“I’m going on holiday soon; has anyone read anything good recently?”

Whether you’re on WhatsApp, Instagram or in the Stylist office, with summer approaching, you’ll likely hear someone making a plea for a book recommendation.

There’s a lot at stake: our time off is precious and there are so many options to consider. And reading is subjective, of course; we all want different things from books. You might want something that galvanises you into action, transports you into a different way of thinking or gives you a few hours of mindless enjoyment.

Thankfully help is at hand courtesy of author, Happy Place podcast host and unabashed bookworm Fearne Cotton. For her, books are everything: a salve for her mental health and a form of escapism, education and delight. “I would rather read than do anything else,” she tells Stylist. “There is no hobby that brings me as much joy.”

Fearne Cotton’s summer reading list: a book for every mood