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Summer is (very slowly) making itself known, which means summer holidays are just around the corner.

Between June and September, Brits dash to the seaside and the beaches of Europe to soak up some sun - an activity best accompanied by a good book.

Over the past year or so there have been a number of brilliant new releases, from political thinkers, to psychological thrillers and romantic novels that are hard to put down.

We've rounded up the best of the literary bunch below to help serve up some beach reading inspiration.

Ordinary People by Diana Evans

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2019 , Ordinary People is set in London and looks at two couples at a moment of reckoning. Diana Evans’ third novel is about compromise and about how we live today – with a refreshingly vivid picture of London painted in the background.

Buy it here.

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

To be released in early July, Disappearing Earth is about the disappearance of two sisters from the remote Siberian peninsula of Kamchatka. The book is an interesting exploration into an oft unexplored part of the world and the reverberations the disappearance has on the tight-knit community.

Buy it here.

The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts

When Polly's best friend gets engaged, she's determined to have a plus one at the wedding - despite the fact she's not seeing anyone. Working for Posh! magazine (Sophia Money-Coutts is the former features editor of Tatler), Polly meets Jasper, Marquess of Milton, who could well be the plus one she was looking for. Quick-paced, hilarious and an easy read, this book is hard to put down and is the perfect holiday companion. Money-Coutts also has a new book, What Happens Now? coming out this August if you whizz through this one.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

The number one bestseller, this is Marlon James’ first novel since winning the Man Booker Prize in 2015 forA Brief History of Seven Killings. Here, he draws on African mythology for this story about a hunter trying to find a lost child in the midst of a world of magic and darkness. This is the first novel in Marlon James’ Dark Star Trilogy.

Buy it here.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Described as ‘joyous, memorable and necessary’ by Standard columnist Alex Peake-Tomkinson, this recently released debut novel from Candice Carty Williams has become an instant bestseller. The titular hero, Queenie, navigates life as a young black woman, trying to juggle work, family and dating – resulting in a delightfully fresh perspective needed in mainstream fiction.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

Based on true events, this book dives into the real-life cases of the hundred girls and women who were knocked unconscious and raped in a remote religious Mennonite colony between 2005 and 2009 - with the women believing they were attacked by ghosts or demons. Miriam Toews powerful book is an imagined response to these events, where eight of the women attacked make a plan to protect themselves from future harm.

Buy it here.

Spring by Ali Smith

Spring is Ali Smith’s third book in her Seasonal Quartet, with predecessors’ Autumn and Winter already cult favourites. While the book stands alone, it hooks onto the news cycles and shares a unifying style and themes with the previous two books.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates

One half of one of the worlds most philanthropic couples (her husband is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates), Melinda Gate's new book reflects on how empowering women can improve the health of societies worldwide and explains how we can ‘turbo-charge' change. An inspiring read for anyone looking to see how helping a community can change the world.

Buy it here.

The Friendship Cure by Kate Leaver

The debut non-fiction book from Australian journalist Kate Leaver looks into friendships in a modern age and asks the question: how can we live in the most interconnected age and still find ourselves stuck in the greatest loneliness epidemic of our time? The manifesto looks into what modern friendship means and will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling– and the desire to call all of your friends for a catch up.

Buy it here.

Late in the Day by Tessa Hadley

With a friendship spanning thirty years, Alexandr, Christine and Lydia are devastated when Zach, the fourth member of their quartet, dies suddenly. Unmoored by the loss of their friend, his spouse Lydia moves in with Alexandr and Christine – but instead of being wrapped in love, anger and bitterness ensues.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Shortlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction, My Sister, the Serial Killer is about a seriously dark secret that protagonist Korede is keeping; her sister Ayoola is a serial killer. After Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row goes missing, the cute doctor at Korede's work shows an interest in Ayoola and Korede must decide between the two. Wry and witty, this book is a guaranteed page turner.

Buy it here.

Lanny by Max Porter

Max Porter, author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers is back with his sophomore novel. Based in a village 60 miles out of London which, at first, seems like a typical English village until Dead Papa Toothwort wakes from his slumber to listen to the villagers. This haunting novel acts as a warning about what we stand to lose.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

The current darling of the literary world, this is Irish author Sally Rooney's second novel. Long-listed for a Man Booker Prize, the novel follows Connell and Marianne, two teenagers who grew up in the same rural Irish town and who head to Trinity College in Dublin together. A simple, yet profound love story about the impact you can have on someone else's life

Buy it here and read our full review here.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

When a seemingly normal suburban couple get bored with their relationship, they come up with a plan to keep their relationship alive: murder. This gripping page-turner offers a new take on the psychological thriller genre - the ideal beach read.

Buy it here.

