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Summer is here and I couldn’t be more grateful for longer days and shorter nights but the heat makes me not want to do things. It kind of limits the things me and my husband can do during the weekend. Hikes are out of question. So are picnics or short trips around Kathmandu because of all the pollution.

I find it difficult to concentrate so I feel listless during our weekly movie nights. My husband doesn’t like it when either the fan or the air conditioner is on. The room feels oppressive even with the windows open. The only thing I can seem to focus on are, thankfully, books. But even there, it seems like I have a certain preference. And I found out that it wasn’t just me.

I was talking to some colleagues recently and, while on the subject of books, they mentioned certain books made summer heat more bearable. Or so it seemed. Long, tragic stories were out and fun, lighthearted books were in. All of us liked reading something upbeat to tackle the monotony. We started giving each other recommendations of what we had enjoyed over the past couple of weeks and I thought it made for such a great list that I decided to share it.

So, this week, I bring to you some summer book recommendations, guaranteed to make you not regret skipping that family lunch or a day out with your friends and instead enjoy lounging in bed with a tall glass of iced tea next to you. Since most people I meet tend to like reading physical books compared to e-books, I’ve only included ones that can easily be found at local bookstores in this list. The five books here will fill your days with cheer and put you in a good mood.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

This is Emily Henry’s debut novel that came out in 2020. Since then, she’s gone on to publish a few other works but ‘Beach Read’ is arguably the most popular. We meet January Andrews, a romance writer, when she is given a key to her father’s secret beach house—one that he shared with another woman during his marriage. January heads there with hopes of using the time to write her next novel while clearing out the house. She finds out her college rival, Augustus Everett, lives next-door. Gus is a ‘serious’ writer who thinks romance is fickle. Since both of them are struggling with their work, they strike a deal—January must write a ‘serious’ novel while Gus must come up with something with a happy ending. Read the book to find out where that leads them and be ready to be sucked up in their world.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Rachel Chu has no idea just how filthy rich her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, is, when she agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with him and attend a family wedding. The culture shock she gets when she meets his family is made worse by the fact that Nick happens to be one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors. Then there’s Eleanor, Nick’s mother. She has strong feelings about the kind of woman her son should marry, and Rachel doesn’t fit the bill. Reading ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ feels a little like watching an Indian television serial. It has all the glamor, drama, gossip, and scheming—just perfect for a hot summer weekend. It’s outrageously funny, addictive, and filled with moments that will make you gasp in awe and surprise.  

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

While we were talking about books to read this summer, a lot of fantasy recommendations came up. Books by Sarah J. Maas and Sabaa Tahir came up quite a few times. But the one I chose to include in this list is ‘Wicked’ because all of us agreed it had an old-world charm and made most of us nostalgic about our childhoods. As children, most of us have read ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Wicked is a retelling of that favorite childhood story but from the perspective of the evil witch. When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. In Wicked, you meet her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch. You find out where she came from and what made her who she is. It’s a stunning novel full of rich imagery that will hook you from the first page.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I loved ‘Twilight’ when it first came out. The first book in a four-part series, Twilight, is a love story of Edward and Bella. Only Edward is a vampire and Bella is human. I know a lot of people hate this book. The writing is bad, they say. The story is so cliché, others add. But it’s guaranteed to take your mind off the heat because there is drama and suspense at every turn. It’s easy to put yourself in Bella’s shoes and be swayed by an idea of romance that is so insane that you wish for it to be true. An element of thrill is added when the vampire community considers Bella to be a threat and wants to end her. Twilight then shifts from a pleasantly chilling love story to a taut chase thriller. The tension levels escalate as Bella’s hunter closes in and the stakes for her survival become high.

The Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Though all the books on this list are light and fun, ‘The Confessions of a Shopaholic’ by Sophie Kinsella will have you in splits. Alternatively titled ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ the story follows Rebecca (Becky) Bloomwood who loves to shop. Whether she can afford it is another matter altogether. Becky is a financial journalist. She tells other people how to manage their money. In reality, she doesn’t have a grip on her finances. The answer to all her problems is retail therapy. She knows it’s not a good habit but she can’t stop. This gets her in messy situations which get even messier when she tries to find a way out of them. The Confessions of a Shopaholic is the first book in the series so there’s more in store for you if you feel like you haven’t had enough after reading the book.

2024 is a year of rereads. Four months into the year and I’ve reread more books than I have read new releases. There’s something comforting about escaping into a familiar world, one which you know will not disappoint you. ‘Neverwhere’ by Neil Gaiman is a book that never lets you down. There are various versions of the book and the one I picked up this time is a recently published edition that has an extra short story on one of the characters in the book. I just love it when an author decides to give you more background on a story you love.

Neverwhere tells the story of Richard Mayhew who lives in London. He doesn’t have the most fascinating life but he’s doing okay. Then, one day, on his way to meet his high-flying, overly ambitious girlfriend’s boss, he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on the street. This act of kindness turns his world upside down—and quite literally so.

He lands up in London Below where there are angels and murderers. It looks and seems like London but there’s something dark and sinister about it. There are beasts and Earls who hold court in a tube train. And Richard finds himself thrust in the heart of danger. There are two thugs who want to kill him. He must find a way to escape this place and make it back home before it’s too late. But how does he do that when he doesn’t have anyone to help him? And the only girl who might be able to fix his life seems to be on a mission to avenge her family’s murder, that too without a clue about who murdered her family in the first place.

The setup is flawless. The execution is great. You will not be bored for a second. The world of London Below that Gaiman creates in Neverwhere is magical. It transforms a real city into an entirely new world. You meet rats that can talk, and people-lookalike who eat frogs and bite off human heads. It’s a dangerous world but one that is full of possibilities. Anything can happen in London Below and your life would forever be altered in London Above. Reading Neverwhere feels a little like sitting on a rollercoaster without any safety guard.

Neverwhere was actually written for television but the book is much better. In the introduction to the text, Gaiman says the Neverwhere on screen wasn’t the one he had in his head. Every scene or line that was cut eventually found its way into the book so there’s a lot more here than on the tv adaptation. It’s the full experience. And trust me on this one, the book gets better with each reread as there’s just so much to unpack in the story.

2024, until now, has been a strange year, especially where my reading life is concerned. To say I haven’t had much luck with books would be an understatement. I have been giving up on books far more than completing them. Every book seems to hold a lot of promise but my attention falters midway and I find myself unable to keep up with the story. That is perhaps the reason why I’m gravitating towards books I’ve read and loved in the past.

There is a shelf in my study that is dedicated to books that I hold dear, titles that I’m unwilling to lend because I know I’ll be devastated if I don’t get them back or if they are returned in a bad condition. These books are guaranteed to make me happy, even when there’s a lot going on at home and work. I’ll forget my worries, albeit temporarily, and be transported into a world filled with fun, cheer, and hope. Though there are over two dozen books in that particular shelf, here I’m recommending eight favorites, hoping they will bring you comfort and joy when you need it the most.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

I read this one as a child and have reread it several times over the years. It’s a lovely book about hope and the power of books. Matilda is a special child, with special powers. But her parents and brother aren’t nice to her. So, she finds solace in books. Sadly, school, with a horrendous headteacher, isn’t very different from home. She is treated badly at both places. But Miss Jenny, her homeroom teacher, comes to her rescue and together they try to change each other’s fate.

‘Matilda’ is laugh-out-loud funny. It has me giggling every time I read it. The protagonist is a fearless character who will make you believe that anything is possible if you put your heart and soul in it. The movie adaptation, available on Netflix, is equally great and does justice to a great story. There’s also a wonderful musical that was released recently that is quite good.

The House on the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune

Linus Baker is a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. He’s given a curious and highly classified assignment—to travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside. There’s a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must put aside his fears and determine whether they’re likely to bring about the end of days. It’s here that he meets the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus. He’s the caretaker of the orphanage and will do anything to keep it safe.

