HAVE BOOK, WILL TRAVEL Pack these page-turners in your suitcase and be the best-read person by the pool
Because a woman is judged by the quality of her sun lounger literature, we’ve found the best reads, wherever you’re laying your towel
Your holiday vibe... Ten days in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
You need A buzz book that’ll look good next to your coconut smoothie on Instagram. Pack Sour Heart by Jenny Zhang This short-story collection explores the lives of seven immigrant women in ’90s New York.
Why It kicks off with a two-page discussion of toilet habits – and you still want to read on. Sample line “It was like my mother always said. You can’t wash a turd with soap and expect to smell nice.” Bloomsbury, £16.99; out 10th August Your holiday vibe... A week in Ibiza with your crew
You need An easy read you can quote to your friends from the lounger. Pack Hot Mess by Lucy Vine Ellie has a soul-crushing job, a mouldy flat, and a disastrous dating life. Familiar?
Why It’ll make you feel better for drinking your margarita out of your shoe at Pacha at 6am.
Sample line “Josh is Poldark levels of hot – so I said I’d take the room before I’d even seen past the peeling hallway.” Orion, £7.99; out 13th July Your holiday vibe... The Greek villa you book every year
You need The latest from a writer you love. Pack Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett A followup to the 2015 bestseller The Versions Of Us, it focuses on Cass, a successful singer-songwriter who curiously ducks out of the limelight.
Why Each chapter starts with storyrevealing lyrics (written by reallife songwriter Kathryn Williams). Sample line “Officially, she gave up smoking years ago, along with so many other things.” Orion, £15.99; out now
Your holiday vibe... A long weekend in Margate
You need A quirky, offbeat read. Pack Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel
Khong A snappy debut novel about a 30-year-old woman who moves back home to care for her sick father.
Why OK, so a book with ‘Hello, Alzheimer’s’ scrawled across the cover might not scream ‘beach read’, but this is delightfully witty, as well as heartbreaking. Sample line “Tonight a man found Dad’s underpants in a tree lit with Christmas lights.” Scribner, £12.99; out now
Your holiday vibe... Copenhagen on a city break
You need A book that’s sexy (but not like Fifty Shades). Pack Conversations With Friends by
Sally Rooney The debut from this 25-year-old writer – touted as the next JD Salinger – follows two pals (and ex-lovers) who befriend an older couple. It gets complicated. Why It’s a funny take on modern relationships, with complex characters and some razorsharp dialogue. Sample line “When bad things happened, I made myself feel better by thinking how smart I was.” Faber & Faber, £14.99; out now