12 Beach Reads to Get Lost in This Summer
Summer is finally here, and with it comes a wealth of reading opportunities, whether you’re lounging poolside or just sneaking out of the overly air-conditioned office a little early. You could pore over Barthes or Baudrillard, of course, but come on…it’s July! Officially time to unplug and let your brain feast on the very best that the beach-read canon has to offer! (Note: Here, the term “beach read” isn’t used flippantly, but instead celebrates books that—while eminently interesting and beautifully executed in their own right—also pair really well with a sun-warmed towel and an XL-sized iced coffee. Basically, these are the summer books you cancel BBQ plans to finish.)
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
A formerly famous gay sitcom star is suddenly tasked with raising his niece and nephew in this sweet, saucy novel set against the stately backdrop of Palm Springs (with a little dash of Connecticut).
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
A hopeless, instantly relatable crush gets the time-traveling treatment in this long-awaited follow-up to McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue. Shy loner August falls head over heels for uber-cool commuter Jane—only to discover that her amour fou is actually trapped in the New York subway system, circa 1970.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Four siblings, each famous in their own right, throw a massive party at their Malibu mansion, ushering in delicious drama, chaos, and maybe arson (!) in this novel from the author of Daisy Jones & The Six.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
An all-too-real satire of the lily-white publishing industry is mixed with some wonderfully out-there magical realism in this debut novel, which follows editorial assistant Nella as she’s first thrilled by, then chastened by, the hiring of another Black woman at the storied Manhattan publishing house where she works.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
If you couldn’t get enough of The Secret History or Mona Awad’s Bunny, Michaelides’s novel—which follows a secret society of female students at Cambridge against the backdrop of a murder on campus—might just be for you.
