- Feel Good
- 2nd Aug 2024
- 0
- 7 minutes
12 of the best escapist books to read this summer
Is there anything more relaxing than sitting in the sun with the latest paperback and escaping to a whole other world? We don’t think so…
We’ve rounded up our favourite reads, so you don’t need to waste time browsing the shelves…
Mindfulness, Wellness and Spirituality
Bigger Than Us, Fearne Cotton
In each chapter, our favourite TV personality and internet yogi explores a different spiritual practice. From reiki to the law of attraction to prayer. Fearne takes an open-minded view of each practice and explains her experiences in her usual warm and chatty tone.
Little Things, Fearne Cotton
Honestly, Fearne is on a roll with her books right now. In Little Things, she works with specialists to explain what stress is and when it becomes a problem. She then offers a range of practices and journal prompts with plenty of space to complete activities to boost well-being.
Things No One Taught Us About Love, Vex King
Vex King writes some of the most accessible books on mindfulness. In his latest, he explores love and its healing abilities for individuals and the world around us. This book focuses on healthy love, building boundaries, and healing past emotions and trauma.
Genius Gut, Dr Emily Leeming
We all know that diet is important for our health, but in this book, Dr Emily Leeming explains the importance of taking care of our gut and how to do just that. Many of us have become increasingly aware of the importance of taking care of our gut microbiome for general health and longevity. In this book, we learn all of the ways we can look after our gut as well as the many benefits of doing just that – not only for our physical health but our mood, too.
Feel Good Club, Kiera Lawlor-Skillen and Aimee Lawlor-Skillen
The brainchild of entrepreneurs and married couple, Kiera and Aimee, this book offers a wealth of advice on feeling good – or at least feeling OK – in those moments where feeling happy isn’t possible. The book promises to help you gain confidence in navigating life’s challenges with a more optimistic outlook.
Summer Fiction
Our Holiday, Louise Candlish
Exploring the tense separation between locals and second homeowners, this twisty thriller is the perfect holiday read. Set with a backdrop of rugged beaches and countryside, this book sets two worlds against each other – those who wish to enjoy their wealth and good fortune in peace and those who have been uprooted by rising house prices and are left fighting for their home. This book combines an escapist setting with familiar real-world issues and clashes of both class and generation. It manages to be both dark and humorous while keeping you gripped with every twist.
Murder on Lake Garda, Tom Hindle
This book is the perfect cosy murder for summer. Set on idyllic Lake Garda it combines the wedding of an influencer with a shocking murder plot. Told from the perspective of an outsider – the bride’s brother’s girlfriend – there is a sense throughout of things hidden, secrets kept and a world behind the Instagram profile that is not quite what it seems. With a gorgeous location, stunning wedding and a cast of intriguing characters, this is the perfect escapist paperback.
Someone Else’s Shoes, Jojo Moyes
The queen of romcom fiction returns with this ode to Cinderella in a life-swap novel unlike any other. When wealthy (and very spoiled) Nisha accidentally leaves her beautiful designer shoes at a gym and takes the clothes of struggling Sam with her. What follows is a story of wealth versus poverty, female friendship and realising what is really important. This book is full of laughs, interesting characters and more than one surprising plot twist.
Just Another Missing Person, Gillian McAllister
This brilliant thriller tells the story of a missing persons case unlike any you’ve read before. Told from the perspective of seasoned detective Julia Day, this novel is full of the most surprising twists of the year. We won’t tell you anymore because the less you know, the better for this mystery.
Non-fiction
What I Ate In One Year: (And Related Thoughts), Stanley Tucci
Following his fantastic food memoir, Taste, Tucci’s latest food-centred book takes a look at a whole year of eating – from restaurants to film sets and family dinners. He explains that sharing food is one of the most human acts, and in this lovingly written book, we can escape into a world of culinary delights and warm-hearted memories with the movie star. Also, Tucci reads his own work in his audiobooks so we’d highly recommend listening to his books as well as reading them because don’t we all love that voice?
The Twat Files, Dawn French
In this hilarious memoir, well-loved comedian Dawn French looks back on six decades of, well, cringe-inducing mistakes. She unashamedly retells her most embarrassing moments to help us all feel a bit better about those times when we, too, act like… twats?
The Treasury of Folklore, Dee Dee Chainey and Willow Winsham
Explore the magical world of fairytales and folklore in this beautiful compendium. This comprehensive guide to all things mystical and mysterious travels through countries and generations to bring together the most magical of folk stories.
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