Our Top Five Summer Reads

Although aptly titled, this book was chosen for its merits as a modern classic, enjoyed for over fifty years and never out of print in Scandinavia. ‘The Moomin’s’ creator Tove Jansson weaves a beautiful story about a child and her grandmother spending a summer on a Finnish island, gaining mutual understanding and respect.

Bold and simple, this children’s book explores everything that happens at the beach – from seagulls to sandcastles. Visually exciting, it will entice you to visit the seaside, and can be enjoyed as a picture book or early reader.

Cornwall is a popular summer destination, and this travelogue written by Cornishman, Tim Hannigan, sets the Cornwall of the imagination as constructed by artists, writers and others against the reality. As he walks from the east to the west coast, he discusses the history and cultural significance of the area.

The colour and vibrancy of Portugal is brought to life in this photographic journal, inspiring you to embrace all the summer style and character of Portugal’s tiles, architecture, food and costumes. If you’ve never considered visiting Portugal before, you will after reading this!

Although our summer hasn’t quite reached tropical temperatures, we can still live in hope for the months ahead! This cookbook from Vanessa Seder presents 100 dishes to cook when you don’t want to be stuck in a hot kitchen – from no or low heat cooking to vibrant pairings of flavours, textures, and colours.