Beach Reading 2025

Saturday, April 26, was Independent Bookstore Day, and really, is there anything better than a local bookshop? I think not.

This image showcases the inviting interior of a cozy independent bookstore filled with wooden shelves, diverse books, and a warm atmosphere perfect for reading.

To continue the celebrations, and with the fact that summer is coming on rather quickly, I’ve assembled a list of some great beach reading. What is a beach read? Usually, they’re books that are entertaining, accessible, not intellectually challenging but must keep the reader engaged, and probably not too serious. There’s possibly a mystery, maybe some poignancy, and probably some romance. Some thrillers can be classified as beach reads, but nothing too gory, please! And you’re not going to take a big honkin’ history or a political polemic to enjoy while you’re sipping a fruity beverage on the shore or by the pool. Above all, a beach read should be fun.

Here’s a list of great beach reads, old and new. If I missed your favorite, add it below in the comments!

• Motherhood by Domenica Ruta
• She Regrets Nothing by Andrea Dunlop
• Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler
• Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan
• Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
• Set Piece by Lana Schwartz
• Isola by Allegra Goodman
• Nora Goes off Script by Annabel Monaghan
• The Chrystie Affair by Nina de Gramont
• Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
• What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
• Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
• Happy Place by Emily Henry
• Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
• Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
• The Royal We by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks
• The Verifiers by Jane Pek
• Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
• Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
• One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

Books and sunglasses on a beach

And for those who want to catch up on some classics:

• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
• The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
• My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
• Sex and the Single Girl by Helen Gurley Brown
• Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
• Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
• The Secret History by Donna Tart
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
• Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan
• Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie