Apparently there’s a new ailment hitting the British public this summer.

Reader’s Block.

          The problem seems to be that people are buying books they feel they ought to read and then finding they don’t want to read them at all, particularly when the sun is shining and the bees are humming and our brains have taken a long summer vacation, even if we haven’t.

          So maybe it's time we ditch the “should reads.” Let’s forget all the high literature, the books we know we ought to have read, all those “hundred books to read before you die” lists in the Sunday papers and recommendations from friends, who we're sure are just trying to look clever.

          Let’s turn instead to something easier, less challenging and altogether more fun.  After all, we have the long cold nights of winter to struggle with Anne Enright’s Booker prize winning ‘The Gathering’ and Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’ (which just won the title Booker of Bookers). They are both great books, but sure to induce readers block if you try to read them just because you think you should.  Especially in the summer.

     Reading shouldn’t be about keeping up with the Joneses, or reading what some reviewer tells you you ought to read. It’s supposed to be fun, especially in the summer, when you just want to dip into a few pages of a book between dips in the swimming pool (or paddling pool in my case).

     So here are some great recommendations for summer. Fun, easy and no less good for that.

     ‘According to Ruth’ by Jane Feaver is a classic coming of age novel, set in 1970’s Northumberland, nostalgic and darkly funny, and well worth a read.

     Jane Green’s latest book ‘Second Chance’ is a perfect beach read. Compassionate, light-hearted, human literature. And not a Booker judge in sight!

     If you like epic novels and enjoyed Kate Morton’s ‘House at Riverton’ last summer you'll love her latest book. ‘The Forgotten Garden’ takes us from the eve of the first world war right up to the present day, with a secret at it’s heart and characters you can really care about.

     If it’s thrills you want try ‘No Time for Goodbye’ by Linwood Barclay. It’s tense and mysterious and almost impossible to put down.  Not a “should read”, but a book that, if you pack it in your suitcase, definitely will be read and passed around and re-read.

     Those are just a few of the hundreds of good summer reads.  By all means try something more challenging if you want to. Read Chaucer or Dostoevsky by the pool if that’s what you fancy, but remember you don’t have to!  .....Enjoy.

Caroline Overfield.