8 books to put on your summer reading list

Crackling with energy, irony, wit and terror, The First Friend is a timely and cautionary reminder of the stifling, murderous logic of strong man politics.

An epic story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home. 

A glorious celebration of plants, gardens, and gardeners from Times columnist Ann Treneman, packed with intriguing facts, anecdotes and helpful advice to satisfy and enlighten any gardening enthusiast.

An exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family, from the global phenomenon and author of Normal People, Sally Rooney.

When a young couple accidentally come into possession of a playful kitten, their daily routine (and cramped apartment) is turned upside down. Soon they find their peaceful existence forever altered.

Clove has spent the past few years meticulously crafting a family life that looks nothing like the one she grew up in. So when a letter arrives from a women’s prison in California and threatens to expose the violent past she’s worked so hard to conceal, she becomes entangled in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

In 1942, a group of young women arrive in Cairo, Egypt. The Tuis, named after the New Zealand songbird, are the first women from their country to serve overseas. They are to provide respite and a touch of home to weary soldiers returning from the front line.

An adult novel from the iconic, much-beloved household author, Jacqueline Wilson, revisiting Ellie, Magda and Nadine from the Girls series, now aged 40.

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