Top 10 holiday reads: August 2015

What will you be reading this August?

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1) Naked at Lunch, by Mark Haskell Smith

Smith goes undercover, uncovered, to reveal the naked truth behind nudism. If you only read one book on social undress this year, make it Naked at Lunch.

Smith tracks the history of this subculture from ancient Greece through to present-day nudist groups – via Victorian health movements and illicit romps through the countryside of Weimar Germany.

He goes where other journalists don’t dare to tread, shedding his inhibitions along with his trousers to see what all the fuss is about. So make room in your holiday bag for this fascinating and fun read – you won’t be needing all those clothes anyway.

2) J: A Novel, by Howard Jacobson

This Man Booker 2014-shortlisted novel from Howard Jacobson is something of a departure from his usual fare – being a kind of mystery-thriller set in a dystopian near future.

The Finkler Question this is not, and any reader setting out to have a similarly jolly time with J as they had with Jacobson’s 2010 comic novel might be disappointed.

Instead, here is a dark, detailed and delicately devastating tale of “the only two things which are infinite: the universe and human stupidity”. It's not just the subject of this book that will shock Jacobson fans, its distinct narrative style also comes as a surprise. A pleasant one at that. 

3) Hear the Wind Sing/Pinball, by Haruki Murakami

This two-for-the-price-of-one hardback really is something special. The publisher, Harvill Secker, has done a marvelous job putting together a beautiful “reversible” book, which features Haruki Murakami’s first two novels.

When readers have ploughed through Hear the Wind Sing, they can simply “flip” the book to read the follow-up, Pinball. It’s a gimmick, of course, but it’s also a novel opportunity for uninitiated readers to discover the Japanese author’s early masterpieces.

The decorative covers are exquisite, but it is the literature between them that cemented Murakami as one of the world’s most celebrated writers.

4) One Man’s Everest, by Kenton Cool

Kenton Cool has scaled Everest 11 times (showoff) and was described by Sir Ranulph Fiennes as “the most formidable mountaineer of his generation". Praise indeed.

Not only that, but in the space of a week he climbed the so-called Everest Horseshoe, which required him to reach the summit of three mountains: Nuptse, Everest and Lhotse. It’s as if the man decided to live up to his surname.

One Man’s Everest is his account of these and many other extraordinary expeditions he has led, along with insights into his drive and philosophy. If you’re feeling a bit demotivated, this is an absolute must-read. If you’re not, it’s still riveting.

5) London on Two Wheels, by TFL

London in the summertime: you can’t beat it. It’s even enough to put a smile on the faces of its irascible inhabitants… well, nearly.

There’s just one problem with the English capital in August, though: the city’s public transport becomes a living, sweaty, smelly hell. But help is on hand with this cycle guidebook, which helps Londoners see the city from the comfort of the saddle, without a face-full of banker’s armpit to detract from the experience.

Fantastic maps encourage you to explore specially selected routes, which take in obvious landmarks as well as some beautiful places that are so often overlooked.

6) Noonday, by Pat Barker

2015 has been a fantastic year for fiction and the arrival of a new novel from Pat Barker may be the icing on the literary cake.

Famed for her Man Booker-winning tome, Regeneration, the first part of a WWI trilogy, Noonday sees Barker turn her hand to WWII. Although it works as a stand-alone novel, Noonday concludes the series that began with Life Class, concluding the stories of recurring characters Elinor Brooke, Paul Tarrant and Kit Neville.

Set in London during the Blitz, this dark but delicate novel is a testament to Barker’s literary talent and will have you plunging into her back catalogue before long.

7) Can We Live Here?, by Sarah Alderson

Acclaimed young adult author, Sarah Alderson, takes on an entirely new challenge in Can We Live Here? as she, her husband and young daughter set out on a journey to find a new home.

Based on the popular blog of the same name, this is an inspiring, uplifting and highly entertaining book which leaves the reader wondering what it is exactly that’s stopping them from packing it all in and setting off to find their own little bit of paradise.

A travel memoir-cum-guide to quitting your job, Can We Live Here? is fatal to parochial thinking and reminds you that it’s a big world and you should be seeing more of it.

8) Joseph Cornell: Wanderlust, by Sarah Lea, Jasper Sharp and Lynda Roscoe Hartigan

The artist Joseph Cornell spent the majority of his life in the basement of his mother’s New York home, caring for her and his brother, who suffered from cerebral palsy.

And yet, the assemblages he created – the subject of a major retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts in London – are love letters to travel; cathartic expressions of his unfulfilled wanderlust.

This beautiful book lets you explore the contents of his famous shadow boxes, which he filled with maps, photographs and illustrations of places he only visited in his imagination. A fascinating journey through the mind of the greatest traveller who never left home.

9) Pocket World in Figures 2016, by The Economist

This diminutive publication is something we look forward to every year. Packed full of facts and figures about the world, it helps educate readers about the places they visit and is often a great conversation starter.

Frankly, it’s an eye opener. Did you know, for example, that Qatar has the most obese adult population in the world? That was news to us.

We were also shocked to learn that the US spends six times as much as China on space research and that a Big Mac costs twice as much in Israel as it does in South Africa. Seriously, once you start uncovering these unusual facts, you just can’t stop.  

10) As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, by Laurie Lee

A new release this is not, but these long sunny days are perfect for revisiting this classic tome. In his sequel to Cider with Rosie, Laurie Lee sets out from his Gloucestershire home one morning for a bit of a tramp, and winds up in Spain, just in time for the Civil War.

In the best traditions of travel writing, Lee's classic journey snowballs from its initial goal, which is to walk to London.

The opening chapters of this wonderful book offer glimpses of a bygone era in England. However, it is Lee's arrival in Spain during the war that makes this a travel writing classic.

To buy any of the above travel titles visit www.stanfords.co.uk.