Five entertaining novels that will also stimulate your brain

At the Telegraph, Radhika Sanghani recommended five books "guaranteed to stimulate your evening drinks – but not bore you on the beach," including:

The Women’s Room by Marilyn French

You might have already read this - it was first published in 1977. If not, I recommend you do so now. Set in Fifties America, the book tells the story of Mira Ward, a young woman who finds herself getting married simply because everyone else is. She has a gradual feminist awakening, eventually (spoiler alert...) getting divorced and doing a PhD at Harvard.

It’s one of the most influential feminist books. But it’s also just a novel. So, unlike The Female Eunuch, it won’t make for tough reading. The story will make you consider the plight of women throughout the 20th century - and if that doesn’t inspire impassioned dinner chat, I don’t know what will.

Read about another book on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue