The sky is clear, the sun is out, and that means it’s time for Airtree’s 2024 Summer Reading List. Whether you like fun beach reads, new fiction favourites, or memoirs with meaning, we've got you covered—here’s the best of what we read this year.

Adrielle Touma - Investment Manager

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

There’s a reason why Sally Rooney’s books are much-loved, and Intermezzo is no exception. Following the death of their father, two estranged brothers—Peter, a disillusioned lawyer, and Ivan, a rational chess player—navigate their fractured bond and parallel searches for meaning.

Antonia Mijatovic - Investment Manager

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson

Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur and investor best known for co-founding AngelList and investing in startups like Uber and Twitter. This book compiles insightful excerpts from Naval’s essays, interviews, and social media, exploring tips on wealth-creation, productising yourself and cultivating happiness.

Bree Fedele - Senior Marketing Manager

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Fresh off the heartbreak of The Nightingale, I dove headfirst into The Women, fully prepared for another soul-wrenching journey—and a tissue box within arm’s reach. This Vietnam War epic shifts its lens to the untold stories of women, and I was quickly entangled in the lives of Army nurses Frankie, Ethel, and Barb as they navigate one devastating catastrophe after another. It’s a story as haunting as it is beautiful, weaving bleakness and resilience into every page.

Craig Blair - Co-founder & Partner

Trust by Hernan Diaz

This Pulitzer Prize winner is a must-read for metafiction fans. Set in the lead-up to the 1929 Wall Street Crash, Trust examines the human costs of wealth through four interlocking narratives.

Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

In his latest book, Harari explores how the flow of information has shaped humans, starting from the Stone Age through to the resurgence of populism. By charting the onset of The Information Age, Nexus provides an essential background to understanding the opportunities and challenges of the rise of AI.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

A sweeping portrait of a family unravelling under the weight of secrets, financial collapse, and generational struggles. Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, Murray masterfully blends humour with tragedy, capturing the fragility of familial bonds while exploring themes of class, self-sabotage, and resilience.

Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charles T Munger

This book is a treasure trove of wisdom from Munger, blending life lessons, investment strategies, and mental models to cultivate rational decision-making.

Elicia McDonald - Partner

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

A moving reminder of what matters most—Tuesdays with Morrie is a memoir about Mitch Albom’s weekly visits with his dying professor, Morrie Schwartz. It delves into life’s fundamental truths about love, work, and happiness.

Eliza Davies - Executive Assistant

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed

I know I'm super late to the party on this one, but once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved the way the author wrote about love and ambition—and the complications that come with both—and found myself completely immersed in the story and the characters. A really great holiday (or anytime) read.

Harriet Dwyer - Head of Impact

Apeirogon by Colum McCann

This isn’t a new book (published in 2019), but it's a thought-provoking read in a world of different opinions, lived experiences and stark beliefs. The story intricately explores hope and common ground in the face of loss, weaving personal stories with significant global histories.

Helen Norton - Partner

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli & Francesca Cavallo

This is an old rec but one we still look at all the time with my girls. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a compilation of 100 bedtime stories about the lives of extraordinary women from the past and the present.

Jackie Vullinghs - Partner

The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee

An exploration of the building block of life—the cell. Mukherjee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning oncologist, traces our attempts to understand the body’s smallest structural and functional unit, and its implications for everything from immune therapy to IVF.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This masterfully crafted narrative weaves together three distinct threads: cutting-edge cellular biology, the evolution of medical ethics, and, most importantly, the deeply personal story of an African American family caught in the crosscurrents of scientific progress.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City blends two captivating stories from 1893 Chicago into a narrative nonfiction that reads with the pace and tension of a thriller. The book's genius lies in its parallel storytelling: the creation of the World's Columbian Exposition set against the dark deeds of one of America's first documented serial killers.

James Cameron - Partner

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

The story of Shakelton’s failed expedition and 22 months of surviving the most hellish conditions the earth can throw at you is an all-time survival epic. When things are tough at work, or it feels like the odds are stacked against you—there’s nothing like a comforting dose of perspective to make you realise it’s never that bad. Plus, there are some great leadership lessons for startup founders, who can probably empathise with trying to survive on a melting iceberg.

Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters by Brian Klaas

Depending on when you ask me, I bounce between being convinced that we're in total control of our path and being resigned to the idea that free will is a total myth. Sometimes, it's nice to know a lot of other people bounce around these extremes too. Fluke explores a nice middle ground—that everyone "controls almost nothing, but influences almost everything". I'd put this book squarely in the 'existential dread but with entertaining writing' category.

