Beach reads you will love: top picks for your next getaway

Beach reads you will love: top picks for your next getaway

As the sun shines brightly and the waves crash gently on the shore, nothing is more refreshing than diving into a captivating book. Beach reads are the perfect companions for those lazy summer days, offering heartwarming stories that transport readers to different worlds. This article explores some of the best beach reads to add to your reading list.

Beach reads
Beach reads offer a much-needed escape from everyday life's overwhelming hustle and bustle. Photo: @oreawilliams (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Immerse yourself this summer in a collection of beach reads that cater to every taste, from romantic comedies to thrilling mysteries. With compelling characters and gripping plots, these books promise to keep you entertained while you soak up the sun. So grab sunscreen and a refreshing drink, and discover your next favourite read to make your beach days even more delightful!

List of the best beach reads in 2024

In 2006, a study linked reading fiction to better performance on empathy and social acumen tests. Keith Oatley, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Toronto and a novelist and author, explained the benefits of reading fiction to Sarah Kaplan at the Washington Post. Oatley said:

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"When we read about other people, we can imagine ourselves into their position and we can imagine it's like being that person. That enables us to better understand people, better cooperate with them."

Keen to discover some awesome suggestions for a good beach read? Credible sources such as Vogue and Goodreads greatly influenced the rankings of these books. Here is a list of books from some award-winning writers that are great beach reads.

BookAuthorRating
This Summer Will Be DifferentCarley Fortune4.5/5
The Shards Bret Easton Ellis4.5/5
Come and Get ItKiley Reid4.5/5
Funny Story Emily Henry 4.3/5
Summer RomanceAnnabel Monaghan4.1/5
Lies and WeddingsKevin Kwan3.8/5
The House on Biscayne BayChanel Cleeton3.7/5
Romantic ComedyCurtis Sittenfeld3.6/5
Pineapple StreetJenny Jackson3.6/5
Bad Summer PeopleEmma Rosenblum3.41/5
The Three of Us Ore Agbaje-Williams 3.0/5

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1. This Summer Will Be Different

Carley Fortune posing with her book
Carley is a seasoned journalist who has been a contributor and editor for The Globe and Mail. Photo: @carleyfortune on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Carley Fortune
  • Ratings: 4.5/5
  • Originally published: May 7, 2024
  • Genres: Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Coming-of-age story, Domestic Fiction

This Summer will be Different follows Lucy, a Toronto resident who visits Prince Edward Island each summer with her best friend Bridget. During one of these trips, Lucy hooks up with local bartender Felix, unaware that he is Bridget's younger brother.

The book is written by Carley Fortune, a Canadian writer from Toronto, Ontario. In a quote from the book, she told Goodreads:

It's how I learned that the families we make are as significant as the ones we're born into. It's how I learned that the greatest loves are not always romances.

2. The Shards

The Shrads by Bret Easton
Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist. Photo: @Easton (modified by author)
Source: UGC
  • Author: Bret Easton Ellis
  • Ratings: 4.5/5
  • Originally published: 2023

The Shards by Bret, an American author and screenwriter, is the perfect fit, especially for Psychopaths fans. It is a semi-autobiographical novel set in 1981 and focuses on Bret, a high school senior in Los Angeles.

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3. Come and Get It

Come and Get It book by Kiley Reid
Come and Get It is Reid's second novel. Photo: @kileyreid on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Kiley Reid
  • Ratings: 4.5\5
  • Originally published: January 30, 2024
  • Genres: Coming-of-age story, Humorous Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Kiley Reid is an American novelist credited for several best-selling novels such as Come and Get It. It portrays a provocative story about a residential assistant and her entanglement with a circle of three unruly students and their professors. It also explores how Southern college women think about money but not weddings.

4. Funny Story

Funny Story by Emily Henry
Henry's books have been featured in BuzzFeed, The Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and more. Photo: @emilyhenrywrites on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Emily Henry
  • Ratings: 4.3/5
  • Originally published: April 23, 2024
  • Genres: Romance novel, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

From the celebrated New York bestselling author comes a new riveting book to read at the beach, Funny Story. It centres on Daphne, recently dumped by her fiancé for his best friend. She moves in with Miles, her ex-fiancé's childhood friend, who has also been jilted.

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To make their exes jealous, they pretend to be in a relationship. However, as they navigate their fake romance, genuine feelings develop.

5. Summer Romance

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
Summer romance is supposed to offer a brief, carefree enjoyment within the risk of heartbreak. Photo: @annabelmonaghan on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Annabel Monaghan
  • Ratings: 4.1/5
  • Originally published: June 4, 2024
  • Genres: Romance novel, Contemporary romance, Domestic Fiction

Are you fed up with getting heartbroken every time you read a fiction novel? Well, Summer Romance is the perfect choice for you. Explore this fun and brief story of Ali, a single mother of three, as she navigates her post-grief romance with her newly found lover Ethan.

Summer Romance is a book by Annabel Monaghan, a best-selling author. It is one of the best beach reads for guys. Her other books include Same Time Next Summer, and Nora Goes Off Script.

