Easy reading book for summer

[TheJoanCollins]

Help please.

I used to read 3-4 books on a two week summer holiday. This was pre-menopause, when my brain still worked. I haven’t managed to finish a single book since the big M. I just can’t concentrate anymore.

So, can you lovely lot recommend an easy, summery book to take on holiday?
Ideally, it should be based in the Med or somewhere hot. Funny. Not overly romantic. Easy to pick up after a break (post lunch snooze).
Thanks

Lucy Clarke is big on "mysterious happenings in holiday destinations" - mostly hot ones, though The Hike is about snowy mountains.

Louise Douglas's Toussaint Detective Agency books are largely set in a French beach town and her book The Secret of Villa Alba is set in Italy.

None of these are funny, though :)

Evelyn Waugh's Sword of Honour novels are brilliant. Beautifully written, very funny and set partly in the Mediterranean. It's a trilogy following the adventures of a British officer in WW2. The second novel is set in Crete and covers the evacuation of the British army after the German airbone invasion. Sounds grim, but it's actually very funny. Waugh is a superb stylist and there are some beautiful descriptions of the Mediterranean.

P. G. Wodehouse is the obvious choice for humorous writing. Again, a superb stylist. I'm not sure whether he set any of his books in the Med though.

Douglas Adams is wonderfully funny (very British –a perfect blend of Wodehouse and Monty Python).

So far as travel writing goes, how about Patrick Fermor? A Time of Gifts is my all-time favourite book. Unfortunately, he hikes across Germany and Romania rather than the Med. But he's a very joyful, happy and uplifting writer.

Brian Blessed's autobiography had me howling with laughter. Try listening to Blessed reading the book himself. I can't imagine anything lovelier than laying on a beach in the sun listening to Brian Blessed's voice (except for listening to Stephen Fry read P G Wodehouse). I used to listen to him in the car, but I stopped when I nearly crashed from laughing so hard.

@SheilaFentiman @Dappy777 thank you. A few titles there to investigate

Oh yes to PG Wodehouse!

Sara rosetta is who got me back into reading. 1920 lady detective and orher books. Short, not always convinced on plot but light, fun and easy to read.

The Appeal by Janice Halley is a very fun twisty crime thing, very easy to read

You Are Here by David Nicholls is gorgeous, it’s a romcom, but not a soppy one! Same with Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield - found both v funny

none of them are set somewhere hot though!!

Agree with Lucy Clark, her books are extremely easy to read! I liked “One of the Girls”, I think it’s a Greek island. Literary masterpiece it is not but very easy/ quick- doesn’t really require any thought 😂

I have just started to get into Taylor Jenkins Reid, her books are also very easy to read, generally set in the USA (often California I think).

I have read any of them but have heard a lot about Elin Hildebrand books which are all beach setting on Nantucket I think - I believe these are the epitome of a summer read.

Sorry just realised you said the med. I would also suggest you have a look at Lucinda Riley.

If you could put up with something more literary I’d highly recommend Captain Correli’s Mandolin.

Miss Benson’s Beetle. Not a Mediterranean setting but I think it fits the bill for an easy holiday read.

Brilliant! Thank you all. I’ve ordered a couple and have also looked at what is available on the councils, free, ebook website. Should be sorted now.

A Sea Change by Veronica Henry. It was the first if her books tgat I read and now read one each year on holiday. Usually they are well written and interesting.