There’s nothing better than stretching out on the beach with a good book and a tote bag full of snacks. (There’s a reason why there are so many of us beach bookworms scattered across the sand.) If you’re looking for your next beach read, here are 7 favorites to satisfy any mood you’re in.
Relax On The Sand With These BEACH READING Books
The classic beach read
Fun, flirty and light-hearted, Jane Green’s novels are everything you want in a beach read. Jemina J is a fast-paced read of a young woman’s struggles with the person she is now and the woman she’s always wanted to be. Green takes readers into the life of Jemina Jones, who’s about a hundred pounds overweight and constantly lorded over by her roommates and coworkers. With an unattainable crush she’s had forever, plus a new man who enters her life, Jemina gets the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself. As Jemina grapples with the host of lessons that come her way, readers will find themselves questioning the rules of attraction, true love and identity alongside the protagonist.
A thriller to take the heat off
This psychological thriller will give you chills from the inside. Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train has often been compared to Gone Girl or A.S.A Harrison’s The Silent Wife, but is gripping in its own right. Rachel, the main character, takes the same train into London every day, seeing the same people going about their daily lives. One day, she sees something unsettling from her window one morning, setting off a chilling series of events that makes the novel such a page-turner.
If you find yourself motivated
Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements is a perfectly deep beach read that will rejuvenate your thoughts and have you feeling as refreshed as if you took a dip in the ocean. This New York Times bestseller offers four ways to transform our lives to welcome new experiences of freedom, true happiness and love. Say goodbye to self-limiting beliefs and needless suffering—The Four Agreements will help you adopt habits to change your life.
A steamy romance to bring up the heat
If you’ve never met the most beloved cast of characters among historical romance readers, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series is where you’ll find them. Set between 1813 and 1825, the Bridgerton Series is a collection of eight novels that feature the eight children of the late Viscount Bridgerton. This series will make you wish you were a part of the Bridgerton clan, or at least romancing one of their swoon-worthy cast of characters.
Whisk yourself away to a fantastical world
Forget it being a book about preteen wizards and witches finding their way, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling was picked as the number one beach book by a large percentage of over 16,000 readers. Perhaps it helps that the entire story starts off across the continent, and the entire cast of characters speaks will a killer British accent. But then, you’re whisked away to this world of wizards, flying broomsticks and house elves, and suddenly you’re spellbound and find yourself staying up half the night to finish the thousand-page tome. This series is a beach read that will take you away from your surroundings and plop you right in the middle of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you’ll never want to leave.
Embrace your inner child with this young adult pick
Flipped a story of young love told from two different points of view, might bring back a flood of memories about your first love. Then again, it might just make you relieved that you’re well beyond the preteen and teenage angst of middle and high school. In any case, this short novel is about kids learning the true meaning of loving someone—something we all might be able to relate to in a very real way.
If fiction’s not for you
Smoke Gets in your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty is a fascinating memoir about licensed mortician who takes readers through the daily oddities and profundities of dealing with death. It’ll take the edge off the heat, especially if reading about death gives you the shivers. But reading this book by the shore may help you think of unexplored topics in new ways.
This article was written by Hanna Choi.