Books for Late Summer Escapism
Without a shadow of a doubt, when you think about ‘reading’, you’re immediately transported to cosy vignettes of being tucked under a blanket, voraciously reading through autumn and the darkest depths of winter.
The alternative scenario is light reads for summer holidays. But how about the moments in between? I’ve gobbled up some truly delicious reads recently, during this mid to late summer stretch.
So without further ado, here are my recommendations for books for late summer escapism…

The Familiars by Stacey Hall
I read ‘The Familiars’ a few weeks ago and was thoroughly swept away by the magic of it all. A historical fiction, it heavily draws on real-life and incorporates tales inspired by the Pendle witches of Lancashire. Personally I am a huge fan of historical fiction and being able to spend time, post-novel, thoroughly reading through all of the surrounding material.
The story tells of a girl, married young and expecting a child. However she has already lost two children before and discovers she expects to lose this one too. Upon meeting a girl in her grounds, she must unravel mysteries to save both of their fates.
An absolute corker of a novel and the perfect segue into autumn.

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
After reading ‘Pachinko’ — now my all-time favourite novel! — I knew I wanted to delve into more of Min Jin Lee’s work. ‘Free Food for Millionaires’ takes on a similar biographical epic style to its predecessor. Set in the States, it follows Casey, a Korean-American woman struggling with her identity and her place in the world. This novel is huge and I’m glad I read it on my Kindle; it thoroughly captures every moment of her life from the mundane to the mad, and it absolutely took my breath away.
Lee has a wonderful way of pulling you straight into her fictional worlds and leaving you desperate for more. Casey’s story was brilliantly bold and brave, but also real. Casey is a young Korean-American woman who doesn’t follow the normal Asian-American trope. She has no huge ambitions, at least at first, she doesn’t want to do what her parents have been hoping for, she is constantly in financial difficulties and she is stubborn as hell.
This story is an absolute delight and it was so enjoyable to read at every moment.

The Book of Lost & Found by Lucy Foley
I picked up this book on a whim at my local library, because it was on a ‘features Hertfordshire’ shelf. And it became one of my favourite reads. It’s a charming, nothing crazy new, romance novel that shares all that is lost and found within one family. You can’t beat a classic romance story for a late summer read; and this one is perfect for a lazy afternoon or four beside the pool.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann
Another off-the-cuff read that I came across a fair few summers ago, ‘Tigers in Red Weather’ was an utter delight to read and I remember devouring it in a matter of days. It’s a somewhat ‘easy read’ but is packed full of goodness and dotted with plenty of surprising treasures throughout.
Klaussmann unravels her story in minute detail, leaving tiny breadcrumbs at every opportunity to culminate in a suspense-laden ending. I remember imagining this was a historical fiction, but ultimately it’s a brilliant multi-dimensional novel full of familial and friendship-centric plots.

Hashtag Authentic by Sara Tasker
Finally, I couldn’t wrap up this post without mentioning ‘Hashtag Authentic’. Sara Tasker, the incredibly imaginative and talented woman behind @me_and_orla, wrote this book as a manual for helping you find creativity and build a community on Instagram and beyond.
Personally, I wouldn’t class this as an ‘Instagram guide’. What I loved most about it is Sara’s wonderful eye for finding the magic in the mundane and really digging in to how to spark creativity. Whilst it is easy to set up a blog or an Instagram account, there certainly is a whole new skillset required in creating beautiful content (and photos) that resonate. It isn’t about picking up similar products and props and producing ‘similar’ photos, and Sara does a brilliant deep-dive into how you can produce content that speaks to YOUR style.
Ideal for sparking inspiration just ahead of every bloggers’ favourite season.
Do you have any book recommendations that are particularly late summer-friendly?
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