From award-winning reads and books set everywhere from a sleepy English village to imperial China, to sporting memoirs and business guides, The National's reading list this summer is rather varied.
Our staff share the literary treats they are savouring this season. Below are our favourite reads, arranged by year of release.
1. The Last Bell: Life, Death and Boxing by Donald McRae (2025)
After 50 years of covering boxing, Donald McRae’s long-awaited sequel to the revered 1996 Dark Trade is less a love letter than it is a confession.
McRae never shies away from confronting the grim realities that endure from his first book, whether it be criminality, corrupt judging, doping or the extreme physical and mental toll on competitors. As before, he finds solace in the company of fighters, telling their remarkable stories and trying to understand the mentality of those who inflict and receive trauma for money.
Back in 1996 it was James Toney, Mike Tyson, Naseem Hamed and Chris Eubank Sr. For the modern day, it is Tyson Fury, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk and Katie Taylor. By contrasting the virtues of the fighters with the cruelty of their profession, McRae examines his own uneasy relationship with the sport, while also getting to the heart of what makes boxing simultaneously thrilling and appalling.
As the American broadcaster Larry Merchant once said: “Nothing will kill it, and nothing can save it.”
Andy Lewis, assistant sports editor
2. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (2025)
Much like his semi-autobiographical first novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, The Emperor of Gladness is not an easy read, either in subject matter or in narrative style.
Vuong, a celebrated poet, plays with words and tone in such creatively satisfying ways, you’re forced to pay attention and lose yourself in his broken yet enchanting world. Vuong tells the story, set in a fictional town called East Gladness in Connecticut, the US, of Hai, a 19-year-old who at the beginning decides to take his own life by jumping off a bridge. But he’s distracted by an 82-year-old woman, Grazina, living near the river who convinces Hai, at least for the night, not to go through with his purpose.
The two then form an unlikely friendship, both haunted by their shared troubled pasts – Grazina is a Lithuanian immigrant suffering from dementia, while Hai, the child of Vietnamese refugees, is an addict in remission.
Together they play the cards life has dealt them, even if it’s pockmarked with loss and pain, in a story that is darkly comedic, and sad but ultimately hopeful.
David Tusing, assistant features editor
3. The Singularity by Balsam Karam (2024)
The first novel published in English by Balsam Karam, a Swedish author of Kurdish descent, is built for the moment. It's set in a fictional coastal city amid rapid development, divided into zones for the rich and poor, "half obscured by skyscrapers and half left to the desert". On its corniche, two mothers meet – one who has lost her daughter. Blending themes of assimilation and modern parenthood with the plight of refugees, the book is full of twists, turns and lively, experimental prose. It may not be an ideal beach read, but this challenging but rewarding short work will stay with you long after you finish it.
William Mullally, arts & culture editor
4. The Shortest History of Migration by Ian Goldin (2024)
How and why humans have shifted around the globe is the foundation of every nation, according to this concise yet surprisingly wide-reaching book by Ian Goldin.
At about 250 pages, The Shortest History of Migration races through history, yet outlines, clearly and simply, the ways humans and other now-extinct hominids have been on the move since the dawn of time, driven by a shared impulse.
From a shared common ancestor, Homo heidelbergensis, which roamed across several continents 700,000 years ago, to Homosapiens (us) venturing to Southern China up to 85,000 years ago, we have always been on the move.
History is marked by mass migration, from the abhorrent slave trade that shipped more than 12 million people from African countries to the Americas, to the four million Europeans who emigrated to Brazil in the period between the two world wars. So, why is this relevant? We seem to delight in inflicting violence on one another, and at the time of writing there are wars and invasions raging across the planet, with the brutality framed around notions of difference and otherness.
What this book helps to underscore is that, despite an insistence that we are all different, science highlights how we are all intertwined, with even the long-vanished Neanderthals and Denisovans still lingering in our DNA.
It is a fascinating look at how we all follow similar patterns and share common ambitions, and as such is a message that feels vitally important right now.
Sarah Maisey, deputy Luxury editor
5. Stakeholder Whispering by Bill Shander (2024)
There are plenty of books out there on client relations, but this one more than delivers. In Stakeholder Whispering, Bill Shander offers a compelling look at a simple truth – what people ask for is often not what they actually need.
