Just for fun

Top Five Summer Reads

Thank goodness: the summer holidays are almost here! It’s time to pack away your folders, notebooks and school bag, and relax. If you enjoy reading, then this is the long desired time when you can read for pleasure once again, instead of studying books related to your school subjects. However, I always found that stepping into a bookshop again after exams was quite a daunting experience. There were so many books that I’d missed out on and that I wanted to read! Here is a short guide to some great summer reads, chosen to keep you interested and passionate about books, whether you’re reading on the plane, by the poolside, or in your garden. Enjoy!

…if you want to be on the edge of your seat

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl is a masterclass in suspense. Flynn weaves a dark murder mystery story and then flips it on its head to question if everything you thought about the characters was really true. Dramatised as an award-winning film last year with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl will intrigue you and keep you turning each page frantically to find out what has happened to Nick Dunne’s missing wife.

You might also like: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

…if you want to escape

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

A magical book. I discovered this back in September and was enchanted by the story of the apparently orphaned Sophie and her exploits with her guardian, the tweedy academic Charles. Ever under the watchful eye of Miss Eliot from the National Childcare Agency, Charles encourages Sophie to play the cello, write stories on the walls, climb everything she wishes and most importantly, “never ignore a possible”. It is this lesson to which Sophie clings, as she continues to believe her mother is still alive after the shipwreck, and resolves to find her. Their journey takes them to the rooftops of Paris, where Sophie meets the Parisian ‘rooftoppers’, a gang of orphaned children who prefer to stay out of the way of the authorities by living amongst the birds and the chimneypots. Rundell’s exceptional use of language creates a vivid, fairy tale-esque world – and who wouldn’t want to read on from the opening sentence “On the morning of its first birthday, a baby was found floating in a cello case in the middle of the English Channel”?

You might also like: the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling (go on, revisit them! Give yourself a treat.)

…if you want to be made to think

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This classic novel tells the story of a convicted black man living in the Deep South in the 1930s, seen through the eyes of his lawyer’s daughter, Scout. It’s a powerful book, made even more poignant by the innocence of the young narrator, who learns to understand prejudice and discrimination over the course of the novel. The strong character of Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, will inspire you to seek the best path possible in life, whilst reflecting on the injustices still prevalent in modern society. A “sequel” (the novel was technically written before To Kill a Mockingbird) is due to be published on July 14th (‘Go Set a Watchman’), and so this is the perfect time to read Harper Lee’s novel, whether you’re reading it for the first time or reacquainting yourself with it.

You might also like: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee; Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

…if you want to fall in love

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

Captain Corelli is a love story set on the idyllic Greek island of Cephalonia in the midst of the Second World War. The doctor’s daughter, Pelagia, falls in love with a captain in the occupying Italian army. These ‘star-crossed lovers’ negotiate the resentment of the Greek people, the discomfort of the Italian soldiers, ever more ill at ease in their occupation, and the distrust of the Nazis, who continue to make their presence felt on the island. The result is a romance that illuminates the perils of the war, whilst it also remains comic and moving, thanks to the irrepressible humour and lust for life of the captain. One of my favourite books ever.

You might also like: Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier; Atonement by Ian McEwan; The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Bernières (newly released this summer!)

…if you want to laugh

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I must admit, I read this every summer on the beach in Cornwall, and I love it more every year. Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most famous novel for a reason – it’s witty, light and enchanting, the perfect summer read. Austen’s cast of characters range from the hilariously grotesque (for example, the slimy Mr Collins and grandiose Lady Catherine) to the inspirational. I defy anyone to read Lizzy Bennet’s exchanges with Mr Darcy and not wish to emulate her quick-thinking and ability to twist a partner’s words. If you enjoy sitting in a coffee-shop window and people-watching, then this is your cup of tea. Social commentary at its best.

You might also like: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

And for more inspiration, look at 100 Books to Read Before You Die!

Written by Laura Clash

A MyTutorWeb English Tutor

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