Whether you're heading to the beach, boarding a long-haul flight or simply looking for an excuse to spend a little more time indoors, summer is the perfect season to get lost in a good book. This year's recommendations from The National newsroom span genres, continents and decades, from acclaimed new releases and thought-provoking memoirs to crime thrillers, history books and overlooked classics. Some made us think differently, others kept us turning pages late into the night, but all are books we think are worth sharing.
Below are our favourite reads, arranged by year of release, starting with the newest titles.
1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026)
I am calling it, when you’re sat on a beach, train or park bench this summer, you’ll spot at least one (if not three or four) people reading Yesteryear. Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel has certainly made a splash since its April release, and I don’t see the hype dying down any time soon. The story centres on narrator and main protagonist, Natalie Heller Mills, a "tradwife" influencer – although Natalie would reject that label – who portrays a picture-perfect life on her Utah farm online. She and her husband have a big family and lots of land, and they live a back-to-basics existence, where everything looks perfect from the outside.
One morning, she wakes up in a life, or timeline, that isn’t hers. She has been thrown back to a 19th-century yesteryear, with children and a husband who are familiar, but not hers. Forced to live the pioneer life she had waxed lyrical about online, Natalie’s shortcomings quickly come to light.
I couldn’t put this down and read this in about a day and a half, so I can’t guarantee it will see you through an entire trip, but it will certainly keep you gripped.
Farah Andrews, head of features
2. Look What You Made Me Do by John Lanchester (2026)
John Lanchester’s novels always bristle with acerbic observation and delicious satire, so it’s no surprise that his latest, Look What You Made Me Do, has a first sentence that makes you buckle up in preparation for a rollercoaster ride of class dissection, generational resentment and cultural theft, set in contemporary London.
“Every successful marriage has its own private language”, writes Lanchester, in a novel that hinges on a married couple whose most intimate conversations suddenly begin appearing verbatim in a Netflix drama titled Cheating, written by an apparent stranger and which the entire world is talking about.
Best known for his doorstopper novel Capital, Lanchester’s newest work is just as caustic as its predecessor, even if the dazzling pace of its opening section inevitably subsides. Highly recommended for a day at the beach or for a long flight.
Nick March, assistant editor-in-chief
3. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (2026)
I am currently listening to this book on Audible, narrated by the author herself. A deeply moving, raw, honest, heart-breaking and empowering story of the author’s own marriage and subsequent divorce during the Covid-19 pandemic, it takes readers (or in my case, listeners) on a journey – from the beginning of the relationship with her ex-husband to its abrupt ending. In the process, the author looks back at her life, explores the dynamics of her famous family growing up and how that shaped her and her relationship.
Having been through the experience of a long-term marriage and divorce, large parts of this book felt incredibly relatable, and the emotions that can be sometimes hard to explain are expressed beautifully by Burden – the waves of grief, sadness, disappointment, rage and hope.
While it is essentially a story of heartbreak and learning to find your footing in what feels like a whole new world, Burden's tale also inspires as she develops the strength and courage to redefine her identity. It can perhaps also serve as a cautionary tale to those in long-term marriages – identifying the cracks and dealing with them before they deepen. Above all, it is a reminder of the importance of financial independence and security, particularly for women.
Aarti Jhurani, sub-editor, features
4. The Final Score by Don Winslow (2026)
Published in January to widespread acclaim, The Final Score marks author Don Winslow’s return from (thankfully) brief retirement. For people unfamiliar with his work, this collection of six crime novellas is the perfect introduction – illustrating his unmatched talent for hard-edged realism, character development and literary inventiveness.
The opening tale, from which the collection takes its name, results in a classic Winslow twist; his razor-sharp dialogue is a thrilling joy in True Story; while The North Wing delivers a trademark moral dilemma. The Sunday List follows a hard-working teen in the 1970s as he tries to save money for college, only to fall foul of a crooked cop, a seductive customer and a fraudulent hippie. Boone Daniels, PI and passionate California surfer, makes a welcome comeback from earlier novels in The Lunch Break, babysitting an overentitled Hollywood brat. But it is with Collision, the longest story here, in which a momentary mistake causes a man’s world to unravel, that Winslow reminds us why he rightly ranks with the greats of crime fiction.