Through clear examples and structured insights, Shander shows how to shift from simply taking orders to uncovering the intent behind them. For anyone working with clients, colleagues or senior executives, the book provides smart communication tools to help you not only get better answers, but also learn how to ask the right questions.
In a crowded field, Stakeholder Whispering stands out for being thoughtful, practical and refreshingly empathetic.
Laura Koot, managing editor
6. Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, its Cover-up, and his Disastrous Choice to Run Again, by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson (2024)
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book on the unravelling of Joe Biden’s re-election campaign last year is meticulously researched and compelling.
The “original sin” of the book’s title was, according to the authors, Mr Biden’s decision to stand in 2024, one that was compounded by efforts to disguise what they term as his “cognitive diminishment”.
The authors assembled a vast cast of sources and interviews – they estimate that about 200 people took part, including White House officials and others who had a ringside seat – to lay out their findings and support the book's provocative title.
The body of evidence presented on Tapper and Thompson’s pages is almost vertigo-inducing, but their conclusion is by turns unsettling and thought-provoking. The authors refer to the Watergate scandal as an example of a large-scale, presidential-level cover-up, before declaring that what happened in 2024 was entirely different to that.
Chumming the waters in such a fashion may appear to sensationalise what happened last year, but it also forces the reader to reach their own judgment about what it all means for the future of US politics.
Nick March, assistant editor-in-chief
7. Good Material by Dolly Alderton (2023)
Overwhelmed by the events unfolding around the world, I needed to pick up a title that provided an escape from the news.
Dolly Alderton’s Good Material, about an amateur comedian who is blind-sided after his long-term girlfriend breaks up with him, is a sweet romantic comedy that provides just that. Even though, personally, I preferred the female perspective on heartbreak – which only comes in much later – it also offers a very real look at how men process a breakup.
In a light-hearted and wholesome read, Alderton’s ability to keep her characters real and relatable is refreshing, and even though this was the first book I read by this author, I look forward to checking out more of her works.
Aarti Jhurani, sub-editor, features
8. How to End a Story: Collected Diaries, 1978–1998 by Helen Garner (2021)
While reading the Australian writer Helen Garner's autobiographical works, I have copied out long paragraphs to myself in recent months from this and her other diary volumes (Yellow Notebook; One Day I'll Remember This).
Garner seems to think she's a so-so talent but her brilliance shines through. Hers is a rich inner life. Her observations on everything – domesticity, betrayal, humour, jealousy, Sydney life, Melbourne life – might make you want to look up the publisher to get her email address and send her a thank you note for putting this stuff down. Hers are the sort of journals you want to return to, to savour again some of the startling, piercing paras on self-examination, and also the zingers: "I wish I could have a clean heart. Mine's like an ashtray."
Nivriti Butalia, assistant comment editor
9. The Appeal by Janice Hallett (2021)
An untimely death sends shockwaves through a sleepy English village – and threatens to upend an eagerly awaited amateur dramatics production for good measure.
It might sound like the plot of a classic Miss Marple murder mystery, but Janice Hallett's The Appeal offers an inventive twist on the beloved whodunit genre, or in this instance, more of a "did they do it?"
Traditional prose takes a backseat as the reader is asked to piece together an intriguing puzzle by way of a collection of letters, emails and text messages being combed through by two young law students charged with solving a suspected miscarriage of justice. The digital dialogue helps to increase suspense as the list of potential killers mounts up, with no shortage of unreliable narrators to contend with.
The novel storytelling device makes for an engrossing page-turner and has served as a template for the author’s subsequent bestsellers.
Chris Maxwell, deputy national editor
10. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (2021)
Mother-daughter relationships aren’t always perfect and they are most certainly full of complexities. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is a moving and beautifully written memoir that explores grief and identity as Zauner – best known as the lead singer of indie pop band Japanese Breakfast – shares her experience in dealing with the loss of her Korean mother while reconnecting with her cultural heritage.
The book resonates deeply with anyone who has faced loss or struggled to bridge cultural gaps in their family. Zauner’s honest reflections are interwoven with rich descriptions of Korean food, highlighting how meals become a powerful thread linking her to memories, love and identity.
More than a story about mourning, it’s also a celebration of family and resilience.
Evelyn Lau, assistant features editor
11. The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You, by Dina Nayeri (2019)
When this book was published in 2019, the global refugee crisis had reached unprecedented levels, with more than 70 million people forcibly displaced, according to the UN.
By April of this year, that figure had soared to 122 million, equal to the 12th most populous country in the world. The scale of the problem is staggering. Dina Nayeri does not offer policy solutions. Instead, the author’s compelling message is that refugees deserve dignity and the freedom to tell their stories in full – not have them reshaped to meet western expectations of gratitude.
Blending her personal memoir with investigative reporting, Nayeri recounts her own journey from Iran to the West while weaving in stories from other displaced people across Europe. She shines a light on the emotional toll of asylum interviews, the dehumanisation of refugee camps and the pressure to express thankfulness in exchange for sanctuary.
With anti-immigration sentiment rising in many western nations, this book is especially relevant in 2025. It powerfully challenges the idea that survival must come at the cost of silence or submission.
Phil Johnson, chief features sub-editor
12. The New Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan (2018)
The sequel to the British historian’s award-winning The Silk Roads picks up where its predecessor left off, on the premise that the history of civilisation is riddled with western bias. Frankopan’s mission is to change perspectives, driving readers to look at Persepolis and Babylon, rather than Rome and Athens, as the focal points of antiquity.
He concludes that the Silk Roads, a network of trade routes connecting East to West, made up the beating heart of the ancient world. Much of humanity’s intellectual, cultural, religious and military history is rooted in this unique central belt, he writes, with the Middle East at its core.
It's a view of history that’s particularly valuable in light of current geopolitics. Frankopan’s point that the late 14th to 20th century, the age of European colonisation and industrialisation, is a pause in a story of the world where it is Central Asia and the Middle East that have left the most dominant, lasting mark on our planet, is incredibly prescient today.
In an era where US President Donald Trump boasts that the age of western “nation builders” is over, when China’s economic might appears insurmountable even after tariff threats from the White House, and the innovation of the Gulf in embracing new technology appears leagues ahead of anything on show in Europe, Frankopan’s conclusions are hard to argue with.
The New Silk Roads goes further still, looking ahead rather than back, and on how the world is shifting ever more towards what Frankopan would describe as the status quo – not a new world order – with this region making its way back to being the beating heart of civilisation.
Written in 2018, it (unfortunately) offers a more optimistic vision of the world we find ourselves in – before the horrors of wars threatened to cause death, misery and division for generations.
Yet it is precisely this optimism that makes it such a potent summer read, and one that should give you a bit of hope that the future really is bright, particularly here.
Tom Evans, assistant news editor
13. The Dictator by Robert Harris (2015)
When I recommend The Dictator, I’m really recommending the entire trilogy of historical fiction novels Robert Harris has written about the Greek philosopher and Roman legislator Cicero.
This final volume brings the series to a powerful close, following the last years of Cicero’s life as he confronts the rise and fall of Julius Caesar. The Dictator is perhaps the most politically charged of the three books, with Cicero drawn into the sweep of events that ultimately lead to his own downfall. While it can be read as a standalone, there’s no reason to skip the earlier volumes – Imperium and Lustrum are both excellent in their own right.
What makes The Dictator such a resonant read isn’t just the historical drama – it’s the sharp examination of power and the limits of persuasion, themes that continue to echo in the present.
Saeed Saeed, features writer
14. The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga (2014)
Set in a country inspired by Imperial China, The Apothecary Diaries follows 17-year-old Maomao, a sharp-witted herbalist who is kidnapped and sold into service as a maid in the emperor’s rear palace. Her curiosity, medical knowledge and stubborn sense of justice soon draw her into the mystery surrounding the illnesses afflicting royal consorts and newborns.
Her talent doesn’t go unnoticed. Jinshi, a high-ranking court official with secrets of his own, takes an interest in Maomao, pulling her deeper into a world of court politics, hidden agendas and simmering tension. To say more would give too much away. If you’re looking for a light yet layered read that blends drama, romance and political intrigue, this series is a rewarding escape.
