Katherine Hardiman gives her top five summer reading suggestions!
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson 
A somewhat hyped book as of late, Since You’ve Been Gone has been marked by many as one of the must-read summer novels of the year. Morgan Matson is known for contemporary novels such as Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour that are an easy and enjoyable treat for anybody who wants a feel-good read. The novel follows the summer of a girl, Emma, who’s best friend Sloane goes missing and leaves a to-do list behind with 13 completely crazy tasks Emily would usually never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I read Me Before You last summer, became unexpectedly hooked and ended up reading the whole thing in one day. The story centres on Lou Clark, your average woman that gets a job caring for quadriplegic Will Traynor. Will is a lively and active spirit who after becoming incapable of any kind of motion, struggles to find the point in living. A best seller of last year, Me Before You is a heart-warming, funny and somewhat tragic novel that by popular demand has been made into a movie (coming to theatres this august!) and has a sequel, After You, set for release in September. This makes summer a perfect time to catch up with the first novel!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
For all you gamers and pop-culture jokers out there, Ready Player One is without a doubt the book for you. Bored of reality in 2044, Wade Watts spends most of his time in the virtual world of OASIS; a land of digital puzzles based on the creator’s obsession with pop culture. The player that solves these first has the promise of a great reward, but winning doesn’t come easy when other players are wiling to kill to get there… A hilarious book that always keeps you guessing, Ready Player One is a book not to be missed.
Paper Towns by John Green
By now, everyone knows who John Green is. His novel Paper Towns is his second book to be made into a movie, set for release over this summer. Paper Towns explores the life of Q, a boy who spends his life obsessing over Margo Roth Spiegelman, his neighbour and classmate. With little to no recognition of his existence, it’s crazy that she one day climbs through his window and summons him to help her seek creative revenge on people who have wronged her. Adventurous, realistic and – as always – magnificently crafted Paper Towns definitely fits the summer vibe and needs to be added to your wish list.
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
Earlier this year news broke that Harper Lee, from To Kill A Mockingbird classic reading royalty, is set to publish a second manuscript. Written at the same time as the now widely taught piece of literature, Go Set A Watchman was the first manuscript Lee ever sent to her publishers and features many of the same characters from her acclaimed classic but set twenty years later. Serving as a sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Go Set A Watchman sees Scout return to Maycomb to visit her father and deal with issues surrounding her family, society and the small town that shaped her into who she became. Any classics fans should definitely ear mark this one, coming to shelves July 14th!
