By Anais Aguilera, Sophie Poirier, Olivia Paris and Katie Norris
We’re wrapping up summer by highlighting romances, thrillers, literary fiction and more from authors across the world. From famous chart toppers to breakout debuts, there’s something for everyone.
Amazon
The fourth installation in Becka Mack’s Playing For Keeps series has shot to the top of the Kindle bestseller list after its late July publication, following in the footsteps of the previous novels’ mass popularity. Fall With Me is a classic hockey romance full of fan-favourite tropes. When Lennon Hayes becomes a photographer for a professional ice hockey team, she’s not expecting to see old flame Jaxon Riley on the rink every day. They were never meant to see each other again – now what?
American author Christine Gunderson is making waves in the charts with her debut novel Friends With Secrets. Ainsley and Nikki are very different women living very different lives, but when a dangerous figure enters their children’s lives, they have to find a way to put their differences aside. Gunderson’s novel fits right into the current literary landscape where novels about complex female friendship are gaining traction across genres.
WHSmith
British icon Miriam Margolyes has seen her autobiography Oh Miriam! climbing the ranks. With a list of celebrity features such as Princess Margaret, Leonardo DiCaprio and Maggie Smith, Miriam details stories and lessons from her life that will make you laugh and gasp. The book is punctuated with Margolyes’ usual outrageous style that has seen her earn the phrase “Oh Miriam,” and is certainly worth a read.
Waterstones
This month Orbital by Samantha Harvey is gaining a lot of attention across the UK’s Waterstones stores. Harvey’s book can already be found adorning table spreads inside Waterstones shops, but its place on the Booker Prize longlist is sure to fuel its success. This is a story of humanity told from outer space. Perhaps one must leave this world in order to truly comprehend it.
Winning Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month, Material World: A Substantial Story of Our Past and Future by Ed Conway is also seeing great success in the charts. Conway draws attention to the six crucial substances that form the basis of humanity. He shows how these substances have remained at the core of humanity right from the Dark Ages to the present day.
Social Media
Thrillers and books that tackle darker themes have always been popular on social media and these picks are no exception. First up is You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose. This dual perspective novel follows a woman who escapes from her typical work life to the Wyoming wilderness. She is excited to have a moment of relaxation, even more so when she meets the attractive owner of her Airbnb. However, what she finds may turn her peaceful vacation into a fight to discover a dark truth.
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow is not a thriller, but it is an unflinching portrait of a girl fighting through years of trauma. Dealing with losses and betrayals from those meant to be closest to her, Charlie Davis goes on a journey toward healing that is equal parts heart-breaking and hopeful. Readers should keep in mind trigger warnings before picking this one up, however, as the subject matter can be difficult to handle.
Noteworthy Author
This issue we would like to highlight Ferdia Lennon. Lennon is a half Irish, half Libyan author whose debut novel Glorious Exploits has received a lot of attention recently. As the winner of the Waterstones’ Debut Fiction Prize, Glorious Exploits has taken prime position in the window displays of many Waterstones shops. Now advertised as Waterstones Fiction Book of the Month, Lennon’s debut novel will undoubtedly shake up the shelves this summer. Showing bounds of promise and finesse, Lennon is certainly an author to watch.
Comments