Let’s face it: Those who love reading do so for the escape. Stories are meant to transport you to another place and time and take you away from your daily life, even for just an hour or two. But if you’re like me, you probably also enjoy a physical getaway as much as a written one (I mean who doesn’t?).

Whether it’s on a mini road trip for a weekend away, or a long haul flight for an overseas adventure, I love to dive into a juicy new story, sometimes to do with the place I’m travelling to, sometimes not. It all depends on my mood.

Lately, for whatever reason, I’ve been loving page-turning thrillers and family dramas. There’s something delicious and addicting about the juxtaposition between a bright, sunny day and a dark, twisty book between my fingers that I can’t get enough of.

With that being said, if you can’t wait to dive into your next summer read, take a look at the books I’m currently devouring and take one (or all) of them for a test-drive today!

The Push | Audrey Audrain

Basic premise: Set in the late 60’s early 70’s, a woman from a questionable and turbulent upbringing has fearful, anxious thoughts about becoming a mother herself, given her family history. What unfolds is a multi-generational story of the women in her family becoming mothers and the terrible, awful thoughts that can occasionally form in your mind while raising a child that can sometimes surface in brutal, hurtful ways. This one gripped me to the very end and had my jaw dropping at the last sentence! Without giving any spoilers away, I can tell you that The Push by Audrey Audrain is an absolute must-read and left me speechless and in my own thoughts for hours after I put it down.
5/5 stars

Yellowface | R.F. Kuang

Basic Premise: Two friends, both writers. One is wildly acclaimed and successful in her career, the other is struggling to keep her literary dream afloat. A terrible accident. A stolen manuscript. A whole lot of unanswered questions as to the true origins of the manuscript and the mysterious new writer exploding on to the scene to claim the glory and attention circling around the book release. This book was so unique and I cannot think of another book that has made me ravenously curious about the inner workings of the publishing world. Expertly written and gripping to the very end. If you haven’t already picked up a copy of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, I’m here to tell you it’s definitely worth it.
5/5 stars

The Whispers | Audrey Audrain

Basic Premise: Four families move into the same neighbourhood and become linked together in life-changing ways after something terrible and unthinkable happens. The story moves through each of the four families and explores different family dynamics, and the feelings of envy, desire, and rivalry among women that can surface when looking too deeply into another person’s life. Wow! The Whispers is a fabulous follow up to Audrey Audrain’s debut novel The Push (also recommended here because they’re both fantastic!). If you’ve even been curious what goes on behind your neighbour’s doors at night, this is one book you should definitely indulge in and let your imagination run wild!
4.75/5 stars

Mouth to Mouth | Antoine Wilson

Basic premise: Two estranged college acquaintances bump into each other in an airport, and amidst catching up on each other’s lives comes a strong to desire to unburden oneself on long kept secrets. While the previous books in this list have mainly been thrillers, this one was more shrouded in mystery and a strong desire to know more about someone’s private life in a way you wouldn’t necessarily be allowed to see unless invited in. The story kept developing and left me wanting to know more, the more that was revealed. I was quite surprised how invested I became in the characters and how their stories unfolded. It also had a thought-provoking finish that was hard to put into words. Click here to pickup your copy today!
3.75/5 stars

Stone Cold Fox | Rachel Koller Croft

Basic premise: A professional con mother-daughter duo become estranged, with the daughter wanting to go her separate ways and leave the life of the con for good, but in her eyes the only way to do that is to pull off one final con: the con of all cons to set her up for life and allow her to kiss goodbye a life she never wanted for the life she feels she’s earned. Packed with sinister punch after punch and a potentially threatening relationship that could make her whole plan blow up in smoke, Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft was a novel full of plot twists and suspense that left me greedily wanting more.
5/5 stars

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister

Basic Premise: A mother witnesses her son commit a murder and is desperate to save him, so much so that when she wakes the next morning, it is the day before, and she continues to live her life in reverse trying to figure out the reason behind the murder and to hopefully stop it from happening. This book was such an amazing page turner and kept me guessing what was going on and how everything was connected to everything else until the very end. Beautifully written and expertly crafted, Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister is an absolute must-read and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!
5/5 stars

While these are just a few of the amazing titles I’ve devoured so far, the list continues! Stay tuned for more suggestions for you to dive into.

Read these ones already? Check out this list of 50 books that can help take you on a literary escape!