8 must-read books for summer | Mindful Puzzles

8 must-read books for summer

Long days, warm nights, and time to sink into a truly good story – summer is the season for reading without rush. From multigenerational sagas to psychological thrillers, post-apocalyptic landscapes to iconic histories, this summer book selection offers depth and discovery in equal measure. Whether you’re packing a beach bag or planning a thoughtful Christmas gift for the book lover in your life, these stories are full of insight, resonance, and the power to move.

Vortex

Vortex interlaces a 16-year-old’s coming of age with political intrigue, immigrant stories, and domestic moments during Queen Elixabeth II’s 1954 royal visit to Brisbane.

Author : Rodney Hall

Publisher : Picador

The Reunion

A decade after a tragic hike, five friends return to the Blue Mountains, unearthing secrets, trauma, and the truth about what really happened the night one of them never came back.

Author : Bronwyn Rivers

Publisher : Constable

Salvage

Jude is a skilled conservator salvaging remnants of the past in a post-apocalyptic world, but her sister’s return from space forces her to confront buried grief and the fragile bonds of kinship.

Author : Jennifer Mills

Publisher : Picador

Matia

Sia leaves Greece in 1945 with four matia and four prophecies – one for each generation of women to come – in a rich, emotionally resonate tale that spans continents and questions fate.

Author : Emily Tsokos Purtill

Publisher : University of Western Australia

Signs of Damage

When 13-year-old Cass disappears in France, she’s found hours later unharmed. But year later, a collapse brings long-hidden truths to light and resurfaces the question: what really happened to Cass?

Author : Diana Reid

Publisher : Ultimo Press

Inconvenient Women

From activists to reformers, this compelling history shares the stories of ‘inconvenient’ Australian women who challenged authority, defied expectation, and changed the rules.

Author : Jacqueline Kent

Publisher : NewSouth Publishing

Yves Saint Laurent: Style Icon

Yves Saint Laurant: Style Icon explores how Saint Laurent challenged convention with daring designs, bold silhouettes, and a creative legacy that reshaped modern fashion.

Author : Dan Jones

Publisher : Hardie Grant Books

Art in Residence

From a Californian hideaway to a London home, this beautifully photographed volume shows how art and personal collections bring story, emotion, and texture into the spaces we live in.

Author : Nicole England

Publisher : Hardie Grant Books