Not unlike flicking between streaming services on an evening in front of the TV, it’s easy to become inundated with choice when searching for your next holiday read.

But isn’t that part of the fun? A good ol’ book browse might uncover a hidden gem, something beyond your comfort zone, or that one vaguely familiar title that’s been on your watchlist for an age and a day.

Plus, nowadays it’s never been easier to ‘pack’ a page-turner, with e-readers and audiobooks making the joy of reading more accessible than ever before. So, whether the remaining summer days involve lounging by a pool, or simply relaxing in the garden or local park, we’ve put together a little something to suit every mood.

From historical dramas to Irish tales to rip-roaring science fiction, here are recommendations pulled from the AIKEN bookshelf… and a bonus podcast or two for listening on-the-go.

Claire – James by Percival Everett

I first heard of Percival Everett when I saw Oscar nominated movie American Fiction, based on Everett’s Erasure. About that time, I also started reading reviews for James, his new reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man with whom Finn runs away. Where Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn treated Huck’s sidekick, Jim, as a secondary character – a figure of pity and a target of fun – Everett’s novel makes him the star of the book: a dignified, complicated, fully formed man capable of love, wit, intellect and rage. Everett positions well the dichotomy between how enslaved people spoke with each other and how they spoke with the white men and women who purported to own them. In speaking with white people, they protected themselves by attempting to appear as they were perceived—simple, lacking intelligence. But in private, they were truly themselves, discussing life, love, politics, philosophy, and everything in between.

Seamus – The Rest is History

The first book I really took to as a child was a history book, The Story of Ireland that charted the island’s history from Cú Chulain, Fionn Mac Cumhaill and Queen Maeve through to the modern day. Looking back it inspired a love of history that's never really left me. Over recent months another podcast from the Goalhanger Podcast team, The Rest Is History has rekindled my passion for history and the study of the past. Historians Dominic Sandbook and Tom Holland tackle topics and series as diverse as Custer's Last Stand, the Peasants Revolt, the Fall of Julius Caesar and Britain in 1974. If you've any interest in history or the past then it's a must listen.

Ali – The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyles

I got this as a Christmas present which took me a while to get into, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down! It is set in 1930s America and based on the real-life pack-horse librarians of Kentucky. The central character is a British Woman, Alice Wright, who moved to Kentucky to be with her American Husband. As her fairy tale marriage begins to unravel, she answers a call out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelts Travelling Librarian Programme. The characters are compelling and despite being a bit predictable it really is a heartwarming tale of friendship, love, loss and liberation.

Lyn – The Green Road by Anne Enright

I've come to Anne Enright’s writing late. Her most recently published was the first of her novels that I read. Reading it felt like a bit of a chore, as book club picks can sometimes be. I didn’t really ‘get’ the characters and I thought the premise was a bit cliched. However, having thoroughly enjoyed listening to Enright at Dalkey Book Festival, I decided to give The Green Road a go. And I can’t recommend it highly enough. The Green Road is a story about family. In this case, a family from the west of Ireland with believable characters whose selfishness, lack of self-awareness, issues and anxieties ring true. Through Enright’s fine writing we recognise each of them in turn, empathising with them, laughing at them and crying for them.

Michael – Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The third novel from Andy author-of-The-Martian Weir makes for an easy recommendation, even if you’re not particularly fussed on science fiction. A Hugo award finalist with its own movie adaptation on the way in 2026, Project Hail Mary tells the story of Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut afflicted with amnesia who in piecing together the purpose of his mission, takes us on a white-knuckle ride of interstellar proportions, as Grace ‘sciences the shit’ out of an extinction-level threat... aided by arguably the coolest E.T. since E.T. himself.

Amy – The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

I was late in discovering The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, which was first published in 2008. It wasn't until this summer, just before heading on a family holiday to Sligo—where the novel is set—that I decided to read it. This novel offers a combination of tragic events, romance and thrilling moments, all woven with threads of Irish history. It tells the story of Roseanne, an elderly woman institutionalised for social rather than mental reasons. Barry gradually reveals the people and events that led to this grave injustice in this beautifully written yet sad depiction of Ireland's troubled past.

Caroline – The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks

Set in the near future and focusing on provocative subjects, The Seventh Son is an excellent book club read that looks at relationships, genetics and anthropology. The plot is centred on an American student Talissa, who carries a surrogate child for an English couple. Seth grows up markedly different to other children with different cognitive functions leading to the examination of the evolution of human consciousness, how we have differed from earlier species and what it costs to be human. Despite the extremely sad ending, Faulk’s storyline had me gripped and I can’t wait to read another of his novels.

Hannah – Normal People by Sally Rooney

After finding myself in a reading slump, for a period longer than I care to admit, I took to the supermarket where the bright pink and yellow cover of Normal People by Sally Rooney jumped out at me. I had heard good things about it but remember thinking even if I don’t read it, at least it would look nice on my bookshelf. It turned out to be a book that I couldn’t put down. The novel follows the lives of Marianne and Connell, two individuals hailing from a small town in Ireland. Delving into the complexities of intimacy and identity, it captures the pair’s evolving relationship, offering a raw and honest portrayal of human connection as well as personal growth. I would recommend it to anyone!

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones gave the story a new lease of life in a 12-episode series, which aired on RTE and BBC Three in 2020. The critically acclaimed series has been praised for its casting, performances, writing and directing and has picked up 18 awards. For me, watching the characters relationship evolve on screen was just as magical as reading about it in the novel.

Patrick - The Rest is Politics US

As the US Presidential elections are fast approaching, The Rest is Politics US presents interesting and knowledgeable insights from the outside looking in. Hosted by Katty Kay, BBC’s US Special Correspondent, and Anthony Scaramucci, a former White House Communications Director.

The US Presidential election will have a monumental impact not only on US politics but also on global politics and economies. Currently, the elections have endured shock dropouts, scandals, and constant entertainment. The Rest is Politics US ensures that listeners are well informed on what is happening, the strategies being played, and how each of the candidates will either win or lose the election… while using some light humour! It's worth a listen, as the rest of the world stands by and watches.