speculation and political turmoil. Huge fun.

Joseph O’Connor: “Shadowplay” (pub June) marvellously engrossing and atmospheric novel set in Victorian London’s theatreland, featuring Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and Bram Stoker. One of the best historical novels I’ve ever read.

George Eliot: “Middlemarch”. I try to read it every year. Each time it releases new secrets. A masterpiece.

Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare

My first is David Nicholls’ new book, Sweet Sorrow. It is a stunningly written, bittersweet story of falling in love in that endless summer after finishing school, and it’ll make you feel all sunny and nostalgic. David’s writing always gives me authorly jealous because it’s so damn beautiful.

My second is Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient, because summer is the perfect time for a romance novel, and this might just be my absolute favourite. Sweet, adorable and very, very hot – you need this in your holiday suitcase. Helen’s next book, The Bride Test, is top of my pile for the summer – I can’t wait to read it.

My third is Half a World Away by Mike Gayle. Warm, cosy and full of love, this book is perfect for summer evenings at home. Brace yourself, though – you may shed a few tears…

Make sure you sign up to our Bookends newsletter to keep up-to-date with all Bookends Beach Party posts!