‘The House on the Cerulean Sea’ is an enchanting story about a found family and the power of love. It’s also a celebration of queer relationships that has you cheering for the main characters. I loved every word Klune has written. It’s absolutely mesmerizing.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed is the author of the bestselling book ‘Wild’ that was an Oprah Winfrey book club pick and adapted into a movie by Reese Witherspoon. Before the furor, Strayed was an agony aunt, answering random questions in her column ‘Dear Sugar’ on a website. The column is now discontinued but all published segments have been compiled into a book. ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ is a collection of questions by readers and answers by Strayed that is filled with wit and wisdom. To a woman whose husband cheated on her, Strayed says, “A terrible thing happened to you but you mustn’t let your life be defined by it.” The book is filled with nuggets like these that will force you to dust yourself off and begin anew. Every page has something to offer. It’s a lovely book. Strayed’s words will fill you with hope and leave you inspired.

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

I love reading books about books and ‘The Little Paris Bookshop’ by Nina George is one of my all-time favorites. The story follows Monsieur Jean Perdu who owns the ‘Literary Apothecary’, a book barge on the Seine in Paris. He prescribes books to his customers depending on their needs. It’s almost as if he’s looking into their souls and choosing books that will make them feel better. But he is unable to mend his own broken heart after his true love left him. At the start of the book, we see Perdu living a mundane half-life, not daring to open himself up to the world. However, hope arrives in the form of Catherine who forces him to confront his past, and more importantly love again. The novel takes you into a world of books and love that’s hard to escape. Better yet, it’s a great story that takes your mind off things.  

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Here’s another great book on the power of books. I’d recommend ‘The Reading List’ to anyone who wants to read a heartwarming tale of how books can change your life. The story is partly inspired by the author’s grandfather, who found a connection with his granddaughter through books. Set in Wembley in London, The Reading List is the story of two individuals—80-year-old Mukesh Patel, a widower, and 17-year-old Aleisha, who works part-time at the local library. The book is peppered with references to other books. I’ve read some of them and the rest are on my reading list. Mukesh and Aleisha remind us of the fact that as humans we crave connection and that it can provide some much-need comfort in the worst of times.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

‘The Night Circus’ is such a vibe. Morgenstern’s writing makes the story unravel before your eyes. I read The Night Circus a few years after it came out and was bummed that I hadn’t read it sooner. All the hype surrounding it had initially put me off but after having read it, I realized the hype was justified. The story, about a traveling circus, follows Celia and Marco, both powerful magicians, who are in competition with each other. But they fall in love and things take a different turn.

The story is told in alternating timelines and there’s a non-linear structure to it. With any other writer, this could have made things messy but Morgenstern wields her magic and makes a fairytale come alive. The setting is beautiful and changes throughout the book, keeping you hooked. You will enjoy getting to know the characters. The book will take up so much mental space that you won’t have any for anything else, which is a great thing when you are feeling bogged down.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is Gail Honeyman’s debut novel. It was published in 2017 and won the Costa Debut Novel Award that year. The story is about Eleanor Oliphant, a social misfit with a traumatic past. She becomes enamored with a singer and lives her life believing she is destined to be with him. Everything she does is guided by that strong belief. The premise might sound bleak but it isn’t so at all. It’s a heart-wrenching tragedy with some funny moments that will have you contemplating on the fragility of life.

It’s a book about emotional recovery that fills you with hope. Eleanor is an oddball but you start to care about her. Honeyman reveals things about Eleanor little by little, a trick that lends the story an element of mystery and keeps readers hooked as well.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

‘Red, White & Royal Blue’, Casey McQuiston’s debut novel, follows a rivalry-turned-romance trope between the Prince of Wales and the First Son of the United States. As far as queer stories go, this is a really honest and fun story. It’s an exploration of sexuality like no other. The writing is honest and optimistic. There’s a lot of humor and some really wonderful moments as well. The characters are endearing. There is a lot of discussion about the characters’ aspirations, their concerns for their countries as well as all that they want to do to help the LGBTIQA+ community.