Nic Ridley, assistant editor-in-chief
5. Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li (2025)
I've always been fascinated by people who have endured unimaginable loss and found a way to keep living. I wasn't familiar with Yiyun Li's body of work, but after reading the description of Things in Nature Merely Grow in a bookshop, I had to pick it up.
In this deeply personal memoir, which won the Pulitzer Prize this year, Li reflects on the suicides of her two sons, who died six years apart, and examines what it means to continue living in the aftermath of profound grief. What drew me to the book is that it is not a story about healing, acceptance or finding closure. Instead, it is about survival and the reality of carrying loss forward. It's a difficult subject, but one that's profoundly human.
David Tusing, assistant features editor
6. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (2025)
If you want something done right, do it yourself, so the old adage goes. But what if that means solving the complex case that is your very own murder? That is the intriguing premise of this suspenseful page-turner that will have you hanging on every word and scrambling to keep up with every twist and turn.
The unenviable task falls on 27-year-old Jet, the victim of a brutal Halloween attack at her home by an unknown assailant. She suffers devastating injuries that doctors are certain will kill her within a week, leaving her with a race against time to uncover the mystery that will soon be her death. Laced with dark humour and plenty of heart, this is a story of a woman who has lived a life incomplete, now determined to find fulfilment, seek redemption and right wrongs before it is too late.
Chris Maxwell, National news editor
7. Babylon, Albion: A Personal History of Myth and Migration by Dalia Al-Dujaili (2025)
Part memoir, part nature writing and part cultural excavation, Babylon, Albion is a beautifully written meditation on belonging and the landscapes that shape us. Dalia Al-Dujaili moves deftly between Iraq and Britain, threading together marshes, Surrey suburbs and mythic beasts – letting the date palm and the oak speak to one another in surprising ways. The book challenges fixed notions of the native, revealing identity instead as layered, migratory and constantly evolving. "Are migratory birds self-conscious about not being native to their land?" Al-Dujaili asks early on – a question that quietly governs everything that follows.
Lyrical, intelligent and emotionally resonant, it is ultimately about the places we inherit, the places we leave behind and the shared ground that connects them. As someone whose life was largely shaped in Britain, but who has carried a Lebanese and Arab identity wherever I have lived, I found Al-Dujaili putting words to something many of us recognise, but struggle to articulate. That she has done so with such confidence and elegance at 26 is remarkable. Babylon, Albion feels like the beginning of a significant literary career.
Nasri Atallah, TN magazine editor
8. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (2024)
Life has been big and overwhelming lately, isn’t it? The sheer scale of global problems is staggering. There is too much happening that is out of our control. Sally Rooney’s books offer an antidote to that vastness. She takes us to a small corner of Ireland, not exactly sunshine and roses (mostly rain, in fact), and dives into the minds and relationships of people in a way that mirrors the intimacy of our own smaller worlds. She zeroes in on family, lovers and friends, and the all-consuming moments of our personal lives.
Intermezzo is her latest novel and arguably her most experimental. Rooney shifts between clean, logical prose and a more stuttering stream of consciousness, capturing distinct mindsets, alluding to neurodiversity. Differing perspectives sit at the heart of the novel, and for me, its exploration of grief and sibling relationships feels close to home. If you're looking for a book that echoes deep and meaningful with those who have known you forever, add this to your list.
Nic Leech, head of audience
9. A day in the life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall (2023)
Set in the occupied West Bank, this book recounts the events leading to and following a school bus accident on the outskirts of Jerusalem in 2012 that killed several Palestinian children and a teacher.
The story is predominantly told through the main character, Abed Salama, whose son was onboard the bus, but detours into the backstories of different people involved at various stages of the day – from a Palestinian UN worker who was passing by and stops to help, to the architect of the separation wall that isolates Palestinians from Israelis in the West Bank. The wall and the restrictions surrounding it forced the bus driver to take that particular, dangerous road during stormy weather.
From these perspectives, the reader is guided through the complicated and painful experience of life under occupation and a system built to isolate and control Palestinians, forcing them to use separate roads and hospitals depending on the colour of their Israeli-issued ID card. Their lives are disrupted by displacement, injustice and stints of incarceration for nominal crimes.
