Put 13 copywriters and a proofreader in a room together, and we’ll end up talking about books. Everybody else is bored. In fact, they’ve left the pub. Hours ago. We’re still here. Talking about books.
As summer is nearly upon us, I asked the content team to tell me about their favourite “summer read”.
A summer read is different from an everyday read; it’s got to fit the sitting on a sun lounger with a drink in hand or lying on a picnic blanket in the garden on a Sunday afternoon brief perfectly.
Not everybody had time to recommend a book for this blog because they were too busy doing, well, actual client work. (Dweebs.)
I did get quite a few cracking recommendations, though, so get your Waterstones vouchers out – I know you’ve got one lying around from Christmastime – and enjoy this list of great summer reads, courtesy of our resident copywriters!
Charlotte – Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
Glorious Exploits (2024) mixes a whimsical Irish tone of voice with Ancient Greek theatre. Charlotte recommended this book to our Yardstick book club last year and I listened to it on Audible, so can personally vouch that it somehow really works.
She says, “I first picked up Glorious Exploits based purely on the cover and the hint of Greek mythology, and it ended up being one of my top reads. Set during the Peloponnesian War, Glorious Exploits tells the story of two directionless childhood friends who make it their mission to perform epic plays in Sicily using Athenian prisoners of war as their actors. Ferdia Lennon’s prose is beautiful and perfectly mixes comedy and tragedy.”
Ben – The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer
You probably know Bob Mortimer for being a wickedly funny presenter and comedian. (If you haven’t watched him on Last One Laughing, treat yourself – he’s a genius.)
He’s also penned several novels, his latest being The Long Shoe (2025), which is Ben’s summer read of the year.
“It’s a very light mystery novel perfect for holiday reading, with short chapters and lots of page-turning twists. But it has such an odd and unique humour that it feels much fresher than your typical poolside thriller.”
Kay – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy by Stieg Larsson
If you’re off on a long jolly this summer, Kay recommends committing to a gripping trilogy.
Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novels (2005, 2006, and 2007) make up a dark, violent trilogy – not exactly the first thing you’d think of when you’re chilling by the pool.
However, Kay argues that it’s the ultimate page-turner, which is certainly fitting for a summer holiday.
She says, “The trilogy is extremely compelling, and Lisbeth Salander is such an endearing character.”
Will – Still Life by Sarah Winman
Sarah Winman’s fourth and best-known novel, Still Life (2021), is a Sunday Times bestseller and Will’s favourite summer read.
I’ve never read this book, but Will’s description alone has me hooked:
“It’s about two people who meet in a wine cellar in 1940s war-torn Italy, and how their chance encounter shapes the rest of their lives. It’s filled with interesting and zany characters, and she writes incredibly romantically about Florence (reading it will make you jealous that you don’t own an Italian villa).”
Pour me a shot of limoncello and fetch me a beach towel to lie on; I will be reading Still Life this summer!
Mark – *Whatever fits the theme of the country you’re visiting*
Mark’s theory is that when you’re going on holiday, you should tailor your reading material to the country you’re visiting.
Hop on the Eurostar to Paris, for example, and Mark would tell you to read Hilary Mantel’s A Place of Greater Safety (1992). The novel spans the lives of Georges Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, and Camille Desmoulins, three of the most integral personalities in the French Revolution.
Or, if you’re heading farther east… “Last time we went to Australia we stopped over in Hong Kong – so on the flight out, I started reading Fragrant Harbour (2002) by John Lanchester. It’s a story of three people with intertwined lives in Hong Kong, from the 1930s to the handover to China.”
Lucy – American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Lucy’s approach to reading is no-nonsense. If she doesn’t like a book within the first few chapters, she’ll simply put it down and move on to something else.
So, we should all be taking her recommendations seriously, and her go-to summer read is Curtis Sittenfeld’s American Wife (2008).
Lucy tells me, “Loosely based on the life of former US first lady, Laura Bush, American Wife tells the story of bookish Alice and her journey from girlhood to womanhood. It’s been a while since I read this, but I do recall some wonderful scenes and long summer days revolving around swimming and tennis matches in beautiful settings!”
Gareth – Stay True by Hua Hsu
If you’ve ever had a Zoom meeting with Gareth, you will have noticed his bookshelves in the background, stacked full of volumes. He’s read everything there is to read and more.
This one is certainly going on my list: Stay True (2022) by Hua Hsu, which won the Pulitzer prize in 2023.
Gareth says, “Stay True is written by a guy whose friend was murdered in a carjacking and it’s a coming-of-age tale about the fast friendships you form when you’re young. Although it’s about a life cut short, it’s hopeful and life-affirming too…”
Susanna – Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession
The debut novel by Irish musician and writer, Rónán Hession, Leonard and Hungry Paul (2019) is Susanna’s summer read: “It’s a short, quick read that’s witty and sweet. Not a lot happens; it’s more about the relationship between the two friends.”
“Short and sweet” it is – I’ll leave it there for this one, which sounds like a great selection for a short hop to somewhere hot and European!
My recommendations – The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe, Selected Poems of Frank O’Hara, and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
To make up for the lack of actual writing this blog has required of me, I’ve come up with three summer reads for the price of one!
I read The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987) by the pool last year. It’s a thick volume, but it rattles away at 100mph and I couldn’t put it down.
It follows three characters in grimy 1980s New York: a millionaire stockbroker, an exhausted lawyer working in the Bronx, and an alcoholic journalist looking for a decent story. When the stockbroker and his mistress commit a hit and run that kills an innocent 18-year-old, the whole city wants a piece of the action, and the three characters’ fates become entangled.
I’m a poetry fanatic, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to recommend Frank O’Hara’s Selected Poems (2005, although the poems were written in the 50s and 60s).
Somehow, O’Hara distils the summer and pours it into the page. From the romantic ‘Having a Coke with You’ to the hilarious ‘Lana Turner has collapsed!’, his work is accessible, sultry, very funny, and will have you longing for your lost youth. (Mine isn’t lost just yet, but O’Hara still makes me yearn for it).
Finally, Girl, Woman, Other (2019) was one of my lockdown reads and I still remember that it felt like a warm hug at a time when the world felt… cold.
It spans the lives of 12 British women of different ages, sexual orientations, political persuasions, and heritages. They appear unconnected, at least at first. If you don’t mind weeping on your sun lounger behind a big hat and sunglasses, I’d recommend Girl, Woman, Other to anyone.
Let our writers pen great content for your advice business while you enjoy your summer holidays
The number one way to become a good writer is to read. A lot.
Clearly, Yardstick’s copywriters have that part covered – so let us write brilliant newsletters, guides, and brochures for your advice business while you jet off to somewhere warm and sunny this summer.
Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk to find out what we can do for you.
