Harper’s BAZAAR Arabia’s Ultimate Summer Reading List
Cooldown poolside with these handpicked reads, as we continue to sizzle through August…
As the summer comes to a close, but with many a pool day to be had, here are our top 10 books to get you through the last of the summer sun…
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize and an instant New York Times Best Seller, US author Kiley Reid pens an illuminating novel filled with questions of race, gender, wealth and privilege. The story is set around a young black babysitter, her good-hearted employer, and an unanticipated connection that could lead to unrest. The debut novel from an exciting new voice, is the page turner you need on your staycation.
Available here for Dhs 79.12
The Power by Naomi Alderman
What would the world be like if women were in power? The bold question by Alderman’s electric novel, The Power, seeks to give us the answer. Set in today’s society, this novel explores the possibilities of what would happen if women took over the world. Although the book has elements of fantasy, readers are given a fantastic insight into how our modern day culture views women’s rights.
Available here for Dhs 79.17
The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
This heartwarming fiction by Sarah Haywood following the life of Susan Green. The charming and poignant story tells the tale of one woman’s unusual journey to finding love and learning to embrace life’s hurdles. For Susan Green’s perfectly ordered life, she doesn’t take kindly to passionate emotions or illogical attachments, but she suddenly goes through a life upheaval and the thing she dreads starts to happen. She loses control.
Available here for Dhs 83.54
Everything I know about Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton
The book you wish you read when you were younger is how we describe Alderton’s ode to her younger self in Everything I know about Love. In the wonderfully witty memoir, Alderton looks back at her time as a teenager, the years leading up to her adult life and the choices she made for love. The stories of her youth are deliciously relatable with important lessons learnt along the way. With memories of MSN messaging, first dates and female friendships that last a lifetime, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will have found a book that pulls on every heart string.
Available here for Dhs 69.18
Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth
Unsworth gloriously captures what it is like to be an adult in her candid novel Adults. The main character, Jenny Mclaine seems to have it all, but life gets in the way as she tries to maintain her career, friendships, ex boyfriends and her mother. The book is a fabulous reminder of how there can be curveballs when it comes to adulting, but there’s always a chance you can fall back in love with your life.
Available here for Dhs 97.74
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
A thrilling tale of a perfect couple Erin and Mark, who embark on their dream honeymoon to a tropical island where they enjoy the sun and sea. Whilst scuba diving in the beautiful blue ocean they find something in the water… Steadman’s enigmatic debut novel is the perfect summer read with its plot twists and nail biting chapters.
Available here for Dhs 61.9
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautiful coming of age story and an ode to the natural world. The tale of possible murder and beautiful secrets of nature, Owens novel on the “Marsh Girl” has been the story of the summer. Kya Clark is sensitive and intelligent, surviving for years alone in the marsh where she calls home. The time comes when she longs to be loved, opening herself up to a new life, until the unthinkable happens.
Available here for Dhs 73.91
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Set in Mexico, Lydia and her eight-year-old son, Luca are forced to flee their home and find themselves worlds away from their comfortable middle-class life. Transformed into migrants, they travel to the United States to seek a new life. A captivating novel from Cummins, the gripping book is the ultimate pool side read.
Available here for Dhs 70.45
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
The Henna Artist by Joshi is a vibrant and captivating portrayal of one woman’s struggle living in a society in between the traditional and modern. The book opens its pages to the world that was once beautiful, turned dark and cruel. Joshi’s tale of hardship is heartbreaking and moving, an excellent book if you are a fan of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Available here for Dhs 63.61
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Relatable, fresh and honest, Queenie is the story of a 25-year-old Jamaican girl living in London, trying to fit into two cultures. Constantly compared to her white-middle class colleagues, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places. After getting herself into toxic relationships and poor life choices, she asks herself a question many women ask themselves every day–“What are you doing??”
Available here for Dhs 49.91
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/kileyreid