Some Super Summer Reading for children

A Dog Called Hero by Katy Birchall (for 8-13 years)
A brilliant mystery story that kept me guessing to the end. For those who love a canine companion but also a seriously gripping adventure, this is a must-read.

Ghostlines by Katya Balen (for 8-12 years)
I love the way Katya Balen writes. Her children’s adventure stories are always so visceral and heartwarming. Encouraging humans to connect more with animals and the wonders of the natural world that surrounds us.

The Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page (for teens)
As a lover of Cornwall and, of course, independent bookshops this was the perfect teen romance. A sweet story set in a sleepy seaside town. London girl meets surfer boy, and other lovely local characters, whilst helping to save her aunt’s eccentric, yet idyllic bookshop.

Hidden Treasure by Jessie Burton (for 8-12 years)
A really brilliant children’s book by the author of The Miniaturist.

The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison (for 8-12 years)
This is one of the best debut children’s books I have ever read. Such a gripping, well-written, adventure mystery story. The ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ wager takes you on an extraordinary journey across continents and cultures, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way. The intrepid explorers are our heroine, a young girl called Maggie who has lost everything, the loveable Frenchman Passepartout and the kind-hearted, eccentric Phileas Fogg at the helm. You will grow to love them all and miss them when you finish. Hopefully there will be a sequel.

Rosa by Starlight by Hilary McKay (for 8-12 years)
This is a beautifully illustrated and brilliantly written book. A magical adventure story set in Venice. Our orphaned heroine Rosa is quite an incredible girl. Under the safety of the stars, and with the help of some very special feline friends, she must overcome her awful auntie and uncle and find a life she deserves.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson (for teens)
Quite simply the best YA book I have ever read. Beautiful in every way. I savoured this book and will really miss all the colourful characters within it. With campervans, vineyards, a souffle specialising restaurant, a very special dog and a story of long ago that will forever change the future. But most importantly a love story of colours, music and magic and never giving up hope.

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold (for 8-12 years)
When I first came across Hannah Gold’s debut; the Last Bear, I couldn’t believe how poignantly she portrayed the plight of the polar bears because of global warming and the ice caps melting. It’s a story that has stayed with me. As will Turtle Moon, her latest book. I learnt so much about sea turtles but also really enjoyed the adventure element of it. I love her passion for saving animals and raising awareness in the next generation, told through such wonderful, vivid stories. This one also teaches us to be true to ourselves and believe in all we are and what we do.

Tiny Dogs the Sleepover Surprise by Rose Lihou (for 5-8 years)
Another brilliant adventure with Bea and her tiny dogs.

The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson (for 8-12 years)
Eva Ibbotson’s Journey to the River Sea, is one of my favourite children’s stories. However, having just read the Star of Kazan, I think it is quite possibly superior still. Annika is an orphaned girl bought up in a house of eccentric professors in Vienna in the late nineteenth century. Despite dreaming of meeting her long-lost mother, her life is a happy one. Vienna is bursting with culture, the music, sumptuous food, and art and of course the famous Spanish Riding School. Home to the stunning Lipizzaner horses, the emperor’s white dancing stallions. Her life is forever changed though, when she inherits a chest full of mysterious costume jewellery, from an elderly neighbour who she has befriended and kept company. Both telling each other magical stories, or memories in the case of Annika’s surprising new friend. A mysterious, beautiful adventure story for eight olds and over, but as a grown up, I think it would be such a shame to have not read this.

The Otherlands by Steve Skinley (for 8-13 years)
I utterly enjoyed ‘The Otherlands’. Steve Skinley wrote this story set in and around Cirencester, where we are lucky enough to live. The story is brimming with a child’s imagination of fairytale characters, both good and bad. It is a thrilling adventure to lands you could only dream of. A story of friendship and bravery. Of facing up to what our mind has created for us to fear. It also beautifully portrays the natural world around us and some fascinating historical asides about our local area and landmarks.

My Soul a Shining Tree by Jamila Gavin (for 9-14 years)
A remarkable book I read in one sitting. Jamila Gavin’s storytelling is outstanding and her message of humanity, against discrimination, is loud and clear, yet delivered so poetically. The best book I have ever read about the First World War. A must read for everyone young and old.

The Bolds on Holiday by Julian Clary (for 6-9 years)
A hysterically funny book, perfect fun for all the family on holiday.

Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan (for 8-13 years)
Even though this book is meant for children, it really moved me, and I learnt so much. Based on real events, it tells the story of the Muslims in the Grand Mosque in Paris, and how many Jews they saved during the war. They made papers for them, they warned them of danger, they even went as far as to hide them within the safety of the walls of the mosque before guiding their escape, in the underground networks of Paris. Such a compassionate and eloquently written story, that vividly brings to light, the plight and courage of those perhaps forgotten, despite the magnitude of what they did.

