From Adam Buxton to Jane Austen, surreal comedy to Mesopotamian wisdom and more, Tom Hodgkinson has some idler-friendly book suggestions to nourish you through the summer

Here are a few books that I’d recommend for summer reading – or which I plan to read, having had them recommended to me.

I laughed all the way through Geoff Dyer’s childhood memoir Homework. It’s thoroughly Dyersque: witty, discursive, ingenious, playful, but a little warmer and more emotional than most of his previous stuff, because it’s all about his Mum and Dad. I think it’s his best ever.

A future classic is surely Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes by my old friend James Parker. It’s a collection of short pieces and poems contributed by James to The Atlantic magazine, in a series called “Odes”. He writes in praise of 70 amazingly varied and unexpected things. We have, for example,  “Ode to Rushing”, “Ode to my Dog’s Balls” and “Ode to the Psychedelic Locusts that Run the Universe”. A joy to read for Parker’s use of words and also his wit, wisdom and imagination. Parker’s Odes are to be savoured and digested slowly: they’re best read one at a time, and then many more times. Keep by the bedside.

Awake!: William Blake and the Power of the Imagination by Idler Head of Philosophy Mark Vernon is an extended essay on the poetry, mysticism and life lessons of Blighty’s unofficial eternal poet laureate. It brims with insight. Adam Buxton’s I Love You, Byeee is the second memoir from the comedian, podcaster and artist, and even better than the first. You’ll laugh at his amazing self-awareness but also at his family struggles, which manage to be both Buxtonian and universal in character all at once.

Victoria has been effusing about two books: one is The Library of Ancient Wisdom by Selena Wisnom. This is a grand study of the 7,000 year old civilisation of Mesopotamia, which had amazingly advanced medicine and whose citizens agonised about many of the same things we do today. Wisnom came to the Idler Festival this year and demonstrated Mesopotamian liver divination (there’s a photo of it on our website). Victoria has also caused me to resolve to read Jane Austen’s Persuasion. As you’re probably aware, this year is the 250th anniversary of her birth, and to commemorate this we invited Austen scholar John Mullan to speak at the Idler Festival. He enthused in very intelligent manner about her brilliance and so I’m really looking forward to communing with the great wit.

Finally I’d recommend Ben Moor’s new book, A Three Thing Day. This short story collection includes the title piece which Ben performed at the Idler Festival (and which you can see at the Edinburgh Fringe this year). I sat at his feet during the show and swooned in awe at his very unusual and peculiar style. There’s a surreal gag every minute, and I reckon I missed a lot of them, hence looking forward to revisiting the show in print form.

Happy holidays and thanks always for being with the Idler.

Live well,
Tom

PS Next Idler event is our Renaissance Retreat in September, to Villa Pia in Umbria. I’ll be talking about the Stoic philosophers and we’ll be hearing Renaissance songs played on a real lute.

Subscribers may comment. Please add your idle thoughts using the box below.

Our July 2025 issue is available in Waitrose, Waterstones, Smiths Travel outlets, select Smiths high street branches and around 100 indie stores. Click here for your nearest stockist.