Jess Blomfield - Head of People & Culture

Things Will Calm Down Soon by Zoë Foster Blake

Kit Cooper’s life is pure chaos: juggling a startup, motherhood, and impossible boardrooms full of suits. Inspired by Zoë Foster Blake’s entrepreneurial journey, this fiction debut mixes business drama with heartfelt moments and plenty of laughs. Perfect for anyone chasing big dreams (or just trying to survive the hustle!).

John Henderson - Partner

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

A must-read for any parent. Social media and devices more generally are having a pernicious impact on our kids. What should we do about it? And how do we deal with the hypocrisy of discouraging them from over-use while being addicted ourselves?

Kell Reilly - Partner

Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by Jacquie McNish & Sean Silcoff

This is the best book I've read on the opportunity of new markets and the challenge of defending against technology disruption.

Lauren Chapman - Executive Assistant & Office Manager

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

A funny, insightful look at modern relationships, vulnerability and life after 30. When comedian Andy’s relationship ends unexpectedly, he stumbles through heartbreak and self-discovery. This book is the perfect holiday read—funny, relatable, and a real page-turner that had me laughing out loud on my beach chair!

Nick Brown - General Counsel

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib

US poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib looks at life in the US through the prism of basketball. Beautifully written, emotionally rich, incredibly resonant and full of truths that stayed with me long after I'd finished it.

The Kellerby Code by Jonny Sweet

A book that perfectly straddles tense crime and pitch-black comedy with a gripping forensic examination of one man's descent into madness—I really didn't want it to finish.

Raaj Rayat - Investment Manager

When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach by Ashlee Vance

Ashlee Vance (an American reporter and longtime observer of the space industry) takes us on a journey to meet some of the main characters leading the space race. I loved the juxtaposition of Peter Beck, the quintessential Kiwi, against his American competitors. He’s emblematic of the humble, scrappy and determined underdog spirit that founders from our region are known for. They’ve also made a documentary, which I haven’t got around to yet, but I hear is great!

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

This one had so much that I love: stand-up comedy, the story of a legend honing their craft, and a 20-year overnight success. Martin is hilarious, a true master of his craft, and this is the inside account from the frontlines of the grind.

Rob White - Compliance Manager

Wild Houses by Colin Barrett

Set in my homeland of Ireland, I was hooked on Wild Houses from start to finish, reading it in one go on my flight to Europe earlier this year. The storytelling, detailed characters and setting pull you right in. It’s nostalgic and funny, with an underlying sense of sadness.

Sarah Beder - Marketing Manager

Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna

During a scorching London weekend, the lives of a group of interconnected characters unravel and collide. Maggie, pregnant and struggling, contemplates leaving the city; her boyfriend Ed hides a painful past, and their friend Phil navigates a complicated relationship. One for fans of Sally Rooney—McKenna crafts a vivid portrait of urban life against the surreal backdrop of a whale stranded in the Thames.

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

I’m a sucker for dystopian/speculative fiction, and this debut from Scott Alexander Howard stuck with me longer after I finished it. In The Other Valley, three interconnected valleys represent past, present, and future versions of the same world. When Odile, a quiet teenager, spots a visitor from another valley, she’s forced to confront questions about her timeline, as well as fate and free will.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Early morning, August 1975: Barbara Van Laar is missing from her bunk at an Adirondacks summer camp. She isn’t just any camper; her family owns the property, and her brother went missing in the same woods 14 years ago. Perfect for an easy holiday read, The God of the Woods hits all the beats you expect from a well-crafted mystery—including unexpected twists.

Sid Kasbekar - Investment Manager

Invention: A Life by James Dyson

A story of the trials and tribulations Dyson faced as he built his iconic cyclonic vacuum cleaner. It's an apt reminder of the important role resilience, curiosity and family play in creating something enduring.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

One of the classic dystopian novels that paints a picture of how advanced technology could change humanity. It underscores the value of individuality and critical thinking, and how small groups of individuals can make a difference. It feels strangely relevant amidst the technological and societal changes happening today despite being published in 1932.

Victoria Lowe - Community & Investor Relations Manager

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner, Doug. As a sentient AI robot, she’s designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, and she’s trying hard to meet them. She’s learning, too, and fast. Sierra Greer’s sci-fi debut explores what it means to be human, as technology becomes ever more indistinguishable from the real thing.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our reading lists from 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.