Red, White & Royal Blue is essentially a love story but it’s also a celebration of identity. If you haven’t read a queer love story, this could be a good place to start. The make-believe world is as real as it can be. I must admit that the story has a slow start but you won’t want to put it down once it picks up.

Let me start with a short disclaimer. I love short stories. I’m a sucker for stories that are a few pages long, especially when there’s a lot of work and I can’t seem to concentrate on longer works of fiction. Short stories also help me get out of the inevitable reading slump. Here, I must admit that I’m not very happy with how much I’ve read this year. Apart from a few rereads and some odd slim novels here and there, I haven’t enjoyed many of the books I’ve picked up.

A short story collection is always a safe bet. I don’t have to invest much time and mental energy into getting to know a character. And since a story takes an hour or two at the most to finish, I feel like I’ve at least accomplished my reading goal for the day. I’ve mostly gravitated toward horror stories like Bora Chung’s ‘Cursed Bunny’ and Carmen Marie Machado’s ‘Her Body and Other Parties’ which is why Cho Nam Joo’s ‘Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories’ was such a refreshing read.

Cho is the author of the best-selling novel ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982’ which sparked a debate on feminism in South Korea while catapulting the writer to global fame when the book was longlisted for the United States National Book Award. Cho is known for highlighting gender inequality and misogyny in South Korea. Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories is a collection of eight stories about women from all walks of life. They are stories of life in South Korea from a female perspective. But the themes—loneliness, domestic violence, dysfunctional families, aging etc.—are universal.

What I liked about the book is that the stories aren’t dramatic but they leave you with some important messages—they might be things you already know and experience but you might have seldom paid attention to them. Women often make room for misogyny by not speaking up and letting things slide, and Cho draws our attention to that. She writes about the invisible labor women put in at home, work, and society at large, celebrating all the ‘little things’ they do to keep the ball rolling. In one of the stories, a neglected worker quits and the entire office starts to malfunction. In most of the stories, women are often repressed and maybe even unaware of what they want.

Some stories were a let-down. They felt a bit too cliché, like ‘Dear Hyunnam Oppa’ where a woman writes a letter to her boyfriend of 10 years, who has just proposed to her, listing out all the reasons why she doesn’t want to marry him. It felt too generic and forced. In ‘Puppy Love’, which explores love during Covid-19, the narrative ends abruptly, leaving you feeling unsettled. But that could have easily just been me and not a problem with the stories. Perhaps, I couldn’t relate to them. Maybe you will. With Cho, you never know, as her writing has the potential to tap into long-dormant emotions.

Short stories

Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories

Cho Nam-Joo

Translated by Jamie Chang

Published: 2023

Publisher: Scribner

Pages: 218, Paperback

Elizabeth Strout has a knack for bringing characters to life. She explores them in great detail, adding layer upon layer of nuances to their personalities, and thus makes us resonate with them. I read ‘Olive Kitteridge’ in high school and remember falling in love with the character and the setting. The character comes back in ‘Olive, Again’. Both the books are set in a fictional town in Maine.

Lucy Barton, the protagonist of ‘Oh William’, which was longlisted for The Booker Prize in 2022, is another character Strout seems unwilling to let go of. Lucy has appeared in Strout’s short story collection ‘Anything Is Possible’ and the novel ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’. It’s a delight getting to know Lucy. She’s every bit as endearing and complex as Olive and I’m hoping Oh William won’t be the last we will see of her, though I fear it is probably where her story ends.

In ‘My Name is Lucy Barton’, Lucy Barton was a young mother. She wakes up after an operation to find her mother, whom she hasn’t seen in years, sitting beside her. The story moves back and forth between the five days her mother stays with her at the hospital and Lucy’s traumatic childhood in Maine. The novel explores childhood trauma and poverty. It’s a portrayal of how childhood trauma almost always defines your life.

