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Summer Fun: Books Set on the Beach
For anyone who’s looking to bring the beach home this socially distanced summer.
Published on July 8, 2020
Big Summer: A Novel
Jennifer WeinerWe may not be able to go lounge in the sand right now, but the new novel from “Mrs. Everything” author Jennifer Weiner brings the beach to your couch. Set seaside at a Cape Cod mansion during a glamorous wedding where everything goes wrong, “Big Summer” sparkles with friendship and forgiveness.
The Unhoneymooners
Christina LaurenChristina Lauren combines two romance tropes — enemies to lovers and fake dating — with charm and humor. Olive Torres and Ethan Thomas pretend to be newlyweds so they can go on a free honeymoon in Olive’s sister’s name after the rest of the wedding party gets sick. During this all-expenses-paid-trip to Hawaii, the tides of hate begin to turn into waves of love.
The Hurricane Sisters: A Novel
Dorothea Benton FrankIn Dorothea Benton Frank’s heartwarming story, there’s a faith in the strength of family and an undying hope in rebirth after destruction that burns brighter than the sun on the hottest South Carolina summer day.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
Jenny HanAn easy young adult summer read about childhood friends growing into something more, from the author of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The central love triangle blossoms at a shared beach house that Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah visit every summer.
Old Man and the Sea
Ernest HemingwayThis short classic from Ernest Hemingway about an old man trying to catch a magnificent marlin and pass his wisdom on to a young boy evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean with great respect for the vastness of the sea and the fleetingness of life.
Feels Like Falling
Kristy Woodson HarveyLet Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest transport you to the coast of North Carolina with two women forming a lasting friendship. Harvey is one of the queens of lighthearted, sweet, and sultry beach fiction.
Saint X: A Novel
Alexis SchaitkinWe consider this thriller one of the best books of 2020 so far. The main character, Claire, was still in elementary school where her college-aged sister was killed in the Caribbean, and two men who were initially suspects are exonerated. The passage of time only makes Claire wonder more about what really happened, and in adulthood, she starts her own stealthy investigation. A debut with whispers of Gillian Flynn.
Claire of the Sea Light
Edwidge DanticatVille Rose, a fictional seaside town in Haiti, is as much a character in this book as any inhabitant. After the disappearance of the titular Claire, author Edwidge Danticat tells the story through episodic tales about the intertwined lives of the town’s residents.
Duma Key: A Novel
Stephen King“Duma Key” breaks the mold for Stephen King in many ways: It’s his only novel set in Florida, and it’s one of only a handful of his books that’s written in the first person. It follows Edgar Freemantle after a horrible construction accident causes him to lose an arm and scrambles his mind (oh, and gives him supernatural powers).
Manhattan Beach: A Novel
Jennifer EganIn her follow-up to “A Visit from the Goon Squad,” Jennifer Egan has created a gripping work of historical fiction meets crime story, set against the backdrop of the omnipresent ocean. Egan’s inventiveness covertly rises up and washes over you, hitting like a sneaker wave.
Sunset Beach: A Novel
Mary Kay AndrewsAn inherited, weather-worn beach house needs some tender loving care from down-on-her-luck Drue. But first, she has to solve the mystery of a strange death at a resort that may have something to do with her father. Plus, there’s a touch of romance. This vacation has a little bit of everything.
The Light Between Oceans: A Novel
M.L. StedmanMoral codes, maternal instincts, and a young couple’s marriage are put to the test when a boat carrying a dead man, and a very alive baby girl, washes onto the shore of a remote Australian island.
The Siren
Kiera CassThis standalone YA inspired by folklore puts the limits of love and loyalty to the test. It’s a beautiful twist on siren mythology and “The Little Mermaid” from the author of “The Selection.”
Why We Swim
Bonnie TsuiA deep dive (a pun designed to make you groan) into why humans love playing in the water so much when we don’t naturally know how to swim, unlike most other animals. Whether you love to swim to stay in shape, to build endurance, or to just have fun, this will give you a new appreciation of frolicking in the water.