WHERE MY NOSE WILL BE FIRMLY PLACED…

I’m sorry to say that despite all my retro ramblings, I seem to spend my daily commute glued to my iPhone (but I’m usually playing cyber Scrabble with Kit, which is still slightly old school, no?). Anyway I am so delighted that the week ahead of me promises a mammoth reading session. I love nothing more than a sun lounger, dappled shade, a long cool drink and an absorbing novel. I can’t bear chick lit, so I’ll be whiling away the hours with something a few millimetres more highbrow. Here are some of my most tried and tested holiday reads – in case there’s a sun lounger somewhere with your name on it too…

The House of Mirth
Edith Wharton
My current read, the turn of the century classic is the ultimate tale of an It girl who cannot sustain her means and her glittering lifestyle. A moral, yet stylish take on wanting more than one can afford – sounds familiar!

Love in the Time of Cholera
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This epic, beautiful love story spans time, many miles and cultures, yet it’s enduring image of love is simply unforgettable. This novel has a permanent home in my bookcase.

Lisa & Co
Jilly Cooper
Highbrow? Okay, I stand corrected, but no modern author writes a hilariously posh, naughty, delicious romp like Jilly. Her chunky novels like Riders and Rivals are good but my faves are these stories about 20-something (ahem!) spinsters who find love with big bruising hunks. Joy!

Complete Stories
Dorothy Parker
I’m just a little obsessed with the acerbic, brilliantly bitchy, elegantly executed prose, poetry, reviews and social commentary from this one-time New York socialite. This book is packed in my suitcase as we speak.

Revolutionary Road
Richard Yates
Possibly my favourite book of all time, this pre-Mad Men novel exquisitely illustrates the dystopia of mid-century suburban America and the acutely painful crumbling of a ‘perfect’ marriage. Flawlessly, discreetly vivid.