We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Sixteen-year-old Jay Lim’s summer in rural Malaysia is shaped by drought, family tensions, and the legacy of his recently deceased grandfather’s dilapidated farm. As Jay works the parched land, he’s drawn into a charged friendship with Chuan, the farm manager’s son. Against the turbulence of the late-1990s Asian financial crisis, The South delicately explores first love, self-discovery, and generational conflict within a family wrestling with heritage and uncertain futures.
2
The Emperor Of Gladness by Ocean Vuong 
Few reminders of modern loneliness are more profound than this friendship between suicidal teen Hai and Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
3
My Sister and Other Lovers by Esther Freud
Uncovering the raw, unspoken truths of sisterhood – from love and rivalry to unhealed wounds – this novel delves into the best and worst parts of growing up.
4
Selfish Girls by Abigail Bergstrom 
Ines is on the brink of a breakdown. She returns home to a small Welsh town, dealing with her dysfunctional family and all the messiness and quiet rage of being a young woman today.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
5
The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward
When Clara spots their vanished mother, her twin sister Dempsey believes she is a con woman. This lyrical fiction debut is full of emotional suspense and slow-burning revelations.
6
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 
Astrophysics professor Joan joins the Space Shuttle programme in the 1980s, only to find friendship, purpose and a love that transcends gravity and time. Pure escapism for sci-fi fans craving passion.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
7
TonyInterruptor by Nicola Barker 
With all the emotional chaos and sharp wit of Fleabag – but in male form. Filled with eccentricity, this is a brilliant story about the struggle for authenticity in the digital age.
This Booker Prize-nominated read follows fifteen-year-old István who we meet with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary — following his life through military service and then to London it’s a surprising entry into the capital’s elite society.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
9
Loved One by Aisha Muharrar
The funniest exploration of deep loss, this mystery sees two women connected by grief – and the love of one man – navigate secrets and unexpected sisterhood across continents.
10
Awakened by Kelechi Okafor 
Journalist Pels Badmus heads to West Africa on an assignment, but her life is upended when she finds answers that challenge the world around her. Lovers of Black Mirror, this foray into AI is for you.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
This laugh-out-loud debut is for anyone who has ever been to therapy. Follow protagonist Sylvie, a veterinary nurse, who is in love with her therapist. Full of wit and joy, prepare to giggle from the sun lounger.
This debut by Honor Jones goes back and forward in time between a 35-year-old mother’s present and her dark haunting past. An incredibly moving story on the impact on how childhood trauma haunts.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
13
Cleaner by Jess Shannon
Forget the rock and roll, this debut is about sex, drugs and a serious obsession with cleaning. The magnetic comic debut, follows a young artist, in her mid-twenties. who moves home to live with her parents and becomes obsessed with cleaning. Mrs. Hinch meets Raven Leilani’s Luster.
14
The Compound by Aisling Rawle 
Think Lord of the Flies meets Married at First Sight – this takedown of reality TV follows Lily, a contestant on a popular show, who will do anything it takes to play the game. Sinister in all the best ways.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
15
Bring The House Down by Charlotte Runcie 
When a critic destroys Hayley’s Edinburgh Fringe show, she retaliates with a viral act exposing his life. Dark, obsessive and razor-sharp, this is your next Baby Reindeer fix.
16
Piatkus So Good To See You by Francesca Hornak 
If you loved Normal People and One Day then this pacey coming of age story is for you. It kicks off with Serge, Rosie and Daniel in their final weeks of university, full of optimism. And meets them again 15 years later at a wedding in Provence when they are no longer friends.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
17
Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Dave Win, a gay, mixed-race actor raised by a single mother in 1960s England, navigates decades of shifting British society, privilege, and prejudice. From scholarship boy at a boarding school to the London stage, Dave explores identity, family, and love—grappling with racism and changing sexual mores. Hollinghurst renders Dave’s journey through intimacy and loss with wry subtlety, culminating in his bittersweet later years and posthumous legacy shaped by the people who loved him.
18
So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
Four university friends — Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte, and Steffi — reunite for Nicki’s fraught baby shower during a blistering heatwave, with simmering resentments and secrets lurking under the surface. When a fire destroys the house, all four become suspects, each grappling with motherhood, envy, or feeling judged. Holly Bourne weaves a darkly witty thriller of friendship and identity, using police interviews and flashbacks to unravel who—and what—ignited the chaos.
Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University’s prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
During Lena’s tenure at ELLE, she has been building the brand’s cultural content and special projects including benchmark events; ELLE Weekender, The ELLE List and The ELLE Style Awards. During her time at the magazine, she’s commissioned essays from Zadie Smith, interviewed everyone from Miley Cyrus to Jodie Comer and made viral videos like ‘More Women’ that shone a light on gender inequality and was seen by millions. As an editor, Lena specialises in travel, music, arts, film and all culture and is an active BAFTA member having sat on a jury for many years. She has written for numerous titles including The Guardian, Vogue and The New York Times.
Watch Next
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below