CULTURE EDITION
June Book Club The perfect reads for this year’s Pride Month, as selected by Charlotte Griffiths
NUSSAIBAH YOUNIS Fundamentally Young, heartbroken academic Nadia is quitting London for a UN posting in Iraq, leading a team focusing on the rehabilitation of young women who’ve been lured overseas by extremists, popularly known as ‘Isis brides’. She’s escaping a recent break-up with her on- again, off-again lover Rosie, as well as the glare of her disapproving mother, so is seeking a new challenge – but nothing could prepare her for the reality of life in Baghdad. The shock of adjusting is cleverly replicated by the book lurching between UN compound-based escapades more similar to Nadia’s London experiences and her humbling encounters in the camp – where everything gets very real and everyone is very far from home. So, when she meets Sara, a young Londoner who’d been radicalised at just 15 years old, she swings into action. Here’s someone she might actually be able to help – but is Nadia really trying to save herself? Universally acclaimed and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, this startling and unexpected novel is gripping, thought- provoking and, though it may sound strange to say, also laugh-out-loud funny. Nadia is at once filter-free, crippled by self-doubt and struggling with her own identity, and Younis’ personal experience of working in international aid is clear to see on every page. There’s the detail- laden stories of women perpetually stuck in refugee camps, the frustrating feeling of taking two steps forward and three steps back, and pointless bureaucracy slowing progress at every turn. But at the heart of this novel are genuine connections, prejudice-challenging points of view and some whip-smart humour.
Flirting Lessons JASMINE GUILLORY
leads. Watching them try (and fail) to avoid their growing attachment to one another while also navigating their own friendships and feelings about themselves makes this unputdownable. You’ll laugh, cry and find yourself looking up community gardening and salsa dancing classes. This gorgeously sweet, spicy and captivating summer romance unfolds in the beautifully depicted Napa Valley with an unforgettable cast. A new Guillory novel is never to be missed – and her first queer romance is absolutely no exception to the rule.
Overachieving, newly single event planner Avery is nearly 30 and fed up with her own uptightness. She’s spending the summer trying new hobbies, dating (especially women) and loosening up. Enter Taylor: notorious flirt, serial monogamist and also freshly single. She seems like the perfect guide for Avery’s quest, and teaching Avery to flirt feels like the perfect summer distraction for Taylor. The two begin meeting weekly, with Taylor guiding Avery through flirtation lessons – and, inevitably, sparks start to fly between these two exceptionally well-drawn, completely charming
26 JUNE 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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