The relaxing act of beach reading is one that has become so universal, that it warrants its own genre completely. While it isn’t necessarily limited to books that have anything to do with the beach or summer at all (though, they are added perks)— a good beach read must simply keep you captivated, even with the ocean as your backdrop.

Some may enjoy thumbing through a lighthearted romance set in a seaside town, while others may enjoy the thrill of a fast-paced whodunnit or a thought-provoking non-fiction novel. Planning to participate in this personal pastime this summer? Considering every type of bookworm, we narrowed down 8 of the best books to read by the beach in 2024.

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For the sentimental romantic: Thirst For Salt by Madelaine Lucas

A deeply nostalgic tale of love, loss, longing and memory, Madelaine Lucas’ Thirst For Salt is a captivating debut novel that demands to be read at the seaside. The story reflects on the life of an unnamed narrator, who falls for a local man while on holiday in a coastal Australian town. As their relationship develops and provides the narrator with the sense of stability she has been yearning for, a friend of her lover returns and poses a threat to their newfound entanglement. When the narrator witnesses something she can’t quite understand, she is left questioning everything about their love, herself, and her own life.

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For the 20-something year old: Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados

At once witty and relatable to anyone in that 20-something stage of life, Canadian author Marlowe Granados’ debut novel Happy Hour is a sparkling account of a sweltering summer in New York City. Influenced by Anita Loos’ 1925 classic, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Granados’ story invites us into the world of 21-year-old Isa Epley and her blonde aide Gala Novak as they navigate the newness of NYC. From Brooklyn to the Upper East Side, these girls must do whatever it takes (selling clothes at market stalls, hosting at nightclubs, working as au pairs) to squeeze the life of this city alongside its celebrity, artist, and grifter inhabitants—and to survive.

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For the #booktok devotee: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Rom-com royalty Emily Henry strikes again with her latest release, Funny Story. In April of this year, the beloved People We Meet on Vacation author dropped this new novel which follows Daphne and Miles, who end up living together in idyllic Waning Bay, Michigan after their partners, Peter and Petra (who were childhood best friends) dump them both and marry each other. Despite their polar opposite personalities, Daphne and Miles put their differences aside in an attempt to make their exes jealous by pretending to be a couple. But could there be a real spark there for these two?

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For the thrill seeker: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Set on a picturesque private island in Greece, The Fury details a love story turned to murder. Every year, ex-movie star Lana Farrar hosts an annual gathering of her closest friends on the island—until one year, when a member of the group is found dead and everyone remains trapped there overnight. If your idea of beach reading involves a dash of mystery, then you’ll love getting lost in the pages of this thriller by Alex Michaelides, who also penned the popular psychological thriller, The Silent Patient.

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For the hopeless romantic: Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth

Sunburn is a tender coming-of-age novel and a heartfelt sapphic love story written by Chloe Michelle Howarth that explores the complexities of finding your first love and living in a small, traditional town. It’s the early ’90s in Ireland when we meet Lucy, whose life is full of fulfilling friendships, but she still feels out of place. Over one hot summer, Lucy becomes infatuated with her school friend Susannah and ultimately falls in love—leading a double life in fear of rejection from her conservative community. As the end of Lucy’s secondary school life nears, she must consider who she is, and what she wants her future to be.

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For the Canadian fiction fan: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

If you want to use your time at the beach to explore a profoundly moving tale that will stick with you long after your vacation, add The Berry Pickers to your reading list. In this harrowing story, a Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia travels to Maine to pick blueberries over the summer, when their four-year-old daughter goes missing. Over the next 50 years, her disappearance haunts the family she leaves behind and unravels the surrounding community. In the same state, a young girl named Norma is raised by an affluent family but has a sense that her parents are keeping something from her. Author Amanda Peters, who is of Mi’kmaq ancestry herself, proves she is a powerful new voice in the Canadian fiction scene.

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For the classic beach reader: Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez

As the author of TikTok-popular fiction novels like Part of Your World and Life’s Too Short, Abby Jimenez is best known for her contemporary romance reads. This Spring, Jimenez expanded upon her Part of Your World universe with the addition of Just for the Summer, a rom-com tale that follows two young characters with an unlucky dating streak who hope to break their curses by dating each other and breaking up. Though you don’t technically need to read the other two books from this three-part collection first, this story does include surprise appearances from previous characters—so keep your eyes peeled!

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For the non-fiction fan: Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib

Prefer a non-fiction read? We’ve got you. Indian essayist and writer Shahnaz Habib’s Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel provides just that: A personal and cultural history of travel through the lens of a person of colour. Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence, it’s a curious exploration and critique of the politics of travel and tourism that is sure to make you think with every flip of the page during your own trips this summer.

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