11 books to read if you love Love Island

An excellent new read has entered the villa.

Like basically everyone I know, I’ve been pretty consumed during my prime time TV-viewing hours with all things Olympics over the last week and a half. I go nuts for an Olympics year (as well as an election year, so 2024 is big for me) and I’m already anticipating how bummed I’ll be next week when I can no longer tune in to freakin’ cool staggering feats of human athleticism on a nightly basis.

The only upside? We’ll be able to return to Love Island USA and finish what we started with Season 6.

I’ve never managed to keep up with a season of Love Island in real-time—and this prospect sounds more ludicrous than ever with a baby in the house. We were nearing the end of the season when the Olympics started last week and I’m excited to jump back in and soak in the last batch of drama in Fiji. (FWIW, I’ve already been spoiled on the winning couple and have listened to a couple of post-show podcast interviews with cast members, so I’m far from an uptight viewer. It’s all about the ~experience~ for me.)

Pop Culture Confessions: Love Island

I’ve already shouted my love for the Love Island franchise loud and proud and declared that it would be my first-choice of reality dating show to actually be on (not that anyone’s called or anything). But as we wave goodbye to Kaylor, Aaron (ugh), Kendall, Serena, Rob (Rob!), and the rest of the gang while staring down the last stretch of summer reading, I thought it would be fun to curate a list of book recommendations for those of you who are still daydreaming about Soul Ties and the villa’s other neon signage.

An opportunity to blend two of my great loves (books and reality television)? I couldn’t be more thrilled.

As you can see in this superb graphic, I also took it as an opportunity to really stretch my Canva muscles:

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Currently Reading: I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

I Hope This Finds You Well was the group pick for this month in the SWR Book Club—which was good news for me, since I’d seen lots of love for it on bookstagram. I started it last night and at this early stage, I’m a little worried I might find the narrator a little too snarky. I’m prepared to change my mind because I’ve also laughed a few times and appreciate a fresh voice more than almost anything else when I read, but I would never lie to you about my first impression!

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A relevant, important (I think) note: I don’t read a lot of romance.

I say this before I share my recommendations because—for the most part—the titles I’m suggesting are well-suited to Love Island fans for a lot of reasons, and not just because they feature steamy romances. Sure, there are some love stories in the mix, but in pulling this list together, I considered a lot of my other favorite elements of the show: the friendships, the drama, the heartbreak, the setting, and the general vibe. If you ask me, it’s those aspects that kick Love Island up a notch above many of its competitors. But if you’re looking for the steam and the spice you’ve been missing since the show finished airing, I can certainly direct you to avid romance readers with plenty of recommendations for you… or give you a sneak peek into the romance titles currently on my TBR.

Okay! Enough of that. Let’s bring some hot book recommendation bombshells into this villa.

1. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton: Dolly Alderton’s new novel Good Material has been getting lots of play lately (from me, too!), but I must take this chance to draw your attention to her last one: Ghosts. I was absolutely obsessed with it when I read it a few years ago—plus, it’s one of my favorite covers. It explores the realities of being single and being dumped and, well, ghosted in the present moment. As all Love Island fans know, dumping is a key part of life in the villa during any season, and Alderton writes about it here with her signature wit and style.