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Summer reading from the Booker Prizes

We’ve pooled together some of our best reading recommendations for the long hot summer ahead – so dip in and find your new favourite novel. Still unsure? Our quiz will recommend the perfect Booker book for you

Published July 8, 2025

Blistering reads

A selection of books presented against a bright yellow background, featuring graphics of the sun and an open book, which has a swimming pool within its pages

10 Booker Prize-nominated books that are perfect for hot weather

Across the northern hemisphere, temperatures are rising with forecasts of another sweltering summer ahead. Here are ten searingly good Booker-nominated reads, where hot weather is much more than just a backdrop

Tales for travellers

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10 Booker-nominated books to take to the seaside

From solitary escapes to idyllic resorts, join us on a trip through literature’s most compelling coastal tales with these Booker Prize-nominated novels

Nine Booker-nominated novels to take on a road trip

From adventurous pensioners to genre-bending excursions, join us on a trip like no other in the company of these Booker Prize-nominated novels

Thrills and spills

12 of the best page-turners from the Booker Prizes library

13 of the best page-turners from the Booker Library

Think that a prize-winning novel can’t also be utterly compelling? These gripping titles from the Booker Prize archives will keep you on the edge of your seat

11 of the funniest novels from the Booker Library

Looking for a book to put a smile on your face? We’ve trawled the Booker Prize archives in search of the wittiest works, from biting social satire to family farce

Personal picks

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Editors’ picks: our favourite Booker Prize-nominated books to read this summer

From the nostalgia of the British seaside to distant, sun-soaked landscapes, dive into the Booker Prizes team’s recommendations for summer reading

A summery illustration against an orange-yellow background showing an open book with a swimming pool within it. There are people around and in the pool; two sit on sit on sun loungers reading books.

20 of the best summer reads nominated for the Booker Prize, chosen by our readers

From unforgettable settings to novels that keep you on the edge of your deck chair, these are your favourite books to escape with as the temperature rises

Find your dream summer read

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Summer reading quiz: find the perfect Booker book to take on holiday

Take our personality quiz and tell us about your dream holiday, and we’ll recommend the perfect book from the Booker Library to pack in your suitcase