The book would be unputdownable if not for how frustrating the realities facing Palestinians every day are – requiring occasional breaks for the sake of sanity (a luxury not afforded to those living under occupation).
Juman Jarallah, newsletter and special projects editor
10. Mox by Jon Moxley (2021)
After getting back into professional wrestling in early 2025, I found myself completely immersed in it, often spending between two and five hours a day watching matches, weekly shows and major events. That renewed interest also led me down a rabbit hole exploring wrestling's history and the stories behind some of its most fascinating personalities.
Few figures embody the industry's unpredictability quite like Jon Moxley, the performer formerly known as Dean Ambrose in WWE. His career has taken him from the gritty world of deathmatch wrestling, often held in makeshift outdoor venues, to the bright lights of WrestleMania and the global spotlight of mainstream sports entertainment.
That journey is what makes Mox such an appealing summer read. Today, Moxley is regarded as one of the most respected and dependable performers in AEW, but his path to that position was far from straightforward. I am drawn to the book because it promises a deeper understanding of the obstacles he faced, the opportunities that shaped his career and the mindset that allowed him to navigate both. Beyond the wrestling stories, it offers a chance to learn more about a performer who has continually reinvented himself while remaining true to his identity, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in resilience, ambition and personal growth.
Faisal Al Zaabi, culture journalist
11. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama (2020)
At a time when so many people feel uncertain about the future, this novel offers a welcome sense of reassurance. Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For Is in the Library follows a series of people who feel stuck in different ways – questioning their careers, relationships or place in the world – and who each receive an unexpected book recommendation from a mysterious librarian.
The premise is simple. Rather than offering dramatic twists or life-changing revelations, it focuses on small shifts in perspective and the idea that it’s never too late to change course. Each interconnected story serves as a reminder that feeling lost is often part of the process. In a world that constantly pushes people to have a plan, this is a comforting and hopeful read that offers some encouragement that the answers we are searching for may be closer than we think.
Evelyn Lau, assistant features editor
12. God's Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World by Alan Mikhail (2020)
Where would we be without the Ottomans? According to this author, absolutely nowhere. This book looks at the life and times of Sultan Selim I and how his conquests and the fear of the spread of Islam pushed Europeans to cross the Atlantic. The book examines Selim's ascent to power, his drive for expansion and his take-no-prisoners attitude towards leadership (he was the first to-be sultan to stage a coup against his own father). It also looks at European forays into the New World, and how the fear of the Ottomans and other Muslim kingdoms shaped their interactions with the peoples they conquered.
I think the author takes too many liberties with Selim's effect on some events and the book glosses over a lot of evils of Ottoman society in comparing it to that of Western Europe, but it's still a must-read for those looking to understand this period of history in a more holistic way.
Sara Ruthven, deputy US bureau chief
13. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald Roberston (2019)
Written by a behavioural psychotherapist, this book examines the life of Marcus Aurelius, Rome's quintessential philosopher-king, and his famed Meditations, outlining their applications to modern life. I'm not a philosopher: navel-gazing and pondering the mysteries of the universe have never been my thing, but this book opened a door in my head I didn't even know was there. Dealing with anger, pain, fear, death, even annoying co-workers – it covers it all. I'd always thought "Stoicism" meant being, well, stoic, emotionless, cold, distant. But it's really about self-control, connecting with nature, seeing the best in others and striving to perfect your character.
Sara Ruthven, deputy US bureau chief
14. The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller (2008)
Everyone knows the famous biblical parable of the prodigal son – the rebellious younger son who demands his inheritance, squanders it on worldly pleasures and eventually returns home, broken and humbled, to the embrace of his forgiving father.
Having heard this story countless times in sermons, I was intrigued to discover that Timothy Keller offered a different perspective on one of Christianity's best-known teachings. In The Prodigal God, Keller shifts the focus to the older brother, exploring the often-overlooked sin of self-righteousness. While the younger son is clearly lost in his rebellion, Keller argues that the elder brother is equally lost in his belief that good behaviour and moral living can earn him favour and salvation.
Through this lens, the book examines pride, resentment and the danger of believing we can justify ourselves through our actions alone. Keller's portrayal of the dutiful but bitter older brother is both insightful and challenging, prompting readers to reflect on their own assumptions about faith, virtue and grace. Thought-provoking and accessible, it offers a fresh perspective on a familiar parable and left me deeply introspective.
