One of the (many) reasons we read is to be so swept up in a story that we step out of our own story for a while.

Through the pages of a book, we can leave behind the mundane and take part in a grand adventure, a heart-pumping thrill ride, or a great love story. We get to travel, learn and understand things outside our normal world, and experience all the emotions that go with a great read.

We’ve put together a list of five fantastic reads that will make you laugh, cry and give you goosebumps. There’s something for everyone here, from some grand romance, to a sumptuous historical, a spinetingling and intelligent thriller, and a celebration of older women – in fact, whatever your taste, keep reading below. If the prospect of being taken away from the everyday appeals to you then this is the perfect list of books to do just that.

The Riviera House by Natasha Lester

From the New York Times bestselling author comes this extraordinary masterpiece set between 1939 Paris and present-day French Riviera. Lush, engrossing and deeply moving, this is another sensational historical from Natasha Lester.

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks

From the undisputed king of romantic fiction comes a heart-wrenching story about discovery and loss. The Wish is a reminder that time with those precious to us is the greatest gift of all. It’s Nicholas Sparks’ most moving and uplifting love story yet

Anything Could Happen by Lucy Diamond

When her daughter, Eliza, asks to meet her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret– a secret that sets her off on the grandest adventure. The sensational and uplifting new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of An Almost Perfect Holiday is the perfect read to get swept up in this summer.

The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson

Rachael has led a reclusive life until Hannah arrives with her sick baby, running for their lives from a mysterious death sweeping the Australian countryside. Intelligent and utterly consuming, The Last Woman in the World is both an edge-of-your-seat literary thriller and a lament to our natural world.

The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital by Joanna Nell

No-one does heart-warming and hilarious older characters better than Joanna Nell, the bestselling author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home. This time, she’s taking on the volunteers of a beloved hospital cafeteria and their quest to save it. You won’t want to put this down.