Leading thriller, historical-fiction and literary writers have shared their preferred holiday reads in a Guardian summer-book feature, introduced by Jenny Colgan. The selections promote variety over a single “must-read”, ranging from light comic fiction and romance to immersive historical novels and sharp domestic dramas.

Colgan recommends titles for different holiday moods, including Kathy Burke’s autobiography A Mind of My Own, Ann Patchett’s Whistler, Daniyal Mueenuddin’s This Is Where the Serpent Lives, Ferdia Lennon’s Glorious Exploits, Emma Cline’s The Guest and Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune. Contributors include Freida McFadden, who praises Kathryn Stockett’s Great Depression-set The Calamity Club, and Caro Claire Burke, who selects Jenny Jackson’s small-town betrayal novel The Shampoo Effect.