Anne & Jenny are taking a break this month. You can too! The Reading Den pick out 3 Bright Ideas from the Den’s library, 3 of our favourites and now all available in paperback, so ideal for sneaking into a cabin case, picnic basket or shoulder bag. 

‘The Correspondent’ by Virginia Evans would be our Book of the Moment for the summer. This debut epistolary novel, winner of the coveted Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026, is a book that will hit different! ‘The Artist’ by Lucy Steeds was the Waterstones Book of the Year 2025 and is our Missed Opportunity novel for your 'time out'. A delectable read capturing a hot sticky summer in the Provence … if you really want more of the same! ‘The Elements’ by John Boyne is our Wild Card choice. This is an explosive quartet of interconnected stories pivoting the elements of life, 'Water', 'Earth', 'Fire' and 'Air'. You may have read them individually but we dare you to read the stories as a collection. 

Check out the Den library for other Bright Ideas. Enjoy the summer and keep sharing your recommendations and luckiest finds. 

Anne & Jenny 

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For people who love books.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​