British Library Staff Picks: Summer Reads

Struggling to choose your next holiday read? Take a look at these sizzingly hot picks to make your trip one to remember.

Posted: 31 July 2026

Whether you're jet-setting across the globe or taking refuge from the heat indoors, the right book will make all the difference!

In true British Library style, our staff pack their books before their passports. We asked the team behind the British Library Shop: What book should take prime real estate in your suitcase this summer?

Here are our top picks. Treat yourself to 10% off at checkout with code HEATWAVE.

1. Queenie is Working On It | by Candice Carty-Williams

I finished Candice Carty-Williams' debut novel Queenie over a balmy summer weekend in 2020, and I've been waiting (im)patiently for more Queenie ever since. Lucky enough to read an advanced proof, I was transported straight back into her world. Candice has such a gift for creating characters who feel real, funny, messy and impossible not to root for. Queenie is Working on It is full of warmth, humour and honesty, making it the perfect companion for long summer evenings.

Best to read: on my South London patio, with a cold tinned cocktail in hand and my phone on do not disturb.

- Maxine, Buying and Merchandising Manager

2. Our Infinite Fates | by Laura Steven

As a solid romantasy girly, this book offered a bit of a twist on what I normally read. I loved the journey these two characters went on over so many years and from so many different POVs depending on who they were reborn as. That added element of both of them trying to kill the other, and the reasons behind that are both thrilling and heart-breaking. I also loved the writing style – both accessible without being simplistic, and with a wonderful whimsy to it.

Best to read: somewhere alone where you can squeal or cry without judgement. Preferably with chocolate.

- Róisín, Senior Marketing Manager

3. Cursed Daughters | by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Oyinkan Braithwaite has an extraordinary ability to weave the everyday with the uncanny, and Cursed Daughters is no exception. Rich with family folklore, heartbreak and haunting beauty, it's a story about the women who come before us and the lives we inherit, whether we want to or not. The writing is sharp, lyrical and quietly devastating, balancing moments of humour with an ever-present sense of dread. I found myself completely swept up in Eniiyi's journey, racing through the pages to discover whether her fate could really be escaped.

Best to read: during a full day of relaxation, preferably with a Mojito in hand. This book is the definition of a good 'beach read'.

- Kirsty, Buyer

4. Is A River Alive? | by John MacFarlane

A deeply experiential book that builds on approaches and style from the author's fine earlier books Underland and The Old Ways. This is such original, timely and thoughtful writing covering issues and ideas of utmost importance. Can we legislate for the rights of nature? The experience is visceral yet non-fiction. Through MacFarlane's impassioned storytelling, we are taken from cloud forests in Ecuador, to murky dead rivers in Chennai and a thrilling white-water river journey down the Mutehekau Shipu in Quebec, Canada.

Best to read: close to water. Are we going to ruin all this beauty and a truly essential life resource?

- John, Publisher

5. I Capture the Castle | by Dodie Smith

Relatable and often hilarious, Smith's characters stay with you long after you close the book. From the beginning, the reader is welcomed into the daily intimacies of the Mortmain home, guided through by Cassandra's heartbreakingly honest diary entries. Spanning across the seasons, it is the novel's beautiful descriptions of English summertime in a decrepit castle that stay with me the longest.

Best to read: in the kitchen sink (see page 1).

- Absana, Marketing Manager

6. So Good to See You | by Francesca Hornak

It was the perfect holiday read recently. Rosie was a standout character for me. I really enjoyed her, and Serge certainly had me raising my eyebrows more than once! At times, their complicated dynamic reminded me a little of Jasper and Iris from The Holiday (which is one of my favourite films, though not very summery!).

Best to read: when you have no other plans but to enjoy the sunshine for the day. I read mine on holiday at the Széchenyi Baths in Budapest, and it couldn't have been a better setting.

- Mollie, Content Coordinator

7. Glorious Exploits | by Ferdia Lennon

I love historical fiction that brings the past to life in fresh and unexpected ways, and Glorious Exploits gripped me from the first page with one of the most original voices I have read. Set in ancient Sicily, it follows two friends who decide to stage a Greek tragedy with the Athenian soldiers imprisoned in the quarries of Syracuse (defeated, but still able to recite Euripides by heart) as their players. It's a story of friendship, ambition, power and art, equal parts funny and heartbreaking. If all the talk of The Odyssey this summer has you seeking out more fresh takes on Greek classics, you won't be disappointed.

Best to read: somewhere Mediterranean with a cool breeze and a view of the sea (a holiday in Italy was the perfect backdrop). But failing that, any comfy chair will do!

- Anya, Publishing Assistant

8. My Phantoms | by Gwendoline Riley

Not exactly a summer read, but I enjoyed this book because Riley captured the complexities of familial relationships through the narrator's relationship with her parents, most specifically her mother. I like the way Riley shows the narrator's simultaneous care and caution for her relationship with her mother as she continues a relationship, which feels more like ticking a box than one born from a desire to see her. She just does a great job at capturing a complex relationship.

Best to read: on an overcrowded and sweltering Central line train during rush hour.

- Fiona, Marketing Officer

9. The Safekeep | by Yael Van Der Wouden

I read The Safekeep last autumn and wish I could have read it for the first time in the dazed delirium of a heatwave. Set in sixties Netherlands, meticulously controlled Isa is reluctant to welcome her brother's seemingly carefree girlfriend into her family home after the death of her mother. Over the course of one hot summer, the two women are drawn together, at turns intrigued and repulsed until tensions boil over. Perfectly heady with sensuality, while also being genuinely moving, The Safekeep should be top of your summer reading pile.

Best to read: lounging by Hampstead Heath ponds while eating strawberries and making questionable decisions.

- Molly, Publishing Assistant