Ten savvy readers on the book you should take to the beach this summer

It’s been a long year for many of us, why not treat yourself or someone you love to a truly transporting read? Ten book lovers reveal the books they’d take to the beach or the bach. (Or the bed or the couch…)

Hilary Barry, Seven Sharp presenter

I had this book, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, by Sophie Irwin, sitting around for months. My friend accidentally left it behind at my place and I’d been meaning to return it to her but hadn’t quite got around to it. So when I raced out the door recently to catch a flight it was the closest book on hand to throw into my handbag. It’s oh so light but the perfect summer read if you’re prone to distraction on the beach or falling asleep after a few pages. An easy but familiar plot (if you’re a Jane Austen fan), fun and entertaining. You’ll have it read in a day or a couple of days, depending on the distractions.

Zion Dayal, sports producer and reporter, TVNZ

Full disclosure: I’ve just picked up reading this year, for the first time since I was probably 10. And out of the four books I’ve read LEBRON, by Jeff Benedict, is definitely my favourite.

Arguably the greatest basketball player in history or certainly of my generation, this detailed biography of Lebron James gives an eye-opening insight into what it takes to be not only a great basketball player but one of the greatest athletes of all time. Like him or loathe him, you certainly gain an appreciation of what it took for Lebron James to get where he is, and perhaps an understanding of his sometimes controversial career moves. Not only a sportsman but a businessman too, there are so many layers to James that, reading this book you almost forget he plays basketball.

Catherine Chidgey, author of eight novels, including The Axeman’s Carnival and Pet, and the only person to win New Zealand’s top literary award (the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction) twice.

Dawn Tripp’s novel Jackie is inspired by life of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis. The writing is rich, interior, often poetic – and wonderfully evocative of the era it inhabits. Tripp captures her subject’s fierce intelligence and wit while also mining her deep shame around her husband’s rather public infidelities and her decision to look away from them. The perfect read for those weary of current American politics.

Mariana Whareaitu, Te Ao Maori digital producer at 1news.co.nz

This one’s for fans of reality shows like The Bachelor/ette. Jodi McAlister’s Here for the Right Reasons is a light, stereotypical rom-com that’s pure escapism. I’m not a fan of love-based reality shows but I was hooked into the premise of a TV production facing Covid restrictions.

That’s right. The story is set during Covid. So there’s a hint of realism too, but without the bleak details – again, light read. It’s the first of a trilogy, and the third book is better than the first, in my opinion. But have a read. If not for the insight into what makes reality TV (because the love story is pretty standard) then the little reminder of a time when things were downright grim which might throw some extra warmth into your upcoming summer break. Nau mai te raumati! Bring on summer!

Bonus: For the young adults in your whānau, check out Migration, by Steph Matuku. Think space battle school, geo-politics based on Ngāti caste system with interesting Māori cultural references. Honestly, Matuku has created an intriguing world in this book.

Finlay Macdonald, NZ editor of The Conversation

An epic – so much so it has a cast of characters at the beginning – romp through Covid-era contemporary London. In Caledonian Road, Andrew O’Hagan deploys his first-rate journalistic skill to tell a page-turning fictional story of class, crime, corruption, romance and cyber-intrigue that adds up to nothing less than a wide-screen portrait of our tormented times.

Indira Stewart, presenter and indepth reporter for TVNZ

One of the best novels I’ve read this year was The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. It’s told through the eyes of a young boy, and it’s more than 20 years old now but it really opened my eyes to some of the history of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban regime. After I finished the book it was still on my mind so I listened to the audio version, which I liked even better. It’s narrated by the author and his pronunciation of certain words and placenames gave colour and context to the setting in a way words on a page couldn’t do.

Rachael King, a novelist who now writes solely for children. Her latest book The Grimmelings was a finalist at this year’s New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

When I want something gripping and page-turning (the classic beach read criteria), I often turn to children’s books. Why? Because some of them are easily as rich and complex as novels written for adults. The very best children’s novels are really novels for everyone. And there are no boring bits, because a young audience won’t tolerate them. One of the very best examples I’ve read this year is Claire Mabey’s The Raven’s Eye Runaways. Set in a parallel medieval world where reading and writing are restricted to an elite few, it follows two girls – Getwin, a bookbinder, and Lea, an escaped scribe – who set out on a quest to discover the terrible truth behind their society and rescue Getwin’s imprisoned mother. It’s lovingly told with humour, curiosity, a delight in language, and impeccable world-building. If, like me, you devoured Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy as an adult, then this is the perfect beach read for you.

Jack Tame, Q+A presenter

In the spirit of summer adventure! Barbarian Days, by William Finnegan is a most extraordinary memoir about chasing waves that will have you dreaming of exotic South Pacific beaches, whether you’re lying on one or not. Finnegan beautifully contrasts his surfing relationships with the ultimately solitary nature of the sport. It’s not really a story about surfing; it’s about a lifetime spent in pursuit of the sublime. Glorious.

Stacy Gregg, screenwriter, children’s author and the winner of this year’s Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award

I know, I know giving a shout-out to a New York Times best seller is hardly using my voice to give a leg-up to some deserving, overlooked writer. On the other hand, sometimes the starry writers should be acknowledged too and Moriarty is starry for good reason. In Nine Perfect Strangers and Big Little Lies she wrote ripping, hilarious, relatable prose, better than even Marian Keyes on her best days. Here One Moment explores the notions of crack-pot mystical belief systems we use to get ourselves by. A woman gets on an otherwise unremarkable flight from Hobart to Sydney stands up mid-flight and walks down the aisle, an unprovoked fortune teller, pronouncing the time and manner of death that will afflict all the passengers onboard. Of course it’s a known fact clairvoyants are not supposed to tell people when they will die. And if one did, would you believe them? Would you change your behaviour in an attempt to influence your future? Let me put it another way: are you the sort of person who throws salt over your shoulder if you spill it and has no trouble reconciling this with being a firm atheist? Then this is the book for you. And for me.

Melissa Stokes, reporter and presenter, TVNZ

I’m a big believer in books finding you at the right time and Still Life, by Sarah Winman was one of those for me. It’s an adventure that sweeps across Florence and takes place in two time zones. With a big eccentric cast of characters, Winman explores the theme of friendship in a way I found beautiful and joyful. The ideal book for summer.

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