Middle England by Jonathan Coe

For those suffering from Brexit fatigue, this might not be for you but could certainly offer you some solace. This fictional novel is a compelling take reflecting our current political climate. It starts in 2010, following a cast of characters to just after the Brexit vote, showcasing a very modern England.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane

To be released on June 6, the novel's protagonist, May, finds herself at 40 and at a crossroads. She decides to visit four old friends which forces her to confront the pain of her past and reveals the power and limitations of modern day friendships.

Buy it here.

Why we get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman

Lifting the lid on Westminster, Isabel Hardman asks why we end up with politicians we don’t like. The award-winning journalist looks at the UK’s politicians of today and questions why they are consistently voted the least trusted professional group by the UK public. A must-read for anyone who wants to change the way they think about politicians and how they vote.

Buy it here.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos

Ramos creates a believable dystopian future where poor women try to make money and change their societal standing by offering up their bodies to house and deliver healthy babies for the rich. The novel alternates perspectives between four women and provides notes on fundamental inequalities. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale.

Buy it here.

What She Ate by Laura Shapiro

A set of biographies told in a completely unique way, Laura Shapiro looks at intriguing women and the food that they ate. The book profiles a breadth of influential females, from US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, to Hitler's mistress Eva Braun and the founding editor of Cosmopolitan, Helen Gurley Brown. Shapiro manages to weave in stories of food with how it shaped their lives, giving us new insight into these famous women.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Star-crossed by Minnie Darke

A delightfully easy read, Star Crossed is the classic girl meets boy story, except in this case girl manipulates her astrology column to make boy fall in love with her. When Justine runs into her childhood crush Nick, he divulges that he relies on her magazine's astrology section to help guide him through life, so Justine comes up with a way to guide him to her in this charming book.

Buy it here.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

The runaway best-selling memoir of 2018, Becoming has already sold an incredible 10 million copies, meaning it's on track to becoming the bestselling autobiography ever. In Becoming, the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama reflects on her childhood, career, meeting Barack Obama and their path to the White House - along with commenting on the current US political climate.

Buy it here.

Thin Air by Lisa Grey

One of this year's best new thrillers, Thin Air is the debut novel from Glasgow-based writer Lisa Gray. The first in her Jessica Shaw series (described as a female Jack Reacher), private investigator Shaw receives a photo of a three-year-old kidnapped from Los Angeles 25 year ago, which is when Shaw realises the child in the photo is her.

Buy it here.

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner

On a similar vein to Netflix’s renowned Orange is the New Black, Rachel Kushner delves into life inside a maximum-security women’s prison. The novel centres around Romy Hall, who we meet at the start of two consecutive life sentences, attempting to adjust to her new life behind bars. We follow her as she struggles to do the right thing by her young son, who is now being looked after by her estranged mother.

Buy it here andread our full review here.

Milkman by Anna Burns

The winner of the Man Booker Prize for 2018, this novel is narrated by a never-named 18-year-old girl growing up in a violent sectarian society, who encounters a parliamentary leader known as 'the milkman'. It can be a tough read at times but one to sink your teeth into.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

Adèle by Leila Slimani

The follow-up to her hugely successful novel, Lullaby, ​Leila Slimani's Adèle lives a seemingly perfect life. The Parisian journalist lives in a stunning apartment with her surgeon husband and young son - but she has an insatiable need for sex. Organising her days around her affairs with other men, this novel explores addiction and a the sexual needs of women.

Buy it here and read our full review here.

I’m Absolutely Fine!: A Manual for Imperfect Women by Emilie McMeekan and Annabel Rivkin

A wry look at real life from Emilie McMeekan and ES columnist Annabel Rivkin, the book takes inspiration from their website The Midult, that aims to 'pop the perfection bubble'. The guide is for women who are sick of seeing perfect images plastered over their Instagram feeds, and want to know that most women are like them, chin hairs and all.

Buy it here.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reed

When the (fictional) band Daisy Jones & The Six, the biggest band of the Sixties and Seventies, inexplicably breaks up in 1979, fans are left scratching their heads. This novel tells the tale of the bands origins along with their rise and fall. With obvious Fleetwood Mac influences, this makes for a compelling read.

Buy it here.

Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls

To be released on July 11, from the author of One Day, Sweet Sorrow is a story of first love, friendships and how a teenage summer can change everything.

Buy it here.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Winner of last year's Man Booker International Prize, Polish native Olga Tokarczuk' latest novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead has been shortlisted for this year's Prize as well. Part noir crime, part murder-mystery, this isn't an ordinary thriller,. In fact, Tokarczuk's book caused political uproar in Poland when it was published there in 2009 (it was only translated to English last year). A gripping read.

Buy it here.

The Runaways by Fatima Bhutto

Living in a slum in Pakistan, Anita desperately wants to escape her life, which is how she finds herself at a jihadi training camp in Mosul. The Runaways tells the story of the camp from three young character's perspectives and the challenges they face along the way. A timely read.

Buy it here.