SUMMER HOLIDAY READING

What are your go-to summer reads? #HolidayMode #LinkedInNewsUK

Out of the blue, I have received an email from the #LinkedIn #Editors asking about summer holidays reading.

In my case, I always aim for an eclectic mix of fiction, non-fiction and work-related books. I'm currently reading Rory Stewart 's "Politics on the Edge." Half-way through, it is justifying the rave reviews. I've just finished "MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed Bin Salman" by Ben Hubbard of the The New York Times about the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia; and for light relief, the ever-reliable John Grisham's "Comino Ghosts;" and David Ignatius 's The Quantum Spy.

Next up, I have James O'Brien 's "How they broke Britain" about BREXIT; and continuing the BREXT theme, Tim Shipman 's "No Way Out." (I also have a 30 year old biography of Jean Monnet by Francois Duchene in reserve).

August for me is #peakholidayreading, for which I have reserved: the biography of #ElonMusk by Walter Isaacson (I loved his earlier books on Steve Jobs and The Innovators about pioneers in #computing); the first volume of Robert Caro's magisterial biography of Lyndon Johnson (perversely I have read the four volumes in reverse order - whilst waiting anxiously for the promised fifth and final volume ??); "This is Europe" by Ben Judah (again, loved his previous book "This is London"); and Malcolm Gladwell 's "Talking to Strangers." (Still waiting for anything that rivals his "Tipping Point').

Although summer vacation, for me, is a time for recharging batteries and trying to forget about work, I do have some "work-related" books in the pile, including the new autobiography / primer on selling #business on #sustainability: "Tickling Sharks" by my good friend John Elkington of Volans , "Measuring Good Business" by Institute of Business Ethics 's Richard Hardyment and "The Happy Index" by James Timpson (now the Prisons Minister) about the workplace culture at Timpsons Limited .

And in case this list suggests, I'm a hermit for the summer, also looking forward to seeing lots of friends and family - and lots of good conversations - about books and many other topics too! Happy holidays! Happy reading!