Last Minute Beach Reads

Enjoy our top picks for when it comes to packing a book in your bag this summer

Calling all bookworms! This post is for you. Before summer heads for the horizon and we’re greeted with a crisp fall season, there’s still time to pack a bag for one more beach getaway or relaxing pool day. Soak up some sun with a chilled beverage and a list of our must-read books.

Fiction

Verity by Colleen Hoover Verity is a thrilling page-turner from start to finish. Floundering writer Lowen Ashleigh is hired by Jeremy Crawford, husband of famous author Verity Crawford, to finish her book series when the author is left severely injured. Verity’s creepy twists and turns will leave you on the edge of your seat with chills running down your spine. Hoover brilliantly keeps you searching to uncover the truth until the very last sentence.

Romance

The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely The Real Deal is the perfect lounge chair read. In fact, I read most of this story on a particularly laid back Saturday floating around in a tube at my friend’s pool. Romance novel fans will swoon over the quirky boyfriend-for-hire trope that transforms into something so much more. It’ll give you all the feel-good, fuzzy emotions of a cheery Hallmark movie.

Fantasy

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses series) by Sarah J. Maas If you’re looking to lose yourself in a world of fantasy, this is the series for you. Yep – I said series! Enter a massive world of magic, faeries, war, and romance created by Maas that will leave you devouring not just one but all four of her huge books centered around this world without so much as blinking an eye.

Thriller

The Girl in 6E (The Deanna Madden series) by A. R. Torre For a healthy dose of thrills and chills, this book reads like Dexter meets Fifty Shades. Torre’s Deanna Madden series is fast paced, twisted, sensual, and dark. It’s the perfect contrast to a perfectly sunny day at the beach and begs the question, Can you sympathize with a killer?

Non-Fiction

Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard by Liz Murray Liz is born to drug-addicted parents and must learn to fend for herself at an early age. From living in a girls’ home to scraping by night-after-night on the streets of NYC, Liz’s resilience and determination to finish high school pays off big time with an acceptance to the Ivy League. An inspiring true story, Murray encourages you to prevail in anything you do – no matter the obstacle.

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley A harrowing adventure wrapped up in this true story, Dorothy Kirwan Thomas is a woman of color born into slavery who rises to become one of the most powerful landowners of the West Indies. Dorothy (Doll) buys her freedom - and that of her mother and sister as well – from her Irish planter father, and goes on to make her mark as an entrepreneur, merchant, and hotelier throughout the Caribbean . Bringing to life the harsh and unrelenting realities of slavery and colonialism, Doll’s tale is one of survival and empowerment. She bucks the rigid and oppressive traditions of the eighteenth-century to build a life of legacy.

Classic Literature

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I have to include Gatsby in this list. Not only is it a long-standing personal favorite of mine, but it’s a quintessential beach read. Prohibition, the roaring 20s, corrupt characters, and Gatsby’s extravagant, glittering parties have enchanting summer undertones laced all throughout its pages.

Historical Fiction

Outlander (Outlander series) by Diana Gabaldon Transport yourself to another time and place with this addicting monster of a series from Gabaldon. Claire Randall is a former WWII army combat nurse who is enjoying a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. When she accidentally touches a standing stone at Craig Na Dun, she’s sent back in time to 1743 where she meets the dashing King of Men, Jamie Fraser. Book nine in the series debuts this winter and even better news – the series is also a hit show streaming on both Starz and Netflix.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray Bella de Costa Greene was one of the most powerful women in the art and book world, as well as a fixture of New York society, as the curator of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for J. P. Morgan. But she was living a lie, passing as a white woman when in reality she was the daughter of the well-known equality advocate and first black graduate from Harvard University, Richard Greener. This is the story of Bella’s internal struggle, and the lengths she must to go to in order to protect her family and its legacy, while maintaining her carefully crafted identity.

Travel

Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish Okay, so I’m keeping a bit on the Outlander theme with this one. If you want to go somewhere without actually having to pack your bags and travel, this peek into the mystical lands and history of Scotland is not only insightful – but pretty funny to boot! Outlander co-stars Sam and Graham pack up a retro camper and take all the roads less traveled in this New York Times bestseller! Tip #1: The audiobook version will give you all the giggles. Tip #2: This is also a hit Starz miniseries that is utterly enjoyable on a lazy summer day!

Paranormal

The Raven (The Florentine series) by Sylvain Reynard Head to Florence, Italy and the Uffizi gallery with Raven Wood to uncover a mysterious Gothic world of Renaissance art and culture and an underworld of vampires. This series can be read on its own, but also has ties to Reynard’s famous Gabriel’s Inferno series which is also worth a read.

Young Adult

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares Imagine a love so strong and pure that it literally transcends time. The concept of reincarnation is told through this wonderful story of the tormented Daniel. He’s spent many lives and countless worlds loving the same girl – always to be kept away from her. From the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this story will have you wondering if Daniel and his Lucy will ever get their long-awaited happily ever after.

I hope this list serves as a starting point as to what to pack for that last minute getaway. What are some of your favorite books to enjoy during the warmer months? Who are some of your go-to authors? When you finish your latest read, check out our mBlog Secrets to Beautiful Book Storage.

Elizabeth DeAmicis is an SEO Copywriter at mDesign

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