With summer holiday season around the corner (the year really is going by that quickly!), there is nothing better than a fresh batch of suitcase-friendly paperback releases. Which is why it is such good news that – almost as if it is planned – some of the biggest books of the last 12 months are newly out in such formats. Take Richard Osman’s most recent Thursday Murder Club mystery, for instance, or the latest romcom from queen of the beach read Emily Henry, or even Andrew Lownie’s jaw-dropping deep dive into Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Here’s our pick of the best…
Fun and Games by John Patrick McHugh; Love’s Labour by Stephen Grosz; The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
Fun and Games by John Patrick McHugh
Set over one summer on a small island off Ireland’s west coast, this striking debut follows 17-year-old John as he grapples with masculinity, class, desire and the question of who he wants to become. Tender, perceptive and beautifully observed.
Fourth Estate, £9.99
