New 'Normal People' episodes: If you loved the book, you need to read these too

Sally Rooney’s critically acclaimed, coming-of-age novel Normal People tells the story of love, uncertainty, displacement, and class; articulating feelings that will resonate with many of us.

Centred around the lives of two teenagers, Marianne and Connell, from the same small Irish town, Rooney depicts their on-off relationship as they navigate school and university.

The pair are at opposite ends of the social spectrum, yet have more things in common with one another than anyone else around them.

Beautifully capturing the complexities of relationships, it’s a powerful and heart-wrenching portrayal of youth, intimacy and communication, as both character's yearn for comfort of understanding during hardship.

It came as no surprise when it was named the Waterstones Book of the Year 2018, Costa’s Novel of the Year 2018, and then Book of the Year 2019 at the British Book Awards.

With this much anticipation on its shoulders, when the BBC/Hulu TV adaptation was announced, fans of the novel were nervous about whether it would live up to their expectations.

But the 12-part series, which launched in April, has been lauded as a triumph, from the direction and acting to the script and carefully compiled soundtrack.

As one of the most talked about TV series during lockdown, it has gripped the nation with its nuanced depiction of first love, with fans even going mad for that chain necklace worn by leading actor Paul Mescal.

In even better news, the hit show is returning to our screens on 26 June, as Jones and Mescal reunite for two special episodes for Comic Relief.

The episodes, titled "Normal Older People", will imagine what happened to Marianne and Connell 40 years on from when the original show finished. We can't wait to watch.

If like us, you loved the book, binge-watched the entire series and are now left longing for more, we've found the tomes that will fill this void and provide a little escapism in time for the bank holiday weekend.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.