The Books The LGs Couldn’t Put Down This Summer
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The Books The LGs Couldn’t Put Down This Summer

From long-haul flights to lazy afternoons in the park, the LGs have been busy getting stuck into some serious summer reads. And while the season may be coming to a close, there’s still time to catch up. These are the books you might have missed – from sharp social commentary to juicy storylines and more introspective picks, each one deserves a spot on your list.
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The Da Vinci Code

What I love most about Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is the way it seamlessly intertwines real-life history, events and monuments with fiction – so much so that I’m never entirely sure what’s fact and what’s fiction. I know I’m embarrassingly late to the party – everyone else seems to have read it years ago – but I can’t help being completely hooked. It’s addictive in a way that makes me sneak in pages whenever I can, even in the office when no one’s looking. There’s something about the mix of mystery, history and just a hint of danger that keeps me turning the pages long after I should probably be doing anything else.

Buy The Da Vinci Code at AMAZON.CO.UK

Every Summer After & Happy Place

A romance novel is always my go-to. Fresh back from a summer trip, I can confirm I had my head in a book at every opportunity – one of which was Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. It's set in a small lakeside town and follows two childhood best friends turned lovers who haven’t spoken in 12 years after a sudden split. I loved the storyline, the characters and the coastal setting – I couldn’t put it down. In a similar vein, Emily Henry’s Happy Place is just as addictive. It charts the fallout of a couple who’ve broken up but must pretend they’re still together on an annual friends’ holiday at their beloved Lakehouse – layered, emotional and full of tension. If you’ve been watching The Summer I Turned Pretty, you’ll appreciate both. Both are the kind of books that I wish I could read again for the first time.

Buy Every Summer After at AMAZON.CO.UK 

Buy Happy Place at AMAZON.CO.UK

Fourth Wing

Fourth Wing had me completely hooked from the first chapter. Think dragons, danger and a brutal magical academy where survival isn’t guaranteed – it’s fast-paced, intense and seriously addictive. The slow-burn romance adds just the right amount of sauciness without taking away from the action-packed plot. If you loved ACOTAR or Hunger Games, this one is a must-read. Plus, the best part is its part of the Empyrean series – there are two more books already available, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm, with a total of five planned altogether. 

Buy Fourth Wing at AMAZON.CO.UK

Flesh & Caledonian Road

 I loved sinking into Caledonian Road and Flesh this summer – two very different books but both with that gossipy, voyeuristic angle I can’t resist. Andrew O’Hagan’s Caledonian Road is about a writer heading for a cataclysmic fall from grace. It is sprawling and chaotic, full of betrayal, ambition and social climbing; the kind of novel you end up relaying to your friends like you’re sharing the latest drama from someone else’s life. David Szalay’s Flesh, meanwhile, is the opposite – sparse, cool and understated – but it still had me hooked in the same way, like overhearing a confession you’re not supposed to. It's about clandestine relationships and the powers that corrupt and control us all. Both scratched that itch for a salacious storyline.

Buy Flesh at AMAZON.CO.UK 

Buy Caledonian Road at AMAZON.CO.UK

Mouthing

Although I first picked up Mouthing by Orla Mackey for its cover (two older women beneath a striking yellow header) I was delighted to discover it is the debut of an Irish novelist. Irish literature has a way of balancing wit with a certain melancholy, and Mouthing is no exception. The novel spans four decades, shifting between the unreliable voices of Ballygowen’s residents, a small town where gossip flows freely. At times, the narrative leans sombre, but that is part of its truth, capturing the texture of small-town life. Mouthing is a fantastic and pacey debut – the kind of book you could happily bring on holiday while still feeling you are reading something substantial. 

Buy Mouthing at AMAZON.CO.UK

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