“The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.” Abraham Lincoln

Over the summer we at cottages4you are going to bring you the most indispensible guide to holiday reads that ever existed. Whether you’re reading on an iPad, Kindle or a paperback book – we prefer the latter but appreciate the former two’s clout (all that space in the suitcase) – our selection of books will feed your voracious hunger for facts, info entertainment and oh so good prose.

In a twist on the conventional list of books, we have given each one an edible or drinkable accompaniment because it’s about making the most of this quality quiet time.

The Cloudspotter’s Guide, Gavin Pretor-Pinney

Invariably a book on clouds sounds unspectacular; dry even, like a book on walls that have been painted and are now dry. But it isn’t! Think about it, how pretty clouds can be, but more than that, think about the variety of clouds! It’s insane.

Maybe you’re hoping for blue skies, we get that, but maybe the odd cheeky cloud floats by your otherwise perfect sky. With this book you’ll know what kind of cloud it is. Conversations about the weather will never be the same again.

Drink: A white Russian

The Stranger’s Child, Alan Hollinghurst

Everyone’s banging on about it, so we thought we’d bang on about it too. It’s a tough one, given the complexity of the plot – to do with the distortion of memory and the way history and people shape history and our lives – but it’s beautifully written.

The story starts in 1913 when a weekend during which a poem is composed comes to have a far greater significance than all those involved could ever have imagined. This will definitely be enjoyed by people who love both their literature and poetry.

Drink: Whisky on the rocks

The Waste Land, T.S. Elliot

It’s not always about the latest books on the market, although the inclusion here of T.S. Elliot’s the Waste Land, seen as one of the greatest poems ever written, daunting and grand, luxurious and profound, has a contemporary relevance.

If you’re one of those folk with an iPad, we recommend you download the Waste Land app. It is seen as a revolutionary approach to literature, and far from removing the purity of reading, it enriches the experience of reading this classic.

Drink: A strong cup of tea  

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