What is a holiday without a good book to get stuck in to?

It’s finally here! I’m on holiday in Canada for my first full-week break all year. It’s a great time to get away, with noisy kids back in school and prices going down following the peak summer season. I’m thoroughly looking forward to having some down time, catching up on some Zzzzz and actually having the time to get stuck into a good book! Luckily, my friend Rachel @Rach_Khoo who works in publishing has shared some fab recommendations for my reading list. Here are our top picks!

The Long Haul Flight/All-Nighter
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by JK Rowling
Yes, Pottermania has struck once again and JK Rowling has delivered another belter of a book. Get ready for more magic, mystery and all your old favourites (we always loved Ron best). Good for a long tedious flight or, if you’ve switched time zones and can’t get to sleep, change into your PJs and pull and all-nighter just like old times.

The Globetrotter
Us by David Nicholls
Another funny and charming book from the author of One Day. Douglas and Connie Petersen’s marriage is in crisis now that their son is leaving home. In a last ditch attempt to save their relationship Douglas books a holiday touring Europe. (If you are inter-railing this Autumn this is a must-read!)

The Weekend Getaway
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Perfect for some light reading, this book had us thoroughly entertained. Composed mainly of fictional emails and letters, this is a feel-good story about a scientist who is asked to create a salmon river in the highlands of the Yemen. It’ll capture your imagination book, line and sinker. Also now a film starring the dishy Ewan McGregor and divine Emily Blunt!

The Tear Jerker
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
This powerful and poignant biography shot to the top of the New York Bestsellers List earlier this year. At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. This book, published shortly after his death will leave you captivated.

The Future Classic
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
This much anticipated sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird has been on our reading list for quite some time. Undoubtedly a future classic, Go Set a Watchman was written in the mid 1950s before To Kill a Mockingbird, but not published until the discovery of the manuscript just last year. Don’t leave it any longer – it’s time to rediscover your favourite Maycomb characters.

The Thought Provoker
In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park
Human Rights activist Yeonmi Park tells the harrowing story of her journey to freedom after fleeing North Korea with her mother when she was 13 years old. If you are looking for a moving and inspiring read then this thought-provoking book is one that is sure to stay with you.

The Check-in Baggage
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
It’s a rather sizable book, but well worth packing (if you can squeeze it into your suitcase that is…). A Man Booker Prize winner, this story is essentially mid-nineteenth century historical fiction, and there’s a good dose of mystery and ghost story in there too. NB: Definitely much easier to manage this one on a Kindle!

The Blockbuster
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
If you’ve not yet read this please go and buy a copy immediately. It’s our all-time favourite read and it’s less than 150 pages! There’s no excuse not to read this tragic beauty of a book before you watch the film. Time to escape into the glamour and glitz of 1920s America…

The Daily Devotional
Symmetry Breakfast by Michael Zee
Exactly what it says on the tin. This fascinating book is sure to keep you on your best game day when it comes to the most important meal of the day. Aren’t long and leisurely breakfasts what holidays are made for?

Have you read a great book on holiday recently? Let us know via social media using the hashtag #novelidea