12 holiday reads: Essential books to pick up at the airport
Fancy a holiday read? Look no further.
The best bit about beach holidays, if you're a book fan, is heading to the shops beforehand to plan which worlds you'll be transported to in a novel while you're getting some needed R&R on a sandy beach.
It can be hard to know what to choose, though, when there are hundreds of new releases every month.
RadioTimes.com has done the hard work for you and found the essential books you need to read this summer, from twisty thrillers to irresistible romances.
Read on for all our picks!
1. Strange Houses by Uketsu
If you haven't heard of Uketsu, it's time to get acquainted with him. His face has never been revealed, with the writer choosing to represent himself via YouTube with a white mask, black clothing and digitally distorted voice. He specialises in horror and mystery, and his new release, Strange Houses, is sure to be talked about online.
Readers will uncover the secrets of weird houses and will have puzzles to solve via words and floor plans to find the terrible truths at the heart of them.
2. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Joan Goodwin wants to see the stars up close and thinks all her dreams are coming true when she gets accepted onto NASA's astronaut training programme - even more remarkable considering she may be one of the first women to be selected in the 1980s. But a chance encounter with her soul mate could derail everything - and lives will change forever when STS-LR9 takes flight.
3. House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama
It's 1986 in the Philippines and Josephine is left as the town pariah after her parents are killed while she left to marry a man twice her age. When an old friend offers her an escape, she can't say no - all she has to do is stay in a haunted mansion and play hide and seek. If she wins, she can have whatever she wants, but if she loses, it could cost her her life...
4. The Compound by Aisling Rawle
If you love Love Island and reality shows, you'll love The Compound. We follow Lily, a contestant on a brutal TV show set in a compound in the middle of nowhere. With lives literally at stake, and contestants getting banished every day, who will win? And do they even want to win at this stage?
Read our review of The Compound by Aisling Rawle.
5. The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
Oghi wakes in a hospital bed unable to move and speak, and the car accident that killed his wife means he's under the control of his mother-in-law while she grieves the death of her daughter. While Oghi's world shrinks, his mother-in-law tries to tear apart everything left of his life.
6. The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa
Grandfather Fuchigami is murdered in the middle of the family's New Year's gathering and his grandson, Hisataro, has fallen into a mysterious time-loop where he has to relive the same day again and again. Every morning, Hisataro has the chance to find the culplrit and prevent the death of his grandfather. Will he manage to crack the mystery?
7. Liquid by Mariam Rahmani
The lead character has always thought she was the smartest in the room, but just a few years on from earning her PhD, she's still broke, single and in a job that's going nowhere - so there's only one thing to do: marry rich.
As a result, her summer becomes wild and jam-packed with dating, until she gets some tragic news that prompts her to head to Tehran to confront questions about herself and her family.
8. By Your Side by Ruth Jones
Linda Standish worked for 33 years at the council's Unclaimed Heirs Unit and is looking forward to early retirement, but she has one more case to work on before she gets there - that of Levi Norman, a Welshman who made his home on a remote Scottish island five years before he died. It's up to Linda to find his relatives, which might not be the easiest task... but she might discover things about herself along the way.
9. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
Jet thinks she has her whole life ahead of her - but she might be mistaken. When she's attacked, she has a week left to live, during which time she decides to solve her own attempted murder. Will she manage to work out who attacked her before it's too late?
10. When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
Bo lives a quiet life in Sweden. He's elderly, and his days are made when he gets a visit from his care team and his son. He has his dog, Ture, but when his son suggests it's time for the dog to go, a whirlwind of emotions are stirred up, meaning that Bo has to find his own voice.
11. Men in Love by Irvine Welsh
It's the late '80s and Margaret Thatcher's tenure is coming to an end, but a new era is just beginning for the Trainspotting crew. Renton, Sick Boy, Spud and Begbie are back and on a hunt to feel alive, often finding joy in the wrong places. With the '90s on the horizon, will finding love answer their prayers?
12. The Sleepwalkers by Scarlett Thomas
What secrets will you find when you check into the Villa Rosa? As Evelyn and Richard arrive for their honeymoon, the strange owner Isabella flirts with newly married Richard while treating Evelyn with contempt. The holiday gets even weirder when secrets start to leak out...
For all the latest RT Book Club news, interviews, Q&As with the authors, reviews of previous books and more, visit The Radio Times Book Club sponsored by Dr. Oetker Ristorante.
Authors
Helen Daly is the Deputy Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