Escape to the River Sea by Emma Carroll (for 8-12 years)
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson, is one of my all-time favourite children’s books. Sequels can be a risk, especially if written by a different voice in years to come. But if anyone could make a success, of what is actually quite a lovely task, an honour in fact, Emma Carroll was the one for the job. Carroll’s ability to tell a story steeped in history but also a gripping adventure means her books never disappoint. Offering such compelling storytelling but also the sense of a lesson, in this case to save and protect the Amazon rainforest but also the plight of refugees and evacuees who have fled their war-torn homes. Here we meet Maia, Finn, Miss Minton and Clovis again. As Rosa the main character, who has fled Vienna, for the safety of a struggling old West Country Manor House, full of evacuated schoolgirls from London and its land full of animals saved from the zoo. Rosa is safe but lonely. That is until she meets Yara, a young scientist, who will lead her on an Amazon adventure that will change her life forever. This book is wonderful. A gripping adventure, with colourful scenery and equally as colourful characters. A story to tell others or to treasure alone but either way a must read for children

Some Super Summer Reading for grown-ups

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
A brilliant book. Read it. It will remind you how poignant, powerful, writing a letter can be to someone. However big or small. It is tangible, memorable and shows you care. Especially when we are all so stuck to our screens. I loved this book; it made me laugh and cry.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
This is what I am currently reading and thoroughly enjoying. When Phoebe Stone ends up at a hotel, entirely hosting excitable wedding guests, she finds herself far from the isolation she wished for. Newly divorced she has only one thing on her mind. The bride also has only one thing on her mind, the perfect wedding celebration she has always dreamed of. Trouble looms for both women but might they come unlikely confidantes or even friends. This book is both funny and moving.

The Artist by Lucy Steeds
The Artist is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A rich, sensory experience. Stunning.

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen
This book comes highly recommended, and I will be taking it on holiday to Seville to read, seeing as it provides the backdrop for some of the story. I have been told it is a beautiful, visceral book and I am very much looking forward to reading it. I like nothing better than to read a book set where I am. It so adds to the whole immersive experience of another country and culture.

The Names by Florence Knapp
A must read!

The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell (non-fiction)
If you haven’t read it, you must. English eccentricity abroad at its best.

What I Ate In One Year (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci (non-fiction)
Food, family, film stars: a glimpse into Stanley’s kitchen complete with the sort of delicious daily detail that delights anyone who’s even slightly nosy about other people’s lives (and what they eat for their tea). Featuring Harry Styles and Robert Downey Jr dropping round for dinner, tempting descriptions of feasts, snacks, film set catering and what’s in Stanley and his wife Felicity’s big shop to cater for a family weekend in Cornwall. Fans of Stanley’s Instagram will be reassured to know that cocktail hour figures prominently. Written in diary form, this is a gossipy joy to dip into and the next best thing to securing a dinner invite chez Tucci.

Heart the Lover by Lily King
A heartbreakingly lovely story of first love. I thoroughly recommend it.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
You will not be able to put this book down. An utterly compelling story of love, sacrifice and above all forgiveness, that unfolds on a remote farm in the depths of rural Dorset.

Life on Earth by David Attenborough (non-fiction)
Celebrating David Attenborough’s centenary.

Bonjour, Sophie by Elizabeth Buchan
Before I set off for Paris myself, I read this to get even more excited to absorb those Parisian vibes. It was a wonderful book. I enjoyed it so much. From Sophie’s bleak beginnings, bought up in a suffocating Sussex rectory, to her finding herself and her real family’s heritage in Paris in the 60s. Vividly written and totally atmospheric.

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichel
Parisian perfection. A story so sensory you can almost taste it. I adored this book and was lucky enough to read it in Paris. I also visited the Manet painting Stella is so taken by in the Musee d’Orsay and ate the oysters with Chablis she so eagerly describes. I didn’t just read this book, I got to live it a little.

A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm (non-fiction)
I love Paris and everything about it, especially when the trees are in blossom, and the sun adds a further glow to all those extraordinary gold trimmings. The decadent architecture, the best art museums and of course, the restaurants. However, I have now learnt of another Paris. A darker side behind the scenes of its elegant facade. Having worked in an Italian restaurant, washing up in my youth, where I learnt a multitude of Italian swear words, I too have witnessed the exhausting reality of work as a waiter. However, this astonishing account has opened my eyes wider still. This is a fantastic book, a gritty lesson, yet witty too and certainly a reminder to leave a healthy tip!

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
A brilliantly original story, life affirming, funny, and moving. The perfect summer read.

The Surf House by Lucy Clarke
An exceptionally gripping sun-drenched thriller.

Us by David Nicholls
I loved this book. It was very funny and has some cracking characters I really cared about. A seemingly happy couple, one a scientist, one an artist and their teenage son, embark on a tour of Europe. It could be the adventure they need or indeed a bittersweet goodbye to the life they once knew.