If you have visited your neighborhood bookstore or library recently, it didn’t take long to find a table, kiosk or hastily filled rack bursting with “Beach Reads.” Nearby beaches are not required. Beach reads are as easy to find in Tucson as they are in Tampa. But what is a “beach read,” exactly?
No one is quite sure. It is the most loosely defined genre in literature, in part because it’s not a genre at all. The tables, kiosks and signs disappear on Labor Day. Yet dozens of American authors make their livings by riding the wave of the summertime book sales.
Generally speaking, beach reads are easy-to-read paperbacks with accessible plotlines, clearly defined characters and happy endings. Most are published in the spring.
Not wanting to miss out on the fun, the Tucson Festival of Books has come up with its own list of beach reads this summer. And as a public service, festival volunteers have narrowed the criteria. Here are some recently published beach reads … that are actually set at the beach:
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry. Augustus Everett and January Andrews have three things in common: they are authors, they live in neighboring beach houses, and both have hit the wall with their current books. To break their writer’s block, they agree to start new projects — using the other’s genre. Maybe they can find themselves … and each other. — Jessica Braithwaite
“The Summer of Lost and Found” by Mary Alice Monroe. This is another beach read told from a beach, the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. It is timely, too, with a story framed by the recent pandemic. Monroe again explores the complexities of family life through Linnea, whose life has gotten complicated. — Tricia Clapp
“The Disappearing Act” by Catherine Steadman. Steadman, herself an actress and author, brings British TV star Mia Elliott to Hollywood to take a big step up in her career. The tale becomes a gripping whodunit when another young actress disappears … and Mia was the last one to see her. — Jessica Braithwaite
“Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party in Malibu, a bash that traditionally features the famous Riva siblings: Nina, her sister and two brothers. All of them are well-known and each has a secret. — Lynn Wiese Sneyd
“Float Plan” by Trish Doller. Everybody needs somebody sometime, and Anna — who has begun a Caribbean sailing adventure solo — realizes she is overmatched. She needs a professional sailor to help her complete the cruise. Enter Keane, who helps Anna chart a course she hadn’t planned on. — Jessica Braithwaite
“Golden Girl” by Elin Hilderbrand. Hilderbrand didn’t really invent the beach-read genre, but it does feel like it. Interestingly, this summer’s release features an author who has written 13 beach books … and is killed by a hit-and-run driver while jogging in Nantucket. We join her “upstairs,” in the “Beyond.” There she is allowed to watch how the summer unfolds without her. — Jody Hardy
“Why We Swim” by Bonnie Tsui. This is a nonfiction project that explores why humans so much love to swim, despite the fact — unlike other creatures — we are not natural-born swimmers. We need to learn how to swim. And most of us do. — Jessica Braithwaite
“That Summer” by Jennifer Weiner. Set in large part on Cape Cod, this is the story of Daisy Shoemaker. She knows her life is good, but something is missing. Daisy then starts receiving mail addressed to a woman who seems to be changing the world. Naturally, Daisy needs to know more. — Bill Finley
“Rock the Boat” by Beck Dorey-Stein. Kate Campbell’s life in Manhattan has just fallen apart, and she is forced to return to Sea Point, the beach town where she was raised. Even in Sea Point life gets complicated, and Kate begins to see how hard it can be to grow up. — Jessica Braithwaite
