Summer Books 2024 brings together recommendations from FT writers and critics on a wide range of topics – from business and politics to technology, poetry and fiction – and something for every taste.
But it wouldn’t be complete without a contribution from our book-loving FT readers. We’re impressed by the quantity and quality of your suggestions. Here’s a selection of the best suggestions – and of course you can continue the discussion in the comments below.
The Hunter by Tana French
This is an outstanding novel about the nastiness of small-town life. The atmosphere of rural Ireland during a heatwave is described in detail and the characters are all wonderfully three-dimensional. Everyone should read this book, as well as its predecessor. The seeker.
—Skaggsy
The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
This was a gripping read that I devoured in two days. I had always known about the events at Fort Sumter, but this account of the events leading up to the Civil War and the people involved was very interesting. This was immediately followed by Gore Vidal’s Lincolnwhich fits very well.
—Dan Gartner
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
I have read a lot this year, but the book that has captivated me the most and given me a lot to think about is The Ministry of Timeby Kaliane Bradley. It covers many timely issues and presents them from a variety of perspectives, but is consistently a gripping and entertaining story that is written with great sensitivity, especially for a debut novel.
—Alichapp
Trailer Park Rules by Michelle Teheux
Do you want to know what life is really like for the bottom third of the income pyramid in non-urban America? Read The Caravan park rules by Michelle Teheux. It is the first novel by a Midwestern author that is unlikely to find reviews in mainstream literary magazines, a gripping story about the fate of six households after a major real estate company takes over their trailer park and raises the rent. Romance, tragedy, comedy, and violence are all very well portrayed by the author, a small-town journalist whose career ambitions were ended by the demise of local newspapers. While the book itself is not overtly political, it tells the story of an America struggling to achieve economic prosperity. The metaliterary final chapter, with the author’s explanatory apology, is a gem, if very unconventional.
—TonyDinSouthernIllinoisUSA
The lifeline of Tom Ellen
This book tells the love story of two people who meet in their twenties and spend a wonderful day in Paris. Their affair ends badly. About eight years later, neither of them is doing well. She is consumed by grief and anger over the death of her father and is stuck in a dead-end job and a meaningless relationship. Readers don’t know why he feels the same way, but it’s obvious: he spends all his time working in a helpline call center. Which she calls one day…
—Alis21
The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger
This is a pretty remarkable book that made me think about plants in a completely different way. Similarly, Joe Roman’s latest title, Eating, shitting, dying, is a great introduction to zoogeochemistry that I didn’t know I needed!
—Gaseous clay
Who says that? by Anne Curzan
Says who? by Anne Curzan is a timely look at the descriptivist versus prescriptivist debate surrounding the use of the English language.
—CWC
Harmony Heights by Ong Chin Huat
This book is a candid look at today’s society from the perspective of several residents of an apartment block. It mixes sharp social commentary with interesting stories. Harmonic heights is a book that anyone who has neighbors can identify with. It exposes hypocrisy, societal expectations and public roles versus private reality. Delicious!
—@Ribboncurl (Instagram)
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