Olive Obina, assistant photo editor
15. The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan (2009)
There are books that orbit us for years until something finally makes you reach for them. That was The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan for me. The novel’s premise intrigued me, and it was routinely recommended by a few close friends, but its tome-like thickness and tattered narrative long kept me at bay. It was also notoriously difficult to get a hold of.
So when I stumbled on it by chance at a used bookstore a few weeks ago, I decided to lean into this moment of bibliophilic serendipity. I’m glad I did. The novel is unlike anything I’ve read in a long time. Set in a boarding school for children with disabilities, it builds an insular world with its own codes and logic.
At first, the novel feels dense, impenetrable even. But stop trying to figure it out and just let it unfold – line by line, image by image – and it envelops you. The boundaries between reality and fantasy come undone and the novel’s unique rhythm becomes hypnotic.
Sure, The Gray House is strange and at times even unwieldy, but surrendering to it will prove to be a rewarding and unforgettable experience.
Razmig Bedirian, features writer
16. A Land Without Jasmine by Wajdi Al-Ahdal (2008)
A Land Without Jasmine is a noir novella that offers a searing critique of Yemeni society through the lens of a mysterious disappearance. When a university student named Jasmine vanishes in Sanaa, the story unfolds Rashomon-style, starting with her perspective and shifting to the story’s other characters. Through his narrative, Al-Ahdal masterfully deconstructs patriarchal structures and institutional decay, and offers a candid discussion of coming of age – revealing the tensions simmering beneath a conservative facade. At once a detective story and a social allegory, the novella’s brevity belies its depth. The translation of A Land Without Jasmine won the 2013 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
Nasri Atallah, luxury editor
17. Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres (1994)
Having refused on principle to watch the 2001 movie adaptation of Captain Corelli's Mandolin on account of Nicolas Cage’s Super Mario Italian accent, it took some persuading for me to pick up Louis de Bernieres’s love story set in Greece during the horrors of the Second World War. As it turned out, failing to see past Hollywood’s treatment of the novel was my loss. Captain Corelli's Mandolin is a nourishing tale, written with skill and precision.
It is easy to empathise with its collection of eminently believable characters, ordinary people thrown into the maelstrom of war and occupation. Although it is a romantic tale, it never veers into sentimentality and there are many sharp reminders of the appalling suffering inflicted upon the Greek people during these years. Even its moments of comedy are balanced by the reality of war: when we meet Bunny Warren, a British spy parachuted on to Cephalonia, we are amused by his attempts to communicate with the island’s villagers by speaking ancient Greek. His murder by communist rebels later in the book is a sombre moment.
In our fraught times, Captain Corelli's Mandolin is an important reminder of the price ordinary people pay during war.
Declan McVeigh, staff opinion writer
18. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert L Moore and Douglas Gillette (1990)
Do you know what it takes to be a mature, well-rounded man? King, Warrior, Magician, Lover breaks down masculinity into four main archetypes – the King (the leader), the Warrior (the fighter), the Magician (the thinker), and the Lover (the feeler) – and shows how all men have these energies in them.
The idea is, when you're balanced, you're solid. But when you're off, these archetypes show up in their "shadow" forms, like the tyrant King or the sadistic Warrior.
It’s rooted in Jungian psychology, so the writing is easier to absorb if you’re open to a bit of myth and symbolism. This isn’t a how-to guide, it’s more like a mirror for self-reflection. If you're into personal growth or just curious about the deeper layers of masculinity, this book offers a refreshing and insightful perspective.
Xavier Kashelle, head of product
19. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy (1985)
The concept of inherent evil is one that I’ve often pondered. Is there such a thing? Or is it circumstantial?
In attempting to delve deeper, I’ve found lists of the most evil characters in film and literature. One that always stood out and featured frequently is that of Judge Holden from Cormac McCarthy’s hazy western Blood Meridian.
The book follows a protagonist named “the kid”, a teenager wandering through the American frontier. During his trek, he encounters Judge Holden, a sinister presence that seems to spread evil wherever he goes. I’m only a third of the way into the book, but I’m already seeing why the character is considered to be one of the most malevolent in all of literature.
Faisal Al Zaabi, gaming journalist
