Though its pages may end up covered in sunscreen or a sticky ice lolly, the ' holiday book ' is perhaps the ultimate reading experience of the year. Delving deep into a novel as the waves crash in the background is one of life's great pleasures, which sadly, the majority of us won't get to experience this year. But just because your summer reading backdrop might look a tad different than usual, doesn’t make it any less glorious.With lockdown rules now allowing us to enjoy a picnic in the park or a lounge in the back garden, the chance to enjoy a good book alone or in socially distanced company is now government-approved. So with tons of titles still heading to press this summer and the upcoming warmer weather , it's a great time to dive headfirst into a new book. Last month the R29 team used their time in lockdown to devour stories about communes in the Nevada desert (courtesy of Melanie Abrams’ Meadowlark ) and tales of the bold women of the 1920s (thanks to Zora Neale Hurston’s Hitting A Straight Lick With A Crooked Stick ). In June we're turning our attention to an exposé of the competitive world of fashion journalism and the diaries of a young naturalist.