Books to Pack in Your Holiday Suitcase

Two best friends, one annual summer trip, and a decade of will-they-won't-they that will have you clutching the book to your chest ☀️ It's warm, funny and so achingly romantic, with a slow burn that pays off perfectly. Basically a holiday inside a holiday — the ultimate suitcase read. I finished it on a sun lounger and immediately wanted to book a trip with my favourite person.

A glamorous wedding on a remote Irish island, a storm rolling in, and a body by the end of the night 🖤 Told from a handful of viewpoints all hiding something, it's twisty, atmospheric and impossible to put down. The perfect page-turner for when you want your holiday reading with a delicious edge of menace. I raced through the last hundred pages in one sitting, completely gripped.

Four irrepressible pensioners in a retirement village who meet weekly to solve cold cases — until a real murder lands on their doorstep 🔍 It's witty, warm and cleverly plotted, with characters you'll adore and one-liners you'll read aloud. Cosy crime at its very best, and the ideal companion for a lazy afternoon in the shade. I laughed, gasped and pressed it into my mum's hands the second I finished.

Part coming-of-age, part murder mystery, part love letter to the wild — the story of a girl who raises herself in the marshes of North Carolina 🌾 It's lush, immersive and beautifully written, the kind of book that transports you somewhere else entirely. Perfect for a long, uninterrupted holiday read. I surfaced from it blinking, half-expecting to hear the herons. Utterly transporting.

A sweeping family saga set on a sun-drenched Greek island, unravelling a secret buried for generations 🇬🇷 It's rich, emotional and full of heart, whisking you straight to the Cretan coast without a boarding pass. If your suitcase is bound for the Med (or you just wish it were), this is the one. I read it on a beach and it made the whole trip feel like a novel.

A brilliant 1960s chemist who refuses to be underestimated — and somehow ends up hosting the most subversive cookery show on television 🧪 It's whip-smart, funny and quietly furious, with a heroine (and a dog) you'll fall head over heels for. A proper crowd-pleaser that's clever without ever being heavy. I cheered out loud more than once and finished it grinning. The perfect suitcase all-rounder.

A glamorous old-Hollywood icon finally spilling the secrets of her seven marriages — and one twist you will not see coming ✨ It's dazzling, addictive and so easy to inhale in a single greedy sitting, which makes it a dream for a full day of doing nothing but reading. Pack it for the day you've earned a proper lie-in on the lounger. I picked it up “just to start it” and finished at 1am, floored.