Your Summer Reading List

Megan Daley recommends books for the 'grown ups'

As we approach the holiday season, like many others, I am planning my holiday reading. The school year is not a great time for me to deep dive into adult novels and non-fiction works and I tend to very much stay in YA and MG territory throughout the school year.

Come the Summer holidays, however? I am all about ‘grown up reads’.

Despite being a librarian and very much ‘a reader’, I find I have to discipline myself to start and finish books these days. It is possibly the age and stage I am at in life but I know it is also the effect of the screen – sometimes as I crawl into bed at 11pm I am far too tired to read a chapter of a book but I will scroll on the ABC news website (and the socials!) for far too long.

It’s not a habit that I am proud of and in 2025 I would very much like to come ‘back to the book’.

The titles below are 20 books I have on my TBR list this holiday or ones I have read this year – it’s about half/half when I look at it so I think I’ve done well to read 10 adult titles this year!

Many on the list are from my mother’s Most Excellent Book Club, which she has been in for many years, and others are recommendations from friends and literary colleagues.

I hope you find something to enjoy here!