A summer read could be a steamy beach read, a chilling thriller, or something to broaden the mind while you explore a new place. Rob’s chosen something that reminds him of a particular summer, The Beach by Alex Garland and Kate has three non-fiction titles she’s been saving for the summer, Careless People by Sarah Churchwell, Waterlogged by Roger Deakin and Beechcombings by Richard Mabey.
Rob: The Beach was the first book we read at university and it reminds me of a very specific moment in my life, the end of that summer. It’s summing up the idea of the backpacking holiday gone wrong, but in the worst possible way.
Kate: I don’t often read non-fiction but in the summer, especially on the beach, I like to read something factual and explore something a little bit different. This was really inspired by the time I read The Hare With The Amber Eyes on holiday in Mallorca!
This year, I’ve got three books in mind for summer – Careless People by Sarah Churchwell, about the Roaring Twenties and what was really going on in the time of The Great Gatsby, Waterlogged by Roger Deakin, sub-titled ‘A swimmer’s journey through Britain’ (seems very appropriate for the beach!) and Beechcombings – The narratives of trees by Richard Mabey, whose book The Nature Cure I loved earlier this year.
