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Our four rules for your summer reading
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Sally Rooney, confessions of guilt, and fist fights - two of our books editors take you through their four golden rules for what to read on your holidays this summer.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory
Guests:
- Robbie Millen, Literary Editor, The Times and Sunday Times.
- Laura Hackett, Deputy Literary Editor, The Times and Sunday Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Books mentioned:
A 20 per cent discount is available for Times+ members at timesbookshop.co.uk.
- The Neapolitan Novels - Elena Ferrante
- The Flashman Papers - George MacDonald Fraser
- Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst
- The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley
- Wellness - Nathan Hill
- Life after Life - Kate Atkinson
- The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
- Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
- On Beauty - Zadie Smith
- Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Close to Home - Michael Magee
- Absolutely and Forever - Rose Tremain
- Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh
- The Mortdecai Trilogy - Kyril Bonfiglioli
- All Our Yesterdays - Natalia Ginzburg
- The Safekeep - Yael van der Wouden
- James - Percival Everett
- Long Island - Colm Toibin
- Our Evenings - Alan Hollinghurst
- Intermezzo - Sally Rooney
- The City and Its Uncertain Walls - Haruki Murakami
Read our critics 100 best summer reads for 2024
Further listening:
- Why young women are falling out of love with the pill
- 2023's best books: Victorian sex, apocalypse and Prince Harry
Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com
Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'
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