Summer vacations are the perfect opportunity to reconnect with a pastime many of us neglect: true reading. Not the quick skim through headlines, not doomscrolling through endless social media feeds, and definitely not watching videos of someone’s morning smoothie ritual, but genuine, immersive reading.
It’s easy to forget this in our hyper-connected world. Between relentless news cycles, overflowing inboxes, and the dopamine pull of Reels (yes, deleting the app would help, but let’s not get carried away), our free time often becomes a feeding ground for a fleeting attention span.
But books, remember those? offer something far more nourishing. They slow us down, soothe our minds, cost less than therapy, and are scientifically proven to reduce stress and improve sleep quality. If you commit to reading just 10 minutes daily, and gradually increase that, you might even find your “undiagnosed ADHD” symptoms melting away. (And if you truly have ADHD, keep rocking with your doctor’s guidance.)
Start with something accessible. Avoid tackling Ulysses first. Instead, choose vibrant, contemporary stories that pull you in. Here are five novels by women writers that should be your summer companions. They will make you laugh, maybe cry, but most importantly, stop you from endlessly scrolling.
1. What Will People Think? by Sara Hamdan
By day, Mia works as a media fact-checker; by night, she moonlights as a stand-up comedian. This double life isn’t spy-level thrilling but involves sneaking out to comedy shows and praying her conservative grandparents never stumble across her Instagram.
Mia’s secret unravels when she finds her grandmother’s hidden past in a collection of journals tracing back to 1947 Palestine. As their stories intertwine, both women must confront truths, to each other and themselves. This debut novel wears its heart and humor on its sleeve. It’s witty, poignant, sharp, and has already topped Amazon’s Humorous Fiction charts. The New York Times praised it, comedian Mo Amer called it “superb,” and we agree.
Dubai recently celebrated the book’s launch with a red carpet event hosted by the Emirates Literature Foundation and Fiker Institute at Alserkal Avenue. Sara Hamdan shared the stage with Emirates LitFest director Ahlam Bolooki in a fireside chat, followed by a book signing attended by literary enthusiasts, including representatives from Dubai Culture, Art Jameel, the Ministry of Culture, and even the Space Centre.
This launch wasn’t just about a brilliant book; it marked a proud milestone for Dubai’s literary landscape. Hamdan, a former New York Times journalist, crafted this story during her fellowship with the ELF Seddiqi First Chapter Writers’ Programme, a testament to what mentorship and workshops can achieve alongside talent and caffeine. What Will People Think? is available now at Magrudy’s or for a quick “Add to Cart” online. Don’t wait for the movie version.
2. The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
You might recall Leila Mottley as the teenage prodigy behind Nightcrawling, a Booker Prize nominee who made most of our high school years seem unproductive. Now, her sophomore novel is another triumph.
Set in a small Florida town, it follows four teen mothers grappling with stigma, survival, and their own forms of resilience. Raw and deeply empathetic, the novel will make you want to call your mom, or your therapist. Releasing in June 2025, this one is perfect when you want to feel deeply but avoid the dread of “required reading.” It’s a book you’ll want to discuss with your book club, or may inspire you to start one.
3. Good Girl by Aria Aber
Nila is 19, a budding Berlin-based artist and daughter of Afghan refugees. Her life is a tumultuous split: by day, she lives in an immigrant apartment complex teeming with insects and memories she’d rather forget; by night, she dives into Berlin’s rave scene, toxic relationships, and the looming fear of who’s driving her home.
Nila feels alienated from both her Afghan community and German society. Through her photography, she begins to tell her own story, frame by frame, documenting the tension, beauty, and contradictions she lives.
Released January 2025, Good Girl is sharp, searching, and full of urban heartbreak. The prose shines with luminous intensity, and the portrayal of cultural limbo, between who you are and who you pretend to be, rings painfully true. This is a novel for night owls, for those caught between worlds, and anyone who’s ever felt like a background character in their own life.
4. The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
We’ll admit it: the hook “the Kardashians of Aspen” caught our attention. But The Persians is so much more than glitz, drama, jail time, and wild family vacations gone awry. The Valiats were once a powerful Iranian dynasty. Now, split between Tehran and the US, they mostly try, and fail, to keep out of trouble. There’s Elizabeth, the matriarch babysitting a rebellious granddaughter; Shirin, a glamorous firecracker obsessed with designer shoes and scandals; Seema, the dutiful housewife; and Bita, a law student on a spiritual cleanse.
This riotously funny and razor-sharp family saga explores identity, immigration, and cultural chaos on an international scale. Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, praised for its wit and warmth, The Persians balances family dysfunction with cultural insight, perfect for anyone who wants to feel a little better about dodging their own family reunion this year.
5. Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
A debut novel about ISIS wives stranded in Syrian refugee camps, but, wait for it, funny? Believe it.
Meet Nadia, an Iraqi-British academic and peacebuilding expert tasked with running a deradicalisation program for women who left Europe and the US to join ISIS. These women are disillusioned, traumatized, and hardly ideal candidates for self-reflection. But Nadia tries anyway. What follows is biting, brilliant, and unexpectedly tender. These women aren’t stereotypes, they’re complex, confused, and deeply human. Younis wields humor like a scalpel: precise, revealing, and profoundly effective.
Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Fundamentally proves political literature can be smart, satirical, and deeply moving all at once. So this summer, ditch the doomscroll and embrace the world these remarkable female authors have crafted. You might laugh, cry, or discover something new about yourself, and most importantly, you won’t be scrolling.
Price for the reference:
1. What Will People Think? - AED 88
2. The Girls Who Grew Big - AED 103
3. Good Girl - AED 61
4. The Persians - AED 93
5. Fundamentally - AED 76