10 Essential Summer Beach Reads

Abigail Hobbs

3 years ago

This post contains affiliate links, which help support my creativity.

When you’re a mother of young children, summer time looks a little different. We spend our days chasing babies rather than chasing waves. But even parents have occassional down time. When not collapsing into a puddle of end-of-the-day exhaustion, I love cracking open a new book.

Previously, Miranda shared 12 empowering books for women. Today, she invited me to share a list of easier reads. Books geared toward entertaining rather than business.

A Summer Reading List:

For relaxing:

Beach Read | Emily Henry. Well, we have to start with the obvious. Henry clearly titled this one with summertime in mind. Two writers retreat to a lakeside town to work on their novels and recover from life. One is a literary fiction writer, the other famous for romantic beachreads. Do you see where this is going?

Second First Impressions | Sally Thorne. If you love rom-coms, this one is great. A shy main character falls for the wrong guy — only to learn that they may both be hiding in shells. Plus, it’s set in Australia.

The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany | Lori Nelson Spielman. If you love movies like Julie & Julia or Under the Tuscan Sun, this read is a must.

Red White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston. This book is perfect for Royal Family fans and for Pride month. America’s first son falls for a British prince. This book will make you laugh and then cry on the next page. So well written!

For spine tingles:

Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo. If you’re a fan of dark academia, Bardugo delivers with this dark, delicious story of secret collegiate societies. Bardugo is renowned for her young adult series (have you watched Shadow and Bone on Netflix?) but Ninth House is her first foray into adult fiction.

Home Before Dark | Riley Sager. Sager is a master of fast-paced thrillers. Home Before Dark is perfect for fans of Hill House. It will certainly keep you on bthe edge of your seat.

Broken Girls | Simone St. James. An abandoned girls’ school, a town with a secret, a woman looking for answers to a painful past. There are so many reasons to love this one.

For diving deeper:

Circe | Madeline Miller. A feminist twist on classic Greek mythology, with all the main legends retold through the eyes of Circe, the witch banished to a life of solittude on an island.

The Hearts Invisible Furies | John Boyne. A story of one ordinary man — but really the story of post WWII Ireland. Again, this one can make you cry and laugh from page to page. Plus, it won several awards.

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby | Cherise Wolas. A hard-hitting book about a fiercely independent writer who finds herself adrift in marriage with two kids. She journeys across the globe to find herself again in the most unlikely way. Intermittently painful and poignant.

10 Essential Summer Beach Reads

A Summer Reading List:

For relaxing:

For spine tingles:

For diving deeper:

Shop my bookshelf:

More posts you may enjoy: