I am back with another of my favourite semi-annual posts. As we are heading into summer in the months in the Northern hemisphere, many of us have long weekends (aka bank holidays). And if you are anything like me, you dedicate some or all of the weekend to reading. (There is something entirely decadent about sitting and reading with no other plans to interrupt you.) To help you plan ahead, I’ve gathered some of my favourite books from several different genres to give you many books to choose from. These are the best long weekend books to get lost in!
The Best Long Weekend Books To Get Lost In
I’ve chosen books from seven different genres; there should be something for everyone here!
Classic- The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
With vivid power, Wharton evokes a time of gaslit streets, formal dances held in the ballrooms of stately brownstones, and society people who dreaded scandal more than disease. This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to many the docile May Welland. Then, suddenly, the mysterious, intensely nonconformist Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a long absence, turning Archer’s world upside down.
This classic Wharton tale of thwarted love is an exuberantly comic and profoundly moving look at the passions of the human heart, as well as a literary achievement of the highest order.
Why You Should Read This…
If you enjoy The Gilded Age or Downton Abbey, I would say that this is a must-read. While I’ve attempted to read many Pulitzer Prize novels, none have grabbed me like The Age of Innocence. This novel is extremely readable, and while it makes a statement about the time that it was written in, I think it also makes some statements that are still applicable now! Highly entertaining- I’m just sad that I didn’t read it until this year.
Historical Fiction- The Last Debutantes, Georgie Blalock
Fans of The Kennedy Debutante and Last Year in Havana will love Georgie Blalock’s new novel of a world on the cusp of change…set on the eve of World War II in the glittering world of English society and one of the last debutante seasons.
They danced the night away, knowing their world was about to change forever. They were the debutantes of 1939, laughing on the outside, but knowing tragedy— and a war—was just around the corner.
When Valerie de Vere Cole, the niece of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, makes her deep curtsey to the King and Queen of England, she knows she’s part of a world about to end. The daughter of a debt-ridden father and a neglectful mother, Valerie sees firsthand that war is imminent.
Nevertheless, Valerie reinvents herself as a carefree and glittering young society woman, befriending other debutantes from England’s aristocracy as well as the vivacious Eunice Kennedy, daughter of the U.S. Ambassador. Despite her social success, the world’s troubles and Valerie’s fear of loss and loneliness prove impossible to ignore.
How will she navigate her new life when everything in her past has taught her that happiness and stability are as fragile as peace in our time? For the moment she will forget her cares in too much champagne and waltzes. Because very soon, Valerie knows that she must find the inner strength to stand strong and carry on through the challenges of life and love and war.
Why You Should Read This…
While WWII historical fiction dominates the genre, if you are a frequent reader you will know that that is not my particular cup of tea. However, this novel that is set right on the cusp of WWII remains one of my favourites. Valerie’s story takes us into a group in society that is now often-mocked- the debutantes who were “presented” to society in order to meet their future spouse- and brings their story to life. What stuck with me the most with The Last Debutantes was how little these young women were told and yet were dealing with these immense changes themselves.
History Non-Fiction- The Mountbattens: The Lives and Loves of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, Andrew Lownie
DICKIE MOUNTBATTEN: A major figure behind his nephew Philip’s marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and instrumental in the Royal Family taking the Mountbatten name, he was Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia during World War II and the last Viceroy of India.
EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN: Once the richest woman in Britain and a playgirl who enjoyed numerous affairs, she emerged from World War II as a magnetic and talented humanitarian worker loved around the world.
From British high society to the South of France, from the battlefields of Burma to the Viceroy’s House, The Mountbattens is a rich and filmic story of a powerful partnership, revealing the truth behind a carefully curated legend.
Was Mountbatten one of the outstanding leaders of his generation, or a man over-promoted because of his royal birth, high-level connections, film-star looks and ruthless self-promotion? What is the true story behind controversies such as the Dieppe Raid and Indian Partition, the love affair between Edwina and Nehru, and Mountbatten’s assassination in 1979?
Based on over 100 interviews, research from dozens of archives and new information released under Freedom of Information requests, prize-winning historian Andrew Lownie sheds new light on this remarkable couple.
Why You Should Read This…
If you are interested in any way in the House of Windsor, you will most likely be familiar with Lord Louis Mountbatten, he looms large. However, the British Royal Family seems to look at him quite differently than the rest of us do. This in-depth biography of both Mountbatten and his wife Edwina uncovers the lives and legacies of two very complicated people. (I try not to judge people in the past, but these two are high unlikeable albeit very interesting.)
Historical Fantasy- Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Sue Lynn Tan
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, untrained, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the Crown Prince, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the emperor’s son.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. When treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, however, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
Why You Should Read This…
This is the first book in a duology so if you are a faster reader or you have most of your long weekend to read, you could absolutely read both of these. We have historical fiction woven with Chinese mythology and it is a sweeping story that will leave you captivated. I am somewhat limited in my fantasy reading (I tend to struggle with high fantasy), but I found that the mix historical fiction with fantasy worked perfectly for me.
Biography- Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Gift of Wings, Mary Henley Rubio
Mary Henley Rubio has spent over two decades researching Montgomery’s life, and has put together a comprehensive and penetrating picture of this Canadian literary icon, all set in rich social context. Extensive interviews with people who knew Montgomery – her son, maids, friends, relatives, all now deceased – are only part of the material gathered in a journey to understand Montgomery that took Rubio to Poland and the highlands of Scotland.
From Montgomery’s apparently idyllic childhood in Prince Edward Island to her passion-filled adolescence and young adulthood, to her legal fights as world-famous author, to her shattering experiences with motherhood and as wife to a deeply troubled man, this fascinating, intimate narrative of her life will engage and delight.
Why You Should Read This…
I obviously had to plug a Canadian author and with this biography, I get two for one- a Canadian author writing about a Canadian author. The Anne of Green Gables series is beloved around the world, and I adore the Emily of New Moon trilogy, but few people know the story of the author behind these beloved books. This is an exceptionally well-researched and thorough biographies, and to me it is an example of what an excellent biography should be!
Fantasy- Rivers of London, Ben Aaronovitch
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Why You Should Read This…
This is a favourite series that I keep returning back to! Peter Grant is a magician in London who happens to work for the Met while helping solve various magical crimes. Yes, the series is incredibly fun- how it has not been turned into a TV series, I do not know- but what I love is the history and mythology that Aaronovitch weaves throughout! (There are also several books in this series, so you could have all of your upcoming long weekends covered…)
Mystery- Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide, Rupert Holmes
Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.
Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A delightful mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.
Why You Should Read This…
I will recommend this book anywhere and everywhere that I can- this is one of the funniest and most exciting books I’ve read in adulthood. (And I’m not that young.) This book takes the mystery genre and turns it on its head while keeping us entertained with dark-ish humour. There were several points where I had no idea what to expect, which is rare for me. And if you can listen to the audiobook, Neil Patrick Harris does one of the best narrating jobs I’ve ever listened to.
♠
Want more long weekend reading? Check out my 2023 reading list!
What do you think are the best long weekend books?
Cheers,
The Historian
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