Summer reading is an essential part of any holiday Photographer's Choice

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// Staycation //

‘Barbecue summer’, eh? We’ve been robbed. But if you’re stuck in Blighty, make the most of it with a big novel that’s English to the core.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Virago)

Waters could be the new Daphne du Maurier with this ­period ghost story, set in a country house in the ­dying days of the aristocracy.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Fourth ­Estate)

This historical tale may be hefty, but Mantel’s Booker-tipped account of dark ­machinations in the court of Henry VIII is truly riveting.

The ­Children’s Book by AS Byatt ­(Chatto & Windus)

An engrossing, clever saga of bohemian English life, set at the turn of the 20th ­century. As good as her smash hit Possession.

// Girly beach jaunt //

Don’t leave it until the airport bookshop and grab any old pink cover. ‘Juicy and undemanding’ doesn’t have to mean ‘rubbish’, you know.

Me, Cheeta by James ­Lever (Fourth ­Estate)

The spoof ­Hollywood memoir­ ­“written” by Tarzan’s chimp is wonderfully scurrilous about his real-life co-stars.

The Worst Date Ever by Jane Bussmann (Macmillan)

Celeb hack Bussmann leaves LA for war-torn Uganda in pursuit of personal fulfilment – and a dishy bloke. Very funny.

Dark ­Places by Gillian Flynn ­(Weidenfeld & Nicholson)

Brilliantly written second thriller from Stephen King’s favourite new writer. As the title implies, it’s not a jolly read, but totally compulsive.

// Grown-up villa holiday //

Something clever to impress your friends, but which you’ll actually want to read when they get annoying

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin (Bloomsbury)

Mueenuddin’s collection of linked stories set in contemporary Pakistan are a joy to read.

The Brief ­Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Faber)

Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but Diaz’s tale of a teen nerd is hugely enjoyable – think a ­Dominican Adrian Mole.

Home by Marilynne Robinson (Virago)

Winner of this year’s Orange prize, this elegiac and ­sublimely written American family drama isn’t a bundle of laughs, but it is a decided work of art.

// Romantic break //

Whether you’re loved-up or fighting like alley cats, sustained concentration can be hard on romantic breaks. Take books you can dip into, and share

One Day by David ­Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton)

Each chapter of this ace romantic comedy charts the relationship between friends/lovers Emma and Dexter on the same day over 20 years.

The Collected Stories of Lorrie Moore (Faber)

There has been a bumper crop of short stories this year. If you haven’t read Moore – Nick Hornby’s a fan – you’ve got a treat in store.

You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe by Christopher Potter (Hutchinson)

This surprisingly entertaining layman’s guide to the universe will put petty squabbles into perspective, and provide you with ­something to discuss over dinner.

// Backpacking solo //

Here are some absorbing and inspiring reads worth making space for in your rucksack

Empires of the Indus by Alice Albinia (John Murray)

The intrepid author follows the river Indus through Tibet, India and Pakistan and tells its ­stories in this award-winning debut travelogue.

A Million Tiny Plays About Britain by Craig Taylor (Bloomsbury)

Each vignette (there are 94, in fact) is revealing and funny about British mores. Will make a good present for your new foreign friends when you’ve finished it.

Semi-Invisible Man: The Life of Norman Lewis by Julian Evans (Picador)

Ok, it’s not a slim volume, but this fascinating bio-graphy of Graham Greene’s favourite travel writer will keep you going for weeks.