Zoya Thomas, digital platforms editor
15. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (1995)
This dystopian sci-fi novel by Belgian author Jacqueline Harpman, originally published in French, is steeped in philosophy and feminism. Despite being narrated by a child, it draws you in from the very first page.
The story follows a young girl imprisoned in an underground cage alongside 39 older women, watched over by silent male guards. None of them knows when they were captured, how they got there, or why they are being held. Much of the novel unfolds through the narrator's thoughts and observations, which are often striking in their depth and wisdom.
There is a suffocating sense of despair that hangs over the narrative, and at times I found myself physically uncomfortable imagining the prisoners' bleak reality. Yet, Harpman uses this setting to explore larger questions about freedom, identity and what it means to be human, with strong existential undertones throughout.
A major shift in the plot occurs when the prisoners are presented with an opportunity for freedom, opening up new questions and possibilities. While I'm only partway through the book, I suspect its melancholy atmosphere will remain until the end. Even so, it has already left me reflecting on the importance of human connection and the true meaning of freedom.
Hala Nasar, social media journalist
16. The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis by Jose Saramago (1984)
The year is 1936. Ricardo Reis, a middle-aged doctor and poet, returns to the colourless, disenchanted city of Lisbon after being away for 16 years. Portugal is descending into dictatorship, Spain lurches towards civil war and fascism is on the rise in Germany and Italy.
Reis wastes his days wandering Lisbon's rain-soaked streets and encountering strange characters at the Hotel Braganca. None are more illusory than the ghost of Fernando Pessoa, the beloved poet and godfather of Portuguese modernism who visits Reis from beyond the grave.
As Reis struggles to understand the world, he and Pessoa’s conversations tackle the metaphysical conditions of existence that are written in Jose Saramago’s distinct, flowing prose which won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998.
Pessoa and Saramago were the two great writers to emerge from 20th century Portugal.
It should be no surprise, then, that Pessoa’s influence can be felt throughout this novel, where Saramago’s magical-realist elements are clearest in the narration-dialogue between Pessoa and Reis: Pessoa as the genius and Reis as one of his greatest creations.
Reading Saramago requires a lot of patience (and some supplementary reading), but it is well worth it.
Kyle Fitzgerald, business correspondent, Washington
17. Nada by Jean-Patrick Manchette (1972)
I discovered this re-released French crime novel from the 1970s a few months ago and have been unable to get it out of my head ever since. The premise is simple enough, a ragtag group of revolutionaries with shady aspirations decide to kidnap the US Ambassador to France. It's a short novel, my favourite kind, and not a page is wasted as we're treated to an intricate tale that's surprisingly funny for a political thriller.
The folly of violence for political causes is front and centre throughout, with more than a few suggestions that those carrying them out would be up to no good anyway, with or without a cause. The authorities also get a less than favourable depiction, with the author suggesting solidifying power is for important for them than doing the right thing. The kidnap plot is depicted with such a clockwork precision, both for the passages detailing the planning and execution, that you can't help but get Day of the Jackal vibes.
Patrick Ryan, assistant news editor
18. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (1924)
I’ve gone too easy on my brain for too long. When packing a book for the beach or winding down at the end of the day, I’ve too often reached for something that goes down easy. But the brain should be worked like a muscle, and this summer I’m finally sending mine back to the gym. If I can talk myself into lifting weights, surely I can talk myself into Thomas Mann, William Faulkner, James Joyce and William H Gass, among others.
Among them is The Magic Mountain, Mann’s 1924 masterpiece, newly translated by Simon Pare for Oxford World’s Classics. With Pawel Pawlikowski’s recent film Fatherland bringing Mann back to mind, this summer feels like the right time to revisit it. Set in a Swiss Alpine sanatorium, it follows Hans Castorp, a young man who arrives to visit his cousin and ends up staying far longer than planned. What begins as a short visit becomes a strange, expansive education in sickness, time, desire and the competing philosophies of a Europe on the edge.
More than a century after its publication, it remains one of the great novels of ideas. We commit to doorstoppers with the hope that they might change our lives. Few have done so for as many readers as The Magic Mountain.
William Mullaly, arts and culture editor
