How’s your summer* going? If you’re in Europe – or the UK, the land that air-con forgot – chances are you’ve been sweltering in the heat over the past few weeks. As we melt into a giant puddle here at Booker Prizes HQ in London, we’re fantasising about lazy days lounging by a pool with an ice-cold drink in one hand and a good book in the other.
With that in mind, our team have pulled together a comprehensive series of Booker-nominated reading recommendations for the weeks ahead, whether you’re setting off on a family vacation, exploring far-flung destinations or just unfolding a deckchair in the garden.
We’ve compiled lists of books that are perfect for hot weather, books set in hotels, books to take to the seaside, and much more besides. You’re bound to find something here to keep you entertained, wherever you’re heading this summer – although you may wish to consider taking a bigger suitcase.
If that’s not enough, you’ll also find dozens more lists of reading recommendations on our website, including the funniest books in the Booker library, the best page-turners, steamy reads, crime novels, and collections of short stories. There really is a book here for everyone.
Long, sun-soaked days call for stories that lift the spirits. That’s why our latest selection of reading recommendations features six life-affirming Booker-nominated books that celebrate kindness, hope and the power of human connection.
In recent years, more and more readers have gravitated towards stories that do just that. Growing sales of uplifting fiction – or ‘up-lit’ – signal a desire for novels that offer optimism without ignoring life’s complexities. You can find out more about the six books we’ve chosen – by George Saunders, Ruth Ozeki, Elaine Feeney and others – here.
You can also buy a bundle of all six books from ethical online bookshop BookKind, our charity partner, for £50 – a 20% discount on the recommended retail price. 10% of the value of your purchase can be donated to the Booker Prize Foundation, helping fund our work to support readers and writers of the future.
It’s now less than three weeks until we announce the longlist for the Booker Prize 2026. The ‘Booker Dozen’ of 12 or 13 books will be revealed on Tuesday, 28 July, with the shortlist of six books to follow on Tuesday, 22 September. The winner of the Booker Prize 2026 will be announced on Monday, 9 November at a ceremony in London, with the winning author receiving £50,000, while each of the six shortlistees receives £2,500.
For now, our judges – Raymond Antrobus, Jarvis Cocker, Rebecca Liu, Patricia Lockwood and Chair of judges Mary Beard are busy working their way through well over 100 submitted books ahead of their final pre-longlist judging meeting. We’ll be counting down to the announcement over the coming days and weeks, and sharing interviews with all five judges.
Which books are you hoping to see on the longlist? Let us know in the comments below!
* With apologies to our friends in the Southern Hemisphere – we know it’s not summer where you are, but hope you enjoy these reading recommendations too!
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