In Oh William, Lucy is divorced from her first husband (William). She had remarried but David is no more. In My Name is Lucy Barton, her children, Chrissy and Becka, were young but now they are married. There is some gap in the stories between the two books but we get to know what has transpired in flashbacks. Oh William is focused on William but the story is told through Lucy’s perspective.

After the death of his mother, William discovers that she had another child before him. This shocking piece of information is what sets him off to Maine to look for his half-sibling. He asks Lucy to accompany him and this trip forms the main plot of the book. We get to know William but we also get to know Lucy and all her thoughts and emotions as well as the things and incidents that have shaped her.

William is Lucy’s ex-husband but she ‘has only ever felt at home with him’. Despite his repeated affairs and Lucy’s decision to leave William, the two are still a team for their children. Lucy confesses that David, her second husband, made her happy and that they were made for each other. But she calls William after finding out about his illness and later after his death as well.

Strout is an empathetic writer and the result is that we never judge Lucy for her decisions. Nothing comes across as shallow or callous. Instead, we are left to wonder if first love never really leaves us, and how, as human beings, we are all inherently flawed, as much as we’d like to believe otherwise.

Fiction

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56294820  

Oh William!

Elizabeth Strout

Published: 2021

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 240, Paperback

‘Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun’ is the third book in the Finlay Donavon series by Elle Cosimano. Whether it’s the final book perhaps depends on the popularity of the series but I think it’s time to end it. I enjoyed ‘Finlay Donovan Is Killing It’ and ‘Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead’ but the story feels a little stretched out by the third book.

Here, Finlay and Vero are trying to reveal the identity of EasyClean who is the hitman hired on an Internet forum to kill Steven, Finlay’s husband. Russian mob boss Feliks, to whom Finlay owes a favor, is behind bars but he wants Finlay to do something for him. She is to find and identify the contract killer before the cops do. But the killer might be a police officer.

Luckily, Nick, a cop who has feelings for Finlay, has just been tasked with starting a citizen’s police academy. Finlay and Vero see this as a perfect chance to do some digging without raising suspicions and join the group. To make matters worse, Finlay has a deadline to meet and she can’t seem to rewrite the parts her editor wants her to change. Vero’s past is coming back to haunt her. The two find themselves in a precarious situation and they, as always, make it worse just by trying to dodge it.

I love Finlay and Vero. They make a nice team. Vero is a great wing woman for Finlay, dealing with her ex-husband, handling her children, and generally egging her on. She is a character you enjoy reading out and getting to know more than the protagonist in Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun. But the same antics get boring after a while. I searched high and low for the book but now after having read it, I realize I wouldn’t have missed out on much even if I hadn’t found it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it. Just not as much as I enjoyed the first two parts of the series.

In the third book, something is amiss right from the start. A lot of time goes into reintroducing characters. The buildup is slow. The sense of urgency that made the earlier books work is largely missing in the latest installment. It lacks fun. It lacks adventure. Incidents feel pointlessly drawn out. But I can also understand why it would appeal to some readers. It has fewer of the outlandish moments of the earlier two parts. The things that happen feel more real. Even though nothing much happens, it’s a light read for when you want something to take your mind off things.

Thriller | Mystery

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

Elle Cosimano

Published: 2023

Publisher: Headline Review

Pages: 297, Paperback

I believe there’s a right time and place for every book. Not all books resonate with you all the time. ‘The Reading List’ by Sara Nisha Adams reiterated that sentiment. It was a lovely book. The plot was simple and comforting. But I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more if I had read it, say, before the pandemic. By the time I came across the book (just a few weeks ago), I had already read similar stories. There was nothing new in it.

But I’d recommend The Reading List to anyone who wants to read a heartwarming tale of how books can change your life. The story is partly inspired by the author’s grandfather, who found a connection with his granddaughter through books. Set in Wembley in London, The Reading List is the story of two individuals—80-year-old Mukesh Patel, a widower, and 17-year-old Aleisha, who works part-time at the local library.

