From an autobiography of the trailblasing Katherine Johnson from the best selling Hidden Figures to the second part to the scandalous romance novel Bridgerton series, these are the hottest books to pick up this summer, no matter if you’re looking for a long read or just while away the time while lounging by the pool.
NON-FICTION
An Unapologetic Cookbook by Joshua Weissman
Ranked number five on the Amazon chart list, Texas-based food blogger/vlogger Joshua Weissman guides his readers through how meals, made from scratch, are the way to go. With a humor-centric recipe book for the budding chefs who are tired of 5-minute meals and unsatisfying microwave dinners that leaves you weeping for mom’s home-cooked meals.
The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
With no pain, but and all gain, this new comedic tell-all memoir by the Fun Home author Alison Bechel is the author’s reflection on her lifelong obsession with exercise and her journey through every fitness fad of our time, and then her transcendence through self-improvement thereafter. A book that has earned several rave reviews and landed on Amazon’s Editor’s Pick for Best Biographies & Memories, it will give readers a look into her transcendence into self-improvement that is in her unique voice, slyly funny and heartening.
No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Debuting her first novel, American poet, essayist, and comic memoirist wittily writes a genre-defying book about the rabbit hole of social media while addressing the tragedies and tribulations of reality. All the while offering readers a heart-warming modern therapeutic remedy to love, language, and human connection. This American National Best Seller was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.
Stronger: Changing Everything I Knew About Women’s Strength by Poorna Bell
Challenging the common (and frankly, outdated) stereotype of women and power. Stronger is an empowering story that addresses the ideas of strength and fitness without the mention of weight loss. Authored by award-winning author Poorna Bell who, after the death of her husband, took up powerlifting and is now a competitive amateur powerlifter who can lift over twice her own bodyweight, this book is an inspiring and positively influencing memoir.
The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature by Peter Wohlleben
From the author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees, renowned forester Peter Wohlen draws on new scientific discoveries that express a human connection with the natural world. An of nature writing and science, this satisfyingly soothing and oddly stimulating book offers an eye-opening examination, especially in times of climate change, of age-old ties that link humans to the forests.
My Remarkable Journey by Katherine Johnson
Those familiar with the New York Times bestseller and Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures would recognise the remarkable woman at the heart of the story. This biography of Katherine Johnson tells all, including her journey to NASA and her role in landing the first full story of her life, including what pioneering work as a mathematician at NASA and her contributions to America’s first flights into space.
FICTION
The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Listed as a #1 New York Times Best Seller, this book is the second addition to the now hugely popular Netflix series, Bridgerton. Written by nine-times New York Times Best Selling American Historical Romance author, Julie Pottinger (under the pseudonym Julia Quinn), fans of both the book series and TV show will be thrilled by the page-turning drama and delicious scandals that follow Daphne’s elder brother and London’s most elusive bachelor who has now found a betrothed – and perhaps a love interest that is anyone but his beloved.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Recently published, this dystopian science fiction novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro follows Klara, the “artificial friend” too sickly teenager Josie, explores the fundamental question of “what it means to love” and be human. An eerie observation of a rapidly changing world through the eyes of a unique and memorable narrator, this is Ishiguro’s eighth novels in his repertoire.
Second Place by Rachel Cusk
Landing on Amazon’s Editor’s Pick of Best Literature and Fiction, Second Place by UK-based Canadian novelist Rachel Cusk is a pandemic lockdown-inspired novel that unravels the uncomfortable yet absorbing story that touches on the ideas of the male gaze and the gendered experience of freedom when a stranger is invited into the home of the protagonist.
The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
Assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal, Ceony Twill uncovers a magical world she would never have imagined. An Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Romance a vibrant narration of a fantasy that showcases the imaginative mind of debut author Charlie N Holmberg whose distinctive voice and amazing world-building creates a fantasy for romantics to immerse themselves in.
The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam
In this smart and funny page-turning novel, award-winning author Tahmima Anam takes on ideas of faith, individuality, marriage and the dynamics of male and female in the workplace. Offering readers a laugh-out-loud story that follows Asha Ray, a brilliant coder and the co-creator of one of the most popular social platforms, and a wife to her partner, as she tackles the world of startup culture, modern partnership, and the question of whether technology and love can coexist.