Summer’s here which means it’s time to get outside, take a screen break and get stuck into a book. Whether you’re at home or away, team Peppersmith have rounded up their favourite reads for every occasion. Some you’ll know, some you might not.
For the when you need to escape the daily grind:
‘The Beach’ by Alex Garland. Get lost in this on your commute and you’ll find yourself soaking up the sun on an idyllic Thai beach, which soon turns out to be anything but. Compulsive and twisted, it’s a cult book for a reason.
For when the temperature rises:
‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar. A classic kids story, but with lots of dark humour it’s very much for adults too. Set at a juvenile detention centre in Texas, it follows a group of boys as they work out why exactly they are made to dig holes in the ground, all day, every day.
For when you want to feel wiser about the world:
‘Factfulness’ by Hans Rosling. A book that aims to get the world’s story straight, by looking at facts and why we believe them. Also, Bill Gates called this book ‘one of the best books I’ve ever read’. So we should all probably just go read it.
For when you want to cross borders:
‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini. Two teenagers in Kabul navigate life as the Taliban takes over. A book to put mundane daily complaints in perspective. It’s also written by the same author as The Kite Runner, which is another to add to your list.
For when you want a coming of age story for the internet age:
‘Purity’ By Jonathan Franzen. A doorstop of a book following confused twenty something Pip as life takes her from living in a squat to working for a Wikileaks-esque company in the Bolivian jungle. Expect vivid characters and lots of cynicism.
For when you want to get your adrenaline going:
'Easy Money' by Jens Lapidus. Think ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ meets the book version of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. A punchy, sharp novel exploring the Swedish underground crime network. Gangs and violence galore, but definitely worth the read.
