With autumn fast approaching, putting an end to heat waves, humid mornings and long days, we’ve created a list of books perfect for summer that you simply MUST read before the end of August!
Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth
Did Taylor Swift read Sunburn when writing ‘August’? Probably! Howarth encapsulates the feverishness of first love and a summer romance. Be transported to your youth or simply crave a romance so intense that it will keep you warm well into winter. If you haven’t read Sunburn, what on earth are you waiting for?
We’ve seen Butter everywhere and for a good reason. This title somehow balances insightful discussions of femininity and misogyny in Japan with the mouthwatering descriptions of French and Japanese cuisine, all the while providing us with a female killer that you can’t help but worship. Butter is something that you must read this summer so it can melt on your tongue and tantalize your tastebuds.
Set during Spain’s Golden Age, Bardugo gifts readers with a hot yet chilling look into a tumultuous time. This has been one of my favourite fantasy novels of the year! Historical, dark, sexy, all set against the backdrop of a Spain cleaving itself in two with the inquisition, The Familiar is the perfect book to read before the end of summer.
This is a fun read with a lot of heart! Laura Kay takes Issy from her small, safe, secluded world and forces her to dive headfirst into the chaos of London with her new queer friends that take her under their wing. This novel is beautiful, showing the journey one must take to find themself and expand their world view while also prioritising their mental health. This book will change your perspective and make you realise there is a big wide world out there, so get exploring.
Trust and Safety by Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman
Queer Ultimatum but set in the wilderness! The writing duo’s sophomore novel is fun, fresh and drenched in satire. A critique on our obsession with social media, how we let capitalism brainwash us and the supposed ‘gay agenda’, Trust and Safety is sexy and unserious. What’s better than a summer filled with chaotic sapphics living their best cottagecore lives?