77 books to pack this summer

You're going to need a bigger suitcase

HOW TO CRASH THE ECONOMY: BBC economics expert Ben Chu will be in conversation with Duncan Robinson, political editor and Bagehot columnist at The Economist, this coming Tuesday evening at Backstory. They’ll be talking about Chu’s new book, Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails. Get your tickets.

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IT’S NOT OFTEN that I can count the exact cost of my obsession with books. Today is, however, an exception. It’s £36.

That’s the ridiculous sum I’ve somehow justified paying to check in a suitcase for a flight tomorrow, because I can’t decide which books to pack for a week-long holiday.

It was bad enough trying to whittle down my summer reading before I opened my own bookshop. Now it is a particular kind of ever-so-literary torture: there’s books my colleagues have torn through and adored (All Fours by Miranda July is definitely making the cut, after raves from Savannah and Megan), proofs of shiny and exciting books that are coming out later this year and things I’ve always meant to read on holiday at some point, from Baldwin to bonkbusters.

And what even is an acceptable number of books for a bookseller to take on holiday? Three, four, five… 20?

To make matters worse, my mum and my sister Jenny have both decided to defer their holiday reading to the family bookshop owner. So I am now in a torrent of indecision on their behalf. Would mum prefer to weep at A Family Matter (more of which in next week’s newsletter) or bask in something a little lighter?

R+R: Rest and reading Savannah Sullivan

Of course, I should have just asked my colleagues for help.

We have been scouring our shelves (and the publishers’ catalogues) for the last couple of months, picking out the perfect holiday reads — whatever that means to you, from an easy beach book to a page-turning thriller or a well-told bit of non-fiction.

We’ve read all 77 of them and think every single one would be a fine accompaniment to any summer jaunts you’re planning… or just an afternoon on the common.

All you have to do now is browse our handy 16-page summer reading guide and then pop into the shop, or order online (free delivery anywhere in the UK when you spend £25).

You can browse each of our selections here and download the whole guide too. Or drop by Backstory for your free copy.

Thanks to the whole team for all the reading hours that went into it, and in particular to Dario and Savannah for designing a reading guide that itself sizzles.

Wherever you end up, make sure to send us a physical postcard with your review of your summer reading. If you do, we’ll have a complimentary glass of wine or cuppa waiting on your return.

Happy holidays!

Tom