Good books, good drinks – your other plans can wait.
Along with beach swims, sandy feet, sunset drinks, fish and chips and a new cozzie, good books (and the time to read them) are a highlight of summer. Reading for pleasure is something that gets buried by work pressures and to-do lists throughout the year, but over summer there’s space to reset the habit.
Even though the summer break has been and gone for many of us, we know you’re all about trying new things this year, so we’re bringing you six of the best reads to dive into right now. And because it’s us, we also have the best drink to pair with each one. This might just be the year that reading for fun will stick.
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1. A zeitgeist thriller and pocket-sized vino
If the end of 2025 left you with brain rot and the attention span of a goldfish, The Housemaid is exactly the novel you need. There’s nothing better than a thriller to get you out of a reading rut, except maybe a thriller with a film adaptation. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden follows Millie, who just landed a maid position in a fancy mansion, with a fancy family, the Winchesters. The wife Nina hires Millie on the spot; if she had done a background check, she’d know Millie is recently out of jail, but both have some skeletons in their closets. This is a page-turner due to the twists and turns that don’t just happen at the end, but throughout. There are three books in the series, but the first is often said to be the best, and it’s the one covered in the film (starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney).
Set yourself up somewhere away from the noise of the family festivities and crack the spine, along with a super cute Poco Vino Rosé – dry, crisp, strawberry-forward rosé in a shrunken 187mL bottle. Easy drinking, easy reading, easy wins.
2. The trial of the year with a crisp, low-alc ale
In 2025, Erin Patterson’s public trial and final sentencing of 33 years in prison for the murder of three people she hosted for dinner caught the fascination, speculation and horror of many more than usual true-crime followers. Part of the fascination was seeing three of Australia’s most prominent non-fiction writers, Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein ducking in and out of the court room, but no one predicted they would collaborate to turn out (at lightening speed) a book with all three of their musings on the case. Enter The Mushroom Tapes: Conversations on a Triple Murder Trial.
With mushrooms the murder weapon, a woodsy-feeling ale is in order to go with this read – the 4 Pines Ultra Low Pal Ale, which comes in at less than 0.5% ABV. It’s clean and balanced, with herbaceous notes, citrus and lots of malt. There’s just a bit of funk, which feels on-theme.
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3. One wild night and a hard lemonade (with a twist)
Like many great stories, Sister Europe by Nell Zink happens all in one night. Berlin’s elite are gathered for a celebration, but the food is slow, the speeches boring and they each get itchy feet. The banter in this book is brilliantly funny (and poignant), the characters are flawed, and their ethical dilemmas disarmingly specific.
As a romp that requires strong stuff (with some sweetness), pair your reading session with a Gravity Seltzer Co. Lemoncello Hard Soda. With a limoncello base, it’s zestier but less acidic, and not as sweet as a typical hard lemonade as well as being low cal.
4. A Freezer Door Martini and the book that tells you how to do it
The Dan’s Cocktail Book, straight from the Dan’s experts, comprises 68 tried-and-tested recipes and a heap of practical, actually usable tips. With twists on classics, two-ingredient hacks and new flavour sensations, it’s the cocktail book that will have you creating like a pro, without having to be a pro. And this is exactly the feeling when you make the perfect Martini, thanks to your freezer. The most essential element of a Martini is, after all, that it is icy cold. All this recipe requires is to combine the ingredients in a batch-friendly container and leave it alone in the freezer for at least eight hours.
The method is simple, which means the quality of the ingredients is very important. We recommend Never Never Triple Juniper Gin (piney and sharp from the plentiful juniper), Dolin Dry Vermouth (light, clean and made by one of the last remaining independent producers of vermouth), good mineral water and some tasty olives.
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5. A whodunnit-esque plot and summer ale
Elizabeth Day’s One of Us is a rare sequel that actually could be just enjoyable as a standalone book, but the tale’s first part, The Party is so good you wouldn’t want to exclude it, so pick up both en-route to your free time. Centering on a male friendship that in the grand tradition of Brideshead Revisited, The Talented Mr Ripley and Saltburn has one friend wanting much more than the other. Martin’s obsession has been retired by One of Us, but after a family death, he’s drawn back into Ben’s (now a conservative British politician) orbit. Told from many characters’ points of view, these books are hard to put down and offer great commentary on the state of politics in the UK and at large.
While you’re laughing, pondering and racing for the next page, try a Gage Roads Single Fin Summer Ale. A best-seller from an independent brewery, it’s big and fruity and lip-smackingly delicious.
6. A British classic and new Italian
For many, it’s never a bad time for Jane Austen, but with Dolly Alderton’s series adaptation hitting Netflix, Regency-era is set to trend for all. So, while you’re looking into empire-waist cotton dresses, brush-up on the OG Pride and Prejudice. Besides, you know the best bit of this read will be making comments while watching the series like, “She’s exactly how I see Lizzie,” and, “That’s not how it happens in the book”. This will be fun for you. The vibe needs a very specific drink, but 1800s drinks lists leave much to be desired, so instead, we’re recommending something different.
New to Australia, Amante 1530 is a bitter aperitivo straight out of Rome. With notes of orange, honeysuckle and sage, it works great in a Spritz, has less sugar than an Aperol, and a lower ABV than Campari. Also, “amante” is Italian for “lover” – the perfect match for a Regency romance.
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