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The Independent
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The books we're packing for summer 2025 holidays, from fantasy to romances
Alongside your passport, swimwear and SPF, a good beach read is an essential in your summer holiday suitcase. Helping you switch off and relax, there a few better feelings than escaping into the pages of a book while stretched out on a sun lounger (Aperol Spritz, optional). But what makes a good summer book? For some, it's revisiting the comforting reads that they associate with a certain place and time, while for others it's indulging in romantasy, diving into exciting debuts, page-turning thrillers or classics set in the destination you're sojourning in. Above all, you want to enjoy yourself – and you don't want to waste valuable sun lounging time on a bad book. Luckily, the IndyBest team is on hand with their literary recommendations for this summer. From a century-spanning William Boyd tome to a classic Patricia Highsmith thriller and Sarah J Maas's TikTok-viral A Court of Thorns and Roses series, these are the best summer books that deserve a special spot in your suitcase. This is one of the best novels I've ever read. I'm certain that this forgotten classic will make its way onto best lists and university curricula over the coming decades. Set just after the First World War, it follows an ex-serviceman as he restores a medieval fresco in a Yorkshire village. Taking place over just a month in 1920, it's full of perfect portrayals of the English countryside. Anyone who has spent time in rural Yorkshire will love Carr's tight, neat descriptions of its fields and woods in summertime. This quiet novel is a surprising page-turner; as Tom Birkin chips away at the wall painting, he confronts his damage from the war, and draws you further and further into his relationship with the villagers and the painting he uncovers. It's a short book – you can read it in an afternoon by the pool – but it's one of those novels that stays with you for months after you read it. A truly great family saga is one that spans generations, cleverly weaves together different plots and intertwines personal stories with historical events – The Covenant of Water is a story that ticked all these boxes for me and more. The novel opens in 1900 in Travancore, in the south west of India (in what is now part of Kerala), where a young girl is sent by boat to meet her much older husband-to-be for the first time. From that moment we see her grow into the matriarch of her family, affectionately known as Big Ammachi. Over the next seven decades we witness the lives, deaths, marriages, triumphs and more of her descendants, all touched by a mysterious curse. In every generation, at least one person dies by drowning and yet, their home of Parambil, is surrounded by water. Verghese crafts an epic tale with a cast of beautifully written characters and unexpected twists. The lakes and rivers of southern India are brought vividly to life and I felt completely drawn into the world he so wonderfully creates. With more than 700 pages, it's a chunky read, but the storytelling is so immersive that you won't want it to end. It's ideal for a long summer getaway but if you're travelling light, it's definitely one to download on your e-reader. If you're a fan of Pachinko or Homegoing, I think you'll love this too. I envy you if you're yet to devour William Boyd's Any Human Heart. Just as enjoyable on its first read as it is on its second (or even third), the cult novel follows Logan Mountstuart's life that stretches across the 20th Century. Spanning an anything-but-ordinary existence as a writer mingling with Hemingway in Paris, a spy during the Second World War recruited by none-other than Ian Fleming, an art-dealer in the swinging Sixties and much more, Boyd explores familial, romantic and platonic love his signature warm and witty voice. A modern classic, it's a masterclass in story telling that's just as joyous as it is emotional (be warned), and the perfect companion on your sun lounger this summer. 