As the southern hemisphere begins to descend into winter, the lucky ones will inevitably start packing their suitcases and boarding long-haul flights in search of warmer horizons. And who could blame them? While there are ways to romanticise the cool weather, we know we’d much rather be bound for a European summer spent swimming somewhere along the Mediterranean.
Along with a reliable suitcase and trusty SPF, a well-planned reading list is essential. If all goes to plan, your days will surely be slow, involving plenty of time to relax and unwind, book in hand.
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Whether you’re getting ready to jet off or you’re simply at home and wanting to feel transported, these are the books worth every square inch of space they’ll take up in your carry-on. From lengthy family sagas to romcoms and thrillers, there’s a story for every type of holiday and every type of mood.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
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Don’t be discouraged by The Bee Sting‘s size – although it’s an impressive 656 pages, it’s the perfect story to take your time with. A family saga, the novel follows and Irish family on the brink of financial collapse. It alternates between the perspectives of each family member, from Cass, who’s binge-drinking her way through final exams, to twelve-year-old PJ, alone and turning to the internet for refuge, to parents Imelda and Dickie. It’s the kind of novel you don’t need to rush through and the audiobook is a great listen for long plane rides.
Get it here.
The Trio by Johanna Hedman
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Johanna Hedman is a Swedish author who’s writing has been likened to Deborah Levy, Sally Rooney and André Aciman. Her debut novel, The Trio, is largely a character-driven story, starting when the three main characters are older and travelling back in time to their university days spent together. It traverses New York, Stockholm, Paris and Berlin, chronicling the dynamics of a love triangle and friendship. This book is perfect for readers who love pretentious university students, stories with political undertones and complex characters.
Get it here.
Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna
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Irish author, Oisín McKenna’s, debut novel Evenings and Weekends has largely been hailed as ‘the book of the summer’ – and for good reason. Set over the course of two sweltering days in London, it follows a cast of intertwined characters, each harbouring their own secrets.
There’s Maggie and Ed, both 30, expecting a baby and grappling with the reality of moving back to their small hometown together. Then there’s Phil, who’s in love with his roommate, and his mother, Rosaleen, who’s recently been diagnosed with cancer. The characters are complex and interesting, and the plot fast-moving.
Get it here.
Stinkbug by Sinead Stubbins
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Stinkbug is a fun, slightly unhinged book that will make you glad you’re off on holiday, not stuck at work. Recommended for fans of RF Kuang and Melissa Broder, it’s a workplace satire and fever dream rolled into one.
Set at a corporate retreat (named ‘Consequi’), Edith and her advertising agency coworkers’ phones are taken from them, while they’re forced to endure a series of increasingly bizarre team-building activities. As the story unfolds, Edith realises that Consequi is not as it seems.
Get it here.
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
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Hot Milk is almost mandatory summer reading at this point. A cinematic and transportive novel, it follows a mother and daughter who travel to Spain in the height of summer in search of a cure for Rose’s mystery illness. What follows is a story that examines the emotions and inner worlds of its characters, while offering a fresh perspective on womanhood, sexuality, identity and family.
Get it here.
Theory and Practice by Michelle de Kretser
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Winner of the 2025 Stella Prize, Theory and Practice is a genre-defying read, blending elements of fiction, memoir and essay. Set in Melbourne in the ’80s, it follows a Sri-Lankan born postgraduate student researching Virginia Wolf.
In St Kilda, she meets artists, activists and falls into a relationship with Kit. It’s there the narrator comes up against a series of personal contradictions, struggling to balance her feminism with her jealousy towards Kit’s girlfriend, and her anti-colonialism with her love for Virginia Woolf.
Get it here.
Signs of Damage by Diana Reid
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(@sundaybooks_)Signs of Damage is the latest release from Australian author, Diana Reid. Part character analysis, part psychological thriller, it’s a ‘summer noir’ (a genre where dark events happen in idyllic places), in every sense of the term. The story alternates between the past, set on a family holiday in the south of France where thirteen-year-old Cass goes missing, and the present day, where sixteen years later the characters are still trying to make sense of what happened. Full of moral ambiguities, it’s unpredictable and unputdownable.
Get it here.
My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon
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My Venice and Other Essays chronicles the thirty years writer Donna Leon spent living in Venice. Offering an insight into the culture, politics, history and everyday life of the city, it features 50 witty and entertaining stories covering the idea of the Italian man, disputes of garbage in the canals and plenty more. The essays are relatively short, so you can dip in and out.
Get in here.
Comedic Timing by Upasna Barath
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Comedic Timing is a short and sweet novel set in New York and follows aspiring writer Nina. Recovering from her break-up with an older woman, Nina meets David, an aspiring filmmaker. As described by author, Upasna Barath, it’s a “warm, funny and sexy book” about being “anxious, bisexual, piecing oneself back together and friends falling in love”.
Get it here.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
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Author Suzanne Collins’s latest release, Sunrise on the Reaping, goes back in time to the fiftieth anniversary of The Hunger Games. Set twenty-four years before the events of book one, it follows Haymitch Abernathy, who finds himself en route to the Capitol to compete in the second ever Quarter Quell. A nostalgic read for fans of The Hunger Games, this is the ideal book to lose yourself in on a long-haul flight or train ride.
Get it here.
Didion and Babitz by Lili Anolik
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Didion and Babitz is a non-fiction account of the love/hate relationship between literary giants, Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. The story follows each woman and their impact on culture in their own right, and is bound together by an unsent letter from Babitz to Joan. Though it unearths a complex and tense friendship, it’s a fun read and even better audiobook.
Get it here.
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
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Call Me By Your Name is the quintessential Euro summer read. Set Northern Italy in the early ’80s, the book follows 17-year-old Elio, who becomes enthralled by Oliver, a graduate student who stays with his family over the summer while working for Elio’s father. Come for the depictions of an Italian summer in the countryside, stay for Aciman’s beautiful depictions of love and infatuation.
Get it here.
This article Twelve books to pack for your Euro summer appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-05-29 11:45:00
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