Whether you’re at the beach or whiling away the time during yet another power cut… having a great read to delve into will certainly make things better. Here are four titles we’ve indulged in or are planning to indulge in over summer 2026.
The Odyssey by Homer – Specifically, the 2017 translation by Emily Wilson, which has been universally acclaimed for its clear, elegant, and accessible language. This was the first full translation of Homer’s epic into English by a woman, and has been hailed as groundbreaking for numerous reasons. It retains the sense of poetry and grandeur of the original, and does away with sexist terms that were never part of the original story (such as using ‘whores’ to describe ‘slaves’). It was a monumental undertaking, and it’s the version that inspired Nolan’s blockbuster.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman – At a time when many self-help books promise to make you more productive, Burkeman’s 2021 offering does something completely out of the box: it aims to help you accept your limitations. This isn’t about giving up on your dreams, though. Instead, it’s about taking into consideration the fact that, if we’re lucky, we get around 4,000 weeks of life, which means that things like time, ambition, and success need to be viewed from that lens.
James by Percival Everett – Although Everett’s book came out in 2024, this reimagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is still making waves across the world. The novel retells the famous story through the perspective of Jim, a black man fleeing slavery. The novel is funny, yet deeply thought-provoking. At times, it is also absolutely heartbreaking, especially when it tackles themes of race and identity. It’s a new twist on an old classic, and we’re here for it.
FLICK: The Story of Female Pleasure by Dr Kate Lister – This non-fiction book is deeply researched and absolutely irreverent, and it turns the long history of female pleasure into witty and funny prose. It looks at everything from ancient myths to Medieval beliefs and Victorian ‘cures’, and makes the argument that female sexual liberation is not a modern phenomenon at all. This book came out just a few months ago, and it’s already got somewhat of a cult status in the genre.
What other books do you have on your summer 2026 reading list? Share them with our readers in the comments!