Mukesh is mourning his wife, Naina. His three daughters take care of him but there’s a hole in his heart that just won’t go away. He’s lonely and, at times, miserable. Naina was a voracious reader, often asking Mukesh to keep quiet because she was reading. When he stumbles upon a copy of Audrey Niffenegger’s ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ that his wife didn’t get to return to the library, he sits down to read it. He doesn’t expect to get so engrossed in the story. Reading it makes him feel like Naina is around.

When he finishes it, he goes to the library to return it where he meets Aleisha. He’s also hoping to read other books so that he has something to talk about with his granddaughter who, like his wife, loves to read. But Aleisha is unhelpful and Mukesh runs away. Aleisha, on the other hand, is stuck at the library. She never really wanted to work there but her brother, Aiden, recommended it and she couldn’t say no. She’s trying to escape a problematic mother and would do anything to get a few hours away from home.

Then, she discovers a crumpled reading list tucked away in one of the library books and she starts reading the books on them as well as recommending them to Mukesh when he eventually returns. From Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to Vikram Seth’s ‘A Suitable Boy’, the octogenarian and the teenager go on a journey of self-discovery while forming an unlikely book club of two.

I found the plot to be slightly stretched because I could see where it was going. Apart from that, I enjoyed the book as it reinforced the power of reading and reminded me of some of the reasons why I love books. The book is peppered with references to other books—some of which I have already read and some that I haven’t but they are now all on my reading list. As characters, Mukesh and Aleisha feel a bit cliché but they remind us that the need for connection is a constant across generations.

Fiction

The Reading List

Sara Nisha Adams

Published: 2021

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 425, Paperback

Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2022, Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason has raving reviews on its covers. Ann Patchett, one of my favorite writers ever, says. “I was making a list of all the people I wanted to send it to, until I realized that I wanted to send it to everyone I know.” Jojo Moyes, the author of ‘The Giver of Stars’, says it’s funny and tragic. A review says it’s probably the best book you’ll read this year. Yet another calls it unforgettable.

The story revolves around Martha Friel. She’s a writer who hasn’t had much luck. She has a wonderful husband, Patrick, who has loved her since the day he first met her. But Martha isn’t happy and she can’t put a finger on what makes her tick. She believes something is wrong with her. Growing up with an alcoholic mother has somewhat scarred her. When she alienates her husband who has never been anything but kind to her, she is forced to return to her parent’s home. Will she be able to start over and write herself a better ending? 

I had high expectations from the book. I wasn’t disappointed. The story had its moments. But it took me longer than I had anticipated to get through it. The plot is heavy—with themes such as generational trauma, mental health, pregnancy, and family dynamics. Some subplots, though interesting, aren’t explored much and don’t align with the main story. I’m still undecided about how I feel. I could relate to many instances in the book but I also thought the protagonist was dull and annoying. The side characters were much more fascinating. I wish there was more about them in the story.

I was bored sometimes but I couldn’t stop reading the book either. I expected something to happen. But nothing much ever did. But then that’s life, I guess. Little things add up and make you who you are. You react the way you do because of what you have seen around you growing up. Most of the time, you are guided by your thoughts and beliefs, which shape you but can also be the reason for your downfall. The book made me mull over these.

Mason’s handling of mental health is a nuanced one. She never really names the illness Martha has. Even when a diagnosis is made, it’s referred to as ‘—  —’. It leaves a lot of room for imagination and makes empathizing with the character easier. Sorrow and Bliss is a poignant reminder of the fact that life is complicated and people respond differently to things. There is more sorrow than bliss in the storyline but it makes you think hard about some stuff you would rather not confront, depending on where you are in life. In that way, it’s quite an eye-opening read.

Fiction

Sorrow and Bliss

Meg Mason

Published: 2020

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson

Pages: 347, Paperback