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' by Sarah J Maas, published by Bloomsbury: £5, After seeing so much hype online about Sarah J Maas's romantesy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I hesitantly brought the first book with me on a family holiday last summer. It wasn't long before I was hooked and immediately regretting not bringing the entire six-book series with me. In the novel, we meet Feyre, a human huntress who kills a wolf that is not all it appears to be. Feyre is soon taken prisoner in the faerie realm, as revenge for the murder of a fellow faerie. As she discovers more about her captor, the high lord of the spring court Tamlin, Feyre develops feelings for her enemy (in true 'romantasy' style). Meanwhile, a war is brewing, thanks to Amarantha, the evil and vindictive high queen of Prythian. Yes, it all sounds faintly ridiculous, but as a former fantasy literature hater, Sarah J Maas has made me a convert. It's excellent at world building while the enemy-to-lover storyline keeps you hooked until the very last page - the true marker of a good sun lounger read. Part psychological thriller and part story of disaffected university students, Tartt's tome follows a group of clever misfits at an elite New England college and the chain of events that led to the death of a classmate. Although from a lower-class family, newbie Richard is accepted into the clique of students who are all under the cult-like influence of their charismatic Greek classics professor. When one member of the group threatens to reveal the group's role in the murder, tensions rise and the second half of the novel explores the psychological consequences of hiding such a terrible secret. Offering pure escapsim, Tartt boths thrills and intrigues the reader. I read this book last summer on holiday in Croatia after falling in love with Dolly's now infamous 2018 memoir, ' Everything I know about Love '. It's a collection of entries from her Sunday Times Style agony aunt column, which covers everything from friendship to careers and, of course, love lives. An easy and insightful read, the book's plotless nature makes it a great one to dip in and out of in between fun-filled vacation excursions. You'll naturally find yourself relating to the queries of both those writing in and Dolly's comforting, non-judgemental big sister advice. It doesn't try too hard to be all-knowing or too existential, instead walking the line between self-help and having a chat with a friend. Additionally, the scenarios that readers write in make for great conversation topics over evening cocktails. I have yet to read this one but can't wait to pick it up this summer. It sounds like the perfect mix of crime thriller, twisted feminist fantasy and gourmet cooking – what more could you want? The plot follows a chef as she sits in a Japanese detention centre, accused of murdering lonely businessmen after seducing them with her cooking. Once a scrappy journalist begins to break down her walls through a, seemingly, shared love of food we begin to learn more about obsession, romance, misogyny and the layered relationship between Japan and food. I'm only halfway through this book, but I'm completely hooked. The story follows a woman who transcribes sex and relationship therapy sessions in a quirky small town. As she listens to her neighbours' most intimate confessions, their secrets start to seep hilariously, and often cringe-inducingly, into her own life. One voice inparticular captures her attention: the enigmatic 'Big Swiss.' As fate (and small-town dynamics) would have it, she meets this woman in real life, and the story takes off with intrigue, drama, and unexpected connection. The writing is sharp, sexy, and packed with dry humour. It's gossipy in the best way, like eavesdropping on a very juicy secret. A perfect summer read that's both smart and irresistibly entertaining. Even more exciting? It's being adapted into an HBO series starring Jodie Comer. If you love character-driven, offbeat stories with a voyeuristic twist, this one's a must. With the critically acclaimed Netflix series Ripley causing a stir earlier in the year, American novelist Patricia Highsmith's wily anti-hero Tom Ripley has captured a new generation of first book in the series, which was originally published in 1955, tells the story of Tom Ripley, a young, aimless man from New York who is offered a lot of money by the wealthy father of Dickie Greenleaf to go to Italy and persuade him to return to America. Tom integrates himself with Dickie and his girlfriend Marge on the sunny Italian coast, and becomes enamoured with the Mediterranean lifestyle. But when Tom's relationship with Dickie becomes more and more unsettling, Marge begins to suspect that Tom isn't everything he claims to be. Things turn deadly and Tom has to go on the run from the Italian police. The book's vivid portrayal of towns and cities across Italy coupled with a nail-biting narrative will draw you into Tom Ripley's twisted universe. If you find yourself sweltering by a pool this summer, forget dipping in the water to cool off. Instead, dive into this captivating memoir, which follows painter Christiane Ritter as she decides to join her hunter-trapper husband in the Arctic Circle, where the mercury falls as low as -35C. Just reading about the icy, sub-zero conditions is enough to make your