What would summer reading be like without beach reads? We’ve rounded up some of the romance, literary, contemporary and historical fiction we’re looking forward to reading this summer.
If you picked up the beach-themed reading log at your closest branch, challenge yourself to read three of these suggested titles over the summer.
For even more beach reads, browse the beach reads shelf on cloudLibrary.
Books to Read at the Beach, Boardwalk, or Pool
The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery
Three strangers become close friends when they decide to lease the same retail space for their businesses. Business is great, but they could use a little help with their personal lives. This book isn’t just about romantic love but also the love we share with our friends and families.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
This contemporary romance is about two writers: a romance novelist and a literary author. Both are struggling while working on their latest books. Can they overcome their differences, finish their books, and find a lasting love?
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
Katy is mourning the recent death of her mother and best friend, Carol. She’s curious about the time Carol spent in Positano the summer before her marriage and, despite her mother’s death, decides to take the vacation they had planned together. This book spent seven weeks on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers list.
Books to Read Before a Wedding
The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Set between 1914 and the present day, this book follows four women who are bound across generations by a wedding veil and a connection to the Vanderbilt family.
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
Rom-com alert! Solange ruins Dean’s wedding, so when Dean thinks he needs a girlfriend in order to get a promotion, Solange agrees to be his pretend girlfriend. Will Dean land the job, and the girl, of his dreams?
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jessie Q. Sutanto
The follow-up to Dial A for Aunties! Meddy Chan is getting married, so Ma and the aunties hire another family-run business similar to their own to be their wedding vendor. Meddy soon realizes this other family is part of the mafia, and working at her wedding is part of their nefarious plan that might end in murder. Pick up this book to find out how Ma and the four aunties save the wedding day.
The Wedding Date series
If can’t get enough of weddings, try The Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory. There are currently six books in this series: The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, Royal Holiday, Party of Two, and While We Were Dating.
Books to Read On Vacation
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
This is a historical fiction novel told in alternating time periods. It is the story of two women and two very different families (the haves and the have-nots) living on a small island off the coast of New England.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
The first book in the Bellinger Sisters series. Piper is challenged to give up her privileged lifestyle in Beverly Hills and rough it in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. The result: an opposites-attract romantic comedy.
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
The setting of this contemporary romance is centered on a weekend getaway with friends…or maybe lovers? If you love reading about secret love and/or a fake-date trope, this book is for you.
The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith
After a tragedy, a musician reconnects with her estranged father on a week-long cruise. This well-crafted book examines the emotional journey required to heal from profound grief.
Non-Fiction Beach Reads
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
This is a thoughtful and poignant collection of personal essays from bestselling author John Green, adapted from his podcast of the same name. Teens and adults alike will enjoy this book.
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach
This book was a New York Times bestseller and received many starred reviews from Library Journal, LibraryReads, Booklist, and Publisher’s Weekly. The book discusses how humans interact with nature and introduces a few people who are genuinely passionate about the natural world. It also offers suggestions for dealing with issues you may be having with wildlife, but in an ethical and effective way.
The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor – The Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown
This book is a follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The Diana Chronicles. From royal weddings to the famous interview of Harry and Meghan to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this summer, it seems the royal family is never out of the public eye. This book will be of interest to history buffs and royal watchers alike.
She Memes Well by Quinta Brunson
Comedian and actress Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show) traces her career from growing up in Philadelphia to her work on Instagram, Buzzfeed and HBO. Library Journal says this book is “reminiscent of a chat with your oldest friend from high school.”
You Can’t Be Serious by Kal Penn
This book is a memoir about Kal Penn’s life as a son of immigrants, his rise in Hollywood as a comedic actor, and his call to public service as an aide to President Obama.
Prolific Writers
Sometimes you just want to read everything by a particular author – especially while you have time on vacation. Here are some recent titles by a few prolific writers of beach reads.
- Jenny Colgan’s Little Beach Street Bakery series and the Mure series
- Elin Hilderbrand’s 28 Summers series
- Brenda Novak’s When I Found You, One Perfect Summer, The Bookstore on the Beach and Summer on the Island
- Sheila Roberts’ Moonlight Harbor series
- Nancy Thayer’s Surfside Sisters, Family Reunion, Girls of Summer and Summer Love
- Jennifer Weiner’s Big Summer, That Summer and The Summer Place
Renee W., Collection Management