6. Lies and Weddings

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
Kwan is a Singaporean-born American novelist and writer of satirical novels. Photo: @kevinkwanbooks on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images
  • Author: Kevin Kwan
  • Ratings: 3.8/5
  • Originally published: May 21 2024
  • Genres: Fiction, Romance novel, Contemporary Romance

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Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan follows Rufus Leung Gresham, the future Earl of Greshamsbury, as he deals with his family's financial problems during his sister's opulent wedding. Rufus is pressured by his mother to marry for money to restore their fading fortune. He finds himself in a dilemma where he must choose between seeking wealth and following his heart, which belongs to his childhood friend, Eden Tong.

7. The House on Biscayne Bay

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
Cleeton is the bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana. Photo: @chanelcleeton on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Chanel Cleeton
  • Ratings: 3.7/5
  • Originally published: 2024
  • Genres: Historical Fiction, Gothic fiction

Chanel Cleeton's The House on Biscayne Bay is a gothic historical tale set in Miami that follows the lives of two women across multiple timelines. The story begins in the 1920s with Anna Barnes, whose husband is constructing an expensive mansion called Marbrisa. Their seemingly ideal life conceals dark secrets and scandals.

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Years later, after her parents' sad death, Carmen Acosta returns to Marbrisa, only to uncover the mansion's perilous heritage and the riddles that endanger her life. As Carmen uncovers the estate's disturbing past, she confronts the interwoven fates of both women.

8. Romantic Comedy

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Romantic Comedy follows Sally Milz, a late-night sketch comedy show writer, and Noah Brewster, a pop star. Photo: @csittenfeld on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Ratings: 3.6/5
  • Originally published: April 4, 2023
  • Genres: Romance novel, Humor

A TV comedy script writer thinks she's sworn off romance until a dreamy pop star appears and upends all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a sophisticated and humorous book that is the perfect addition to your summer vacation books.

9. Pineapple Street

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Jenny is a graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course. Photo: @jennyjacksonpineapple on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Jenny Jackson
  • Ratings: 3.6/5
  • Originally published: March 7, 2023
  • Genres: Urban Fiction, Domestic Fiction

Indulge in this delightful, humorous, captivating tale about family, love, and class. Pineapple Street follows three women from an old, wealthy Brooklyn Heights clan. They include Darley, born with money; Sasha, who married into it; and Georgina, the family's millennial conscience, who wishes to give it all away.

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10. Bad Summer People

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Emma is currently the Chief Content Officer of Bustle Digital Group. Photo: @emma.rosenblum on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Emma Rosenblum
  • Ratings: 3.41/5
  • Originally published: May 23, 2023
  • Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Contemporary Romance

This stylish, irreverent, and darkly comic story explores what lies behind the surface of seemingly flawless lives in a place where everyone has something to hide. Set in an exclusive summer retreat on Fire Island, Bad Summer People is an explosive debut that explores adultery, backstabbing, and homicide.

11. The Three of Us

The Three of Us by Ore Williams
The Three of Us is a tightly constructed debut novel written during lockdown. Photo: @oreawilliams on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Instagram
  • Author: Ore Agbaje-Williams
  • Ratings: 3.0
  • Originally published: May 11, 2023
  • Genre: Literary fiction

Agbaje's story follows a mesmerising long-standing domestic tale between a husband, wife and her best friend as they share their viewpoints. Bury yourself in this classic beach read as you enjoy the one-of-a-kind domestic comedy manners of these wealthy and educated trio.

How do you comfortably read on the beach?

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Reading on the beach can be a delightful escape, but comfort is critical to thoroughly enjoying the experience. Below are some of the tips to help you read comfortably:

  • Select a captivating book that will keep you engaged for hours.
  • Have essential items like sunscreen, sunglasses, and a beach umbrella for shade to protect yourself from the sun.
  • Consider using a bookweight or a hands-free reading stand to keep your book steady in the wind, and opt for a beach chair with a face hole for added comfort.
  • Earbuds or earplugs to help block noise, choose a location away from noisy crowds.
  • Waterproof everything.

What makes a great beach read?

A great beach read emphasises plot and characters over elegant prose and heavier themes. It also offers a break from the drumbeat of 'heavier' stories.

What is considered a beach read?

A beach read, usually fiction, is a book you might read at the beach, lake, resort, or any other summer vacation destination. It is a light, engaging book that is easy to read and enjoyable during leisure time, particularly at the beach.

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Beach reads offer a much-needed escape from everyday life's overwhelming hustle and bustle. They help readers unwind, relax, and lose themselves in stories that resonate with their experiences or whisk them away to far-off places. So, as you plan your summer getaways, do not forget to pack a few of these engaging novels.

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Authors:
Bennett Yates avatar

Bennett Yates (Lifestyle writer) Bennett Yates is a content creator with over five years of working experience in journalism and copywriting. He graduated from the University of Nairobi (2017) with a Bachelor's in Information Technology. In 2023, Bennett finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. He started working for Briefly in 2019. You can reach him via email at bennetyates@gmail.com.

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