Estonian women’s magazine Anne & Stiil recently asked me to recommend summer reads for their June issue. Understandably but unfortunately, I was limited to books that have been translated into Estonian. That meant I had to leave out a few I would have liked to include, so I’m amending this here: it’s my blog and I recommend what I want to! I’ve kept it relatively easy, but hopefully not too fluffy. I have done one post on light reads already, so this list includes new favourites and a couple that didn’t make it last time around.

1. Fiction: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. I know, I know – prejudices are bad, but I frankly didn’t expect much from this book by the Eat, Pray, Love author. As it was recommended by several trustworthy sources, I nevertheless decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. It’s the life story of Alma, a not very heiress-like heiress to a botanical fortune in the 19th century – the story is remarkable in many ways, universal in others. It’s a traditional book, linear and solid and maybe too thorough, but ultimately rewarding. There is also a scene in there that captures the feeling of joy better than anything else I’ve read for years.

2. Really serious fiction: The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara. When I said that I’m going to keep it relatively light, this is the reason for adding “relatively” to that sentence. It doesn’t happen often that while reading a book, I start to suspect that the author is, in fact, a genius. It happened during this one. The language and the construction of this novel are something to behold. I had minor niggles, but they are ultimately irrelevant. It’s not an easy read, however, and not a book for people who believe that writing and examining something equals endorsement.

3. Short stories: The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I have praised the Penguin Little Black Classics before and they are especially great for summer – easy to carry with you and short, for a quick dose of mental stimulation. Not all of them are equal, though, as some things work much better in that 50-page format than others. These short stories are among those that work well. I guess it can be a difficult read if you absolutely hate women and/or gothic atmosphere, but it should be OK for everybody else. I loved the title story best, but intelligent people have voiced preferences for others, too.

4. Science-Fiction: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. This is a lovely space adventure that is also thoughtful and character-driven. It made me think of Firefly (a good thing), but it’s very much its own thing: less about action and more about people and thoughts and the workings of the universe. There are sad moments, but overall it’s feel-good, big-hearted and fun in an intelligent way. Even if you don’t love traditional science fiction, you might enjoy this – especially if you are smart, tolerant and nice. And all my readers are, of course.

5. Fantasy: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. I recommended her Vorkosigan saga in Anne & Stiil and that recommendation very much stands. It’s my default suggestion for intelligent but accessible science fiction (although I still have to read most of the series myself, I really need to get to it). The Curse of Chalion is less spectacular, slower, quieter, more thoughtful in every way. It’s fantasy for people who are tired of ‘girl-discovers-magical-powers-saves-the-world-gets-the-boy’ or ‘elves-dwarves-orks-magicians-fight-a-lot’ and want to get their fantasy fix without lowering their literary standards. As a bonus, The Curse of Chalion has one of the best portrayals of religion and faith I’ve ever come across – I’m not a religious or even spiritual person, but I enjoyed this.

6. Horror: The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. In case you were worried that the whole list is going to be thoughtful and quiet and contemplative and stuff, have no fear, here comes the fun. It’s nominally a horror book, but I’m not a horror reader and if you can handle Gaiman’s darkest moments (plus a huge amount of blood and severed body parts), you’ll be able to handle this. I have a full(er) review on Goodreads, but bottom line is that this is fresh and intense and badass-y and I liked it a lot. Come to think of it, this one also has interesting things to say about religion, but in a much more crazy, non-analytical way. Features a killer in a lavender tutu and the end of the world.

7. Young Adult: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. This was the most difficult category to fill – I read YA regularly, especially when my brain needs a break from more serious books. I have enjoyed quite a few lately*, but with a caveat: there are some things I’m fine with in YA literature that I wouldn’t tolerate in other books. That makes recommending things difficult, if you don’t know whether the recipients of the recommendations are also fine with these things. Keeping this in mind, An Ember in the Ashes is my best bet for people who happen to have standards also when reading YA. It’s pretty dark and incorporates many current YA trends, but the setting is interesting (I was initially sceptical as it’s largely inspired by Rome, but it works), the characters have nuances and most importantly, it surprised me.

8. Comics: Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. I have done a full review of the first instalment of Saga already, but I have to recommend it again. Even if there’s only a small chance that you’d be able to enjoy a comic book, read this. It is epic. I love the world, I love the characters and ohmygod how I love the artwork. Fiona Staples is, to my mind, the second genius among the very talented people featured on this list. I highly recommend it.

9. Mystery: Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers. Agatha Christie is, of course, excellent summer reading. Especially her warm weather books – like Evil Under the Sun or Death on the Nile – are perfect for reading in a hammock under an apple tree, with some tea (iced, if necessary). But I have suggested Christie already, so let’s go with Sayers instead. She is probably a little less accessible than Christie and more literary, but she still has that English quality that makes even grisly murders seem somewhat cosy. I especially like the ones where in addition to Lord Peter Wimsey, we also get Harriett Vine (because ROMANCE), and Strong Poison is the first (although not the best) of those.

10. Non-Fiction: The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf. I’m not entirely sure that this is the absolute best non-fiction book I’ve read lately, but it IS good and it also complements The Signature of All things so well that I had to include it. It’s about the German polymath Alexander von Humboldt, but also his time and his legacy. There are overlaps with TSoAT in themes and events and even in some characters, making the experience of reading both books richer than it would otherwise be. If you don’t like science nor nature, it’s probably not for you, though.

I also have to sneak in Peter Frankopan’s The Silk Roads. I planned to do a full review of it, but never managed. It’s not a perfect book, but if you are a person interested in the history (and the present) of Mesopotamia/Middle East/Central Asia/Silk Road territories, it’s well worth a read.

Despite the fact that I couldn’t find all the books for the cover photo (and some I only have in a digital version), these are all books I’ve read and recommend based on personal experience. I will, however, also post about my own reading list for this summer, before my holidays in July. Suggestions welcome.

*I might do a separate YA list at some point, in case people are interested. Are you interested, people?