As the Australian summer stretches out, many of us look forward to that precious combination of free time and a good book. While the season is often associated with light paperback fiction, it also presents the perfect opportunity to finally tackle those more complex titles that have been waiting patiently on the bedside table.
A Diverse Selection for Every Reader
We asked six dedicated Australian readers and academics to share what's on their summer reading list. Their selections reflect a wonderfully broad range of genres and interests, proving that summer reading can be anything your well-rested mind desires.
Jo Case, The Conversation's deputy editor for books and ideas, has already added several picks to her own pile, including Susie Boyt's novel Loved and Missed and Dominic Amerena's satire I Want Everything.
From Finnish Islands to Belgian Crime
David McCooey, a professor at Deakin University, suggests a timely revisit of Tove Jansson's The Summer Book. This bittersweet story of a girl and her grandmother on a Finnish island is set for a film adaptation starring Glenn Close. McCooey also recommends the prolific Georges Simenon and his Inspector Maigret novels, a perfect series for leisurely holiday consumption.
For fans of tense, page-turning thrillers, Sue Turnbull from the University of Wollongong highlights Tim Ayliffe's Dark Desert Road. Departing from his usual political thrillers, Ayliffe ventures into rural noir set in the NSW Riverina, following a burnt-out cop drawn into a dangerous survivalist cult.
Literary Acclaim and Academic Satire
Kevin Brophy, an emeritus professor at the University of Melbourne, is turning to the work of Patricia Lockwood. After being captivated by her novel No One is Talking About This and her memoir Priestdaddy, he plans to read her new post-COVID novel, Will There Ever Be Another You, hoping for her signature taboo-breaking insight.
Joseph Steinberg from The University of Western Australia is curating a syllabus on academia itself. His list includes classics like Vladimir Nabokov's Pnin and David Lodge's Changing Places, moving on to Alison Lurie's The War Between the Tates and more recent works by Susan Choi and Elif Batuman.
Australian Stories and Nostalgic Pairings
Jodi McAlister, a senior lecturer at Deakin University, celebrates the boom in Australian romantic comedies. She notes excellent recent releases from authors like Steph Vizard, Patrick Lenton, and Karina May. Her personal beach read is Brooke Crawford's Better Than the Real Thing, a story about a Melbourne teacher and a reclusive rock star's diary.
Finally, Kate Cantrell from the University of Southern Queensland revisits a perfect summer pairing: Jeffrey Eugenides's novel The Virgin Suicides and Sofia Coppola's film adaptation. She reflects on how the story's hazy, dreamlike quality masterfully captures the specific melancholy and magic of adolescence, a feeling intrinsically linked to the long, languorous days of summer.
Whether your taste runs to gripping rural noir, smart literary fiction, or a feel-good local romance, this list curated by Australia's keenest readers offers the perfect inspiration to level up your summer reading.
