With summer finally approaching, I’m eager to revisit some books that are great summer vacation beach reads!
These books are often set on summer holidays, in vacation spots, in warmer settings, or just on a beach. They also lean towards being more upbeat, breezy reads (though not always) that are perfect to dive into with a cool drink in hand. They tend to be on the shorter end of the spectrum or with shorter chapters (but again not necessarily).
So, this list consists of the Best Beach Reads of All Time , listed in reverse chronological order by year. It includes books released in any year, but has a preference for newer releases. Also, books that are part of a series only have the first title listed.
So, let’s get into this list of fantastic summery reads and revisit some old favorites, too!
Beach Read (2020) Emily Henry
What It's About:
See the
Full Summary and Review of Beach Read (2020)
Publication Date: May 19, 2020
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Unhoneymooners (2019) Christina Lauren
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
out of 5 on Goodreads
Calypso (2018) David Sedaris
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Perfect Couple (2018) Elin Hilderbrand
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 12, 2019
out of 5 on Goodreads
Where the Crawdads Sing (2018) Delia Owens
What It's About:
See the
Full Summary and Review of Where the Crawdads Sing (2018)
Publication Date: August 14, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Wedding Date (2018) Jasmine Guillory
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Hating Game (2016) Sally Thorne
What It's About:
Publication Date: August 9, 2016
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Lake House (2015) Kate Morton
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 20, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
Big Little Lies (2014) Liane Moriarty
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Vacationers (2014) Emma Straub
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Invention of Wings (2014) Sue Monk Kidd
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
We Were Liars (2014) E. Lockhart
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Rosie Project (2013) Graeme Simsion
What It's About:
See the
Full Summary and Review of The Rosie Project (2013)
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
out of 5 on Goodreads
Beautiful Ruins (2012) Jess Walter
What It's About:
See the
Full Summary and Review of Beautiful Ruins (2012)
Publication Date: June 12, 2012
out of 5 on Goodreads
Attachments (2011) Rainbow Rowell
What It's About:
Publication Date: April 14, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) Sophie Kinsella
What It's About:
Publication Date: November 4, 2003
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Summer I Turned Pretty (2009) Jenny Han
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 5, 2009
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2008) Mary Ann Shaffer
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
out of 5 on Goodreads
Firefly Lane (2008) Kristin Hannah
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Ruins (2006) Scott Smith
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 18, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Eat, Pray, Love (2006) Elizabeth Gilbert
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
out of 5 on Goodreads
Assassination Vacation (2005) Sarah Vowell
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 6, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Something Borrowed (2004) Emily Giffin
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Truth About Forever (2004) Sarah Dessen
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 1, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings (2003) Christopher Moore
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 15, 2004
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Devil Wears Prada (2003) Lauren Weisberger
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 30, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Nanny Diaries (2002) Emma Mclaughlin
What It's About:
Publication Date: March 13, 2002
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2001) Ann Brashares
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 11, 2001
out of 5 on Goodreads
Good in Bed (2001) Jennifer Weiner
What It's About:
Publication Date: April 2, 2002
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Notebook (1996) Nicholas Sparks
What It's About:
Publication Date: December 1, 1999
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Beach (1996) Alex Garland
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 1, 1998
out of 5 on Goodreads
A Walk in the Woods (1998) Bill Bryson
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 8, 2010
out of 5 on Goodreads
Summer Sisters (1998) Judy Blume
What It's About:
Publication Date: July 25, 2006
out of 5 on Goodreads
84, Charing Cross Road (1970) Helene Hanff
What It's About:
Publication Date: October 1, 1990
out of 5 on Goodreads
Dandelion Wine (1957) Ray BRADBURY
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 19, 2024
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) Patricia Highsmith
What It's About:
Publication Date: June 17, 2008
out of 5 on Goodreads
I Capture the Castle (1948) Dodie Smith
What It's About:
Publication Date: March 15, 1999
out of 5 on Goodreads
Death on the Nile (1937) Agatha Christie
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Great Gatsby (1925) F Scott Fitzgerald
What It's About:
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Enchanted April (1922) Elizabeth von Arnim
What It's About:
Publication Date: January 1, 2015
out of 5 on Goodreads
A Room With A View (1908) E M Forster
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 17, 2011
out of 5 on Goodreads
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) Oscar Wilde
What It's About:
Publication Date: February 18, 2024
out of 5 on Goodreads
Emma (1815) Jane Austen
What It's About:
Publication Date: May 6, 2003
out of 5 on Goodreads