temperature drop. Spending a year living in an isolated hut in Spitsbergen – an island in the Svalbard archipelago – Ritter endures everything from dwindling supplies to the threat of polar bears. From unblinking daylight and glittering glaciers in summer to never-ending nights and severe storms in winter, Ritter marvels at her surroundings and discovers what it takes to survive so far north. What makes the author's Arctic adventure even more awe-inspiring is the fact it took place in the 1930s, without any of the hi-tech gear used by polar explorers today. Like all the best travel writers, Ritter transports readers to the otherworldly landscape she encounters. Even if your own travels are more likely to involve swimwear and sangria than snow boots and sea ice, you can't help but be drawn in by Ritter's grit and good humour. The 'unimaginable world of splendour and beauty' she describes is enough to make you want to say goodbye to sun loungers in Saint-Tropez, in favour of eking out an existence in a frozen shack in Svalbard. Well, almost – on second thought, perhaps it's better to stick to reading about it by the pool. 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' by Ottessa Moshfegh, published by Jonathan Cape: £8.41, Everyone was reading or talking about this book at one point, and it's still a strong contender for your summer reading pile. The main character uses sleep as a form of extreme 'rest and relaxation' – the goal being to sleep for a year to escape feelings of disillusionment and emerge anew, which she attempts by getting sleep-inducing medications from a bizarre, very questionable psychiatrist. It mostly unfolds in her New York apartment, and socialising is more of less limited to one dysfunctional friendship, so it's a claustrophobic read. Dark, but very funny, it covers themes of isolation, grief, and privilege. If you like a book with lots of twists and turns then this may bore you (it can be quite repetitive), but it's an interesting take on something like self care, and quite addicting. I'm about halfway through Maud Ventura's My Husband, translated from French by Emma Ramadan, on Audible, and I can't wait to get back to it. Consumed with thoughts of her husband, even after years of marriage, the protagonist of the novel is, to put it plainly, obsessed with him. She ruminates on her husband's behaviour, second-guesses his feelings for her, and, in pursuit of the perfect relationship, takes things to the extreme. It's unnerving and, at points, quietly hilarious. A dark, compelling novel, this reads as easily as a hot knife glides through butter, making it (so far) the perfect psychological thriller to pick up and rip through by the pool this summer. In seven short stories, Haruki Murakami leads the reader through the lives and stories of men who have loved and lost women in some way in their lives, and the lasting impact that each of these relationships hold. Although translated from Japanese, so I'm not reading it in its original form, Murakami has a unique way of storytelling that makes all of his books so easy to read. This one felt especially impactful in the way that it examined completely different relationships with completely different types of people and, while remaining fully their own stories, brought together an overall message of appreciation for women and their impact on men. I took Men without Women with me on a beach holiday this year and it was a perfect holiday read in it being a short, easily digestible book with vivid imagery and depth. There was a sense of calm that I had while reading this book, as I've experienced with other Murakami books, that keep the author at the top of my list in stories to reach for.
Wall Street Journal
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
What Hot Dragon-Riders and Fornicating Faeries Say About What Women Want Now
Lauren Nauheimer, 40, hadn't been in a relationship for seven years when she picked up Sarah J. Maas's 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' at a Manhattan bookstore in 2023. She was quickly absorbed by the fantastical story of Feyre, a huntress who aligns with a faerie lord who eventually becomes her mate for life. As the two battled evil agents in the land of Prythian, Nauheimer found herself once again feeling the pull of love. 'I didn't feel safe in my real-life dating, but reading about it, I could feel safe,' said Nauheimer. She raced through the next four books in a little more than a week and pored over them with her best friend in California, who had coincidentally picked them up too. Nauheimer said she now summons the heroine's superpowers to psych herself up before dates: 'If Feyre can save all of Prythian, I can go meet a man at a bar for a drink!'
Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Bloomsbury shares fall after profit dip despite Harry Potter hopes
The Harry Potter and Sarah J Maas publisher has reported weaker annual profits despite a rise in sales, sending its shares sharply lower. Bloomsbury Publishing, in a rare year without the release of a new book by Maas, reported that profit before tax fell by 22 per cent to £32.5 million in the 12 months to the end of February while sales rose by 5 per cent to a better-than-expected £361 million. Despite no formal update on when Maas's next title is to be published, Nigel Newton, the founder and chief executive of Bloomsbury, said a new book was 'expected, put it that way'. The shares were the worst performer on the FTSE 250 yesterday, closing down 127p, or 19.5 per cent, to 524p. The
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Bloomsbury shares tumble after publisher reveals lower profits
Bloomsbury shares tumble after publisher reveals lower profits Shares in the Harry Potter publisher dropped by around 15% on Thursday morning (Image: Getty Images ) Bloomsbury shares have slumped after the publishing firm revealed weaker profits despite selling more books over the past year. Shares in the Harry Potter publisher dropped by around 15% on Thursday morning. The company revealed that pre-tax profits slipped by 22% to £32.5 million for the year to February 28, compared with the previous year. Profits in the group's consumer books business declined for the year as bosses said it returned to "a normalised level... following an exceptional performance" a year earlier. Meanwhile, Bloomsbury saw revenues rise by 5% to £361 million for the year, although this reflected slower growth than the previous year. The company said it benefited from expanding its consumer portfolio, which includes fantasy, cosy crime, cookery and other genres. Article continues below It pointed towards a strong release list for the new financial year, including the paperback releases of books by Sarah J Maas and Gillian Anderson. Elsewhere, revenues in its non-consumer division, covering academic and professional publications, grew by 12% to £105 million. This division was boosted by the firm's acquisition of US publisher Rowman & Littlefield last year. Article continues below On Thursday, founder and chief executive Nigel Newton also said that the business is pushing forward with opportunities to "monetise academic content through AI deal in our authors' best interests". Bloomsbury indicated it is still on track with its targets for the current financial year. Mr Newton added: "Trading for 2025/26 is expected to be broadly in line with current consensus expectations in constant currency."
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Bloomsbury shares dive after publisher reports declining profits
Bloomsbury Publishing shares plunged on Thursday after the company posted lower annual profits despite growing turnover. Shares in the business plummeted 16 per cent to 547p by the early afternoon, making them the FTSE 250's worst performer by some distance. The publisher of Harry Potter and the popular Sarah J. Maas books revealed its pre-tax profits decreased by 22 per cent to £32.5million in the year ending 28 February. Profits in its consumer arm fell to £31million, having more than doubled to £37.4million in the previous 12 months thanks to soaring demand for Sarah J Maas titles. Bloomsbury's overall revenue still tipped up by 5 per cent to £361million thanks to the takeover of academic publisher Rowman & Littlefield, which contributed £19.8million in sales during the year. Described as a 'game-changer' by Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury's founder and chief executive, the £65million acquisition was the largest in the firm's history. It has also helped compensate for budgetary pressures impacting the UK and US higher education markets. More British universities are recording financial deficits owing to National Insurance contribution hikes and overseas student numbers falling following new restrictions on bringing dependents. Meanwhile, US colleges are struggling with declining enrolment levels, partly caused by lower birth rates. Combined with sales of print academic books dropping because of the shift towards digital learning, Bloomsbury's academic and professional organic revenues slipped by 10 per cent in the last fiscal year. Amidst subdued trade in the UK and the US, Bloomsbury is shifting its attention to Asia. The company intends to open an office in Singapore later this year to try and capitalise on the continent's soaring student population. The World Bank predicts there will be 600 million higher education students globally by 2040, of which over 60 per cent will be in Asia. Newton said the focus on Asia means Bloomsbury will be 'well placed geographically and structurally to benefit from student growth alongside the continued shift to digital learning.' He added that the company expected trading for the 2026 financial year to align with consensus forecasts, with turnover totalling £349.2million and profits before tax and highlighted items rising to £45.1million. Among the Bloomsbury books due for release in the coming months include the crime novel A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith, Celebrate: Joyful Baking All Year Round by Paul Hollywood, and the paperback version of Gillian Anderson's Want. Newton added: 'The resilience of demand for Bloomsbury titles and the excellent sales of our digital products demonstrate the strength of our long-term growth strategy, the publishing judgement of our editors, the reach of our sales and marketing and value of our content.'
