My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Want to escape your problems? Sleep for a year. Set in the year 2000 on New York’s Upper East Side, a wealthy young woman who seems to have it all plans to go into artificial hibernation for a year through prescription meds. Moshfegh’s sophomore novel is deliciously dark in its humour and social satire, making readers question who is really asleep in America. A “hot girl summer” book with a twist, My Year of Rest and Relaxation explores themes of art, escapism, self-destruction, and the quest for meaning in a world that often feels empty.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club proves that you are never too old for adventure. TV presenter Richard Osman’s best-selling debut mystery novel follows four septuagenarians living in a retirement village in the British countryside. Thursday meetings sipping tea and pouring over cold cases turn serious when a sudden murder shakes the village. The lovable quartet, led by former M15 agent Elizabeth, dive into mischief and mayhem to solve the case. Infused with a healthy dose of British humour, the book is a playful break from conventional crime novels but retains the gripping intensity and dizzying plotlines.
The book’s chart-topping success has led to an upcoming Netflix adaptation starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, David Tennant, and more. Osman has also since published a series of three sequels, each as delightful as the last, to keep you reading about the Thursday Murder Club’s senior shenanigans all summer long.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan is back with another glitzy novel. If you’re looking for an escape this summer, dive into the world of Lies and Weddings set against the backdrop of a lavishly luxurious wedding in Hawaii. Rufus Leung Gresham, the son of a British earl and a Hong Kong supermodel, finds out that his family’s funds are depleted. Now he has to decide whether to marry for money and help his family, or confess his love for the girl next door. Of course, the situation is complicated by a dangerous volcanic eruption and an even more dangerous meddling Asian mother. Lies and Weddings follows the tradition of Kwan’s previous novels: international globetrotting, hilarious characters, juicy secrets, and of course, decadent deceit.
That Summer In Berlin by Lecia Cornwall
With the Paris 2024 Olympics less than a month away, revisit another Olympics nearly a century ago with That Summer In Berlin. Amidst the rise of the Nazi Party and the glamour of the Berlin 1936 Olympics, a young British debutante visits Germany. Ostensibly a tourist, Viviane is actually a British spy and her “holiday photos” are evidence exposing the build-up of arms in Germany. Readers will adore this plucky heroine who risks everything for the truth. That Summer In Berlin is a work of historical fiction that mixes a summer cocktail of thriller, mystery and romance to create an intoxicating portrait of Germany and the uncertainty of the pre-WWII moment.
Old Babes In The Wood by Margaret Atwood
Beloved author Margaret Atwood’s latest book Old Babes In The Wood demonstrates her versatility as a writer at 83. The book’s collection of fifteen short stories explores human relationships and loss, with the main storyline following the ageing couple Nell and Tig. There is also a score of delightfully absurd stories peppered into the mix, like a dismayed snail who swaps bodies with a human, an imagined interview with George Orwell, and a reflection told by octopus-like aliens. Wry, wise, and at times whimsical, this collection showcases Atwood’s unparalleled ability to blend poignant insights with imaginative storytelling.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers (both of which have been adapted into TV series starring Nicole Kidman), is back with another book that readers will lose themselves in. The book follows the tennis-obsessed Delaney family, which includes two recently-retired parents and their four adult children. Matriarch Joy has gone missing recently and everyone has a different opinion on why. Wrapped in Aussie humour and cosy confessions, incisive truths about human nature become more palatable under Moriarty’s pen. Her strength has always been precise characterization – readers examine and empathise with each member of the Delaney family to peel back layers of secrets. Apples may never fall, but you can enjoy this sporty, summery read with a glass of apple juice!
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Fans of R.F. Kuang’s viral bestseller Yellowface will love her earlier novel Babel. Set in a fantastical version of 1830s England, the plot follows an orphan from Canton who is selected as a scholar at Oxford tasked with translating different languages to produce magical silver bars that fuel the British Empire’s expansion. Babel is Laufey Book Club’s July 2024 pick, with the Icelandic-Chinese jazz sensation calling the book “an absolute page-turner” and “validating to my experience as a mixed-culture and mixed-race person who spent her life navigating friendships and creating art that transcend those differences.”
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
Detransition, Baby explores identity, parenthood and love through the eyes of its three main characters: Reese, a trans woman and former partner of Amy; Amy, a former trans woman who detransitions to live as a man and becomes Ames; and Katrina, a biracial Chinese and Jewish cis woman who is Ames’s boss and current lover. When Katrina becomes pregnant and Ames invites Reese to co-parent the child, everything is thrown up in the air. Peters evokes questions about the evolving shape of family and the potential of queer family and parenthood outside of the heteronormative nuclear family. This poignant novel is slated to be adapted into a TV series with Grey’s Anatomy’s writer-producers as showrunners.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Funny story: her fiance ran off with his girlfriend. Amidst two broken hearts, buttoned-up Daphne and free-spirited Miles become roommates. Then a fake couple. Then the lines begin to blur. The queen of quintessential beach reads (she literally has a book called Beach Read), Emily Henry is back with another hilarious and heartwarming romance. Funny Story is a love letter to wines and books – Miles works at a winery and Daphne works as a children’s librarian – but also to swallowing pride and letting go. This romantic blend of opposites-attract, fake-dating, friends-to-lovers asks an odd question: what if your ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex is exactly who you need?
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Lucy Foley is back with her highly anticipated whodunit thriller The Midnight Feast. A posh new resort, “The Manor”, holds its opening during the summer solstice and invites a score of wealthy guests. Despite the resort’s lavish beauty, readers will not be able to shake a sense of foreboding permeating the woods, the cliff and the sea. Soon, the sweltering summer heat chills with the news of a murder. Foley’s signature multi-character POVs and fast-paced plot twists will keep readers guessing until the very end.
