June 3, 2019, by Sunita Tailor

Summer reading check list…

This blog was written by second year English student, Emily Hall.

As the expanse of summer stretches out before us, many people will look forward to different things. Holidays, parties, weddings; all of the summer fun you can imagine. Perhaps something less common, but a relief for English students is knowing that you can finally read for pleasure- not for the course! No more looking on amazon and Blackwells to find a text you’re not sure whether you will enjoy reading, summer is a time in which you can read exactly what you want. Personally, I try to read a variety of books over summer, of varying genres which serve different purposes…

The first? A “page turner”. A gripping, thrilling, dramatic twisting and turning novel which you can lose yourself in for hours. For me, this is usually crime fiction. Try works by John Grisham or Paula Hawkins for some classic page turners which finish far quicker than you’d like them to.

The next is what I call an “easy read”. This is usually a novel which doesn’t require too much emotional investment or contain dramatic twists, but rather focuses on characterisation and involves some sort of romance/friendship. Giovanna Fletcher has some great ‘easy reads’ which are perfect for lounging on the beach or on the sofa on a lazy Sunday.

Summer can be a time of growth and development, and so reading a self-help book, or non-fictions which focus on improving your mental well-being can be incredibly rewarding. Look up Elizabeth Gilbert or Gabrielle Bernstein for some reflective and constructive reads.

Finally, although it can be the last thing on your mind, try looking at your reading list for next year’s modules. Just doing some light background reading on the topics you’ll be tackling can be advantageous and ease the stress of coming back to Uni.

So take a look at newspapers and magazines recommended summer reads, read online blogs, reviews and articles- read as much as you can…while you still have all that choice!

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn