If it is a groundhog who foresees the first day of spring, the arrival of summer is signaled by a different phenomenon: the “Beach Reads” display at your favorite bookstore.
Whether your “beach” is in San Diego or your own backyard, the slower pace of summer invites us to relax with a book in our hands, and there is a whole subgenre of books to help us keep the pages turning.
Generally speaking, beach reads are easy and fun to read, usually with an uplifting final chapter. Ideally, they are paperbacks, the lighter to pack in your bag, and there are hundreds of titles to choose from.
Everything written by Emily Henry, for example. If you’d like to stretch your wings a little, community volunteers from the Tucson of Festival of Books have some suggestions:
“An Island Princess Starts a Scandal” by Adriana Herrera will be released Tuesday, May 30, much to the delight of fans who love her fresh new approach to historical romance. About to be trapped into a loveless marriage, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom. In Paris. With her two best friends. – Jessica Pryde
“Romantic Comedy” by Curtis Sittenfeld was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection when it was released last month. It features Sally Milz, a sketch writer for The Night Owls … a thinly veiled stand-in for “Saturday Night Live.” Why, she wonders, do average looking women (like herself) never connect with gorgeous and successful men? Well, Sally, sometimes they do. This is a 320-page hardback, but the audiobook makes it an easy lift in your beach bag. – Maria Parham
“Legends and Lattes” by Travis Baldree is a warm, cozy fantasy that features Viv – who is hanging up her sword after living a life of bloodshed and bounties. Liv would like to open a coffee shop. It won’t be easy. – Kimberly Peters
“Summer Reading” by Scottsdale’s Jenn McKinlay reminds her fans how much fun, and how funny, romance novels can be. In this one, a young woman who would rather do anything than read finds herself falling for an irresistible bookworm. – Jessica Pryde
“One True Loves” by Elise Bryant is a young adult novel that balances vacation fun and summer romance with serious discussions of race and mental health. It is a sweet but realistic love story between two Black teens on a cruise ship with their families. – Kathy Short
“Robbed Blind” by Gerry Boyle is the latest in the Jack McMorrow mystery series set in Maine. Morrow is a freelance investigative reporter who is tracking a zombie-masked robber who is preying on down-and-out victims in a small town. When the New York Times rejects his story, he decides to stay and find the “zombie” himself. – Sara Hammond
“The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave was a bestseller for months. Now it is a TV series starring Jennifer Garner. It features Hannah, whose husband has disappeared. When she receives a note from him that says “protect her,” she knows it refers to her husband’s daughter. Hmmm. – Lindy Mullinax
“The Golden Couple” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen may appeal to fans of the Apple TV series “Shrinking.” The book features marriage counselor Avery Chambers, whose unorthodox methods have cost her her license. Asked to help a wealthy Washington couple on the verge of a breakup, she learns there is more than one elephant in the room. – Lynn Wiese Sneyd
“Lady Tan’s Circle of Women” by Lisa See is a historical novel that introduces us to a woman physician in 15th Century China. Confucius didn’t much care for professional women, but Yunxian was born to serve. How can a Chinese woman defy Chinese tradition and win acceptance for doing what she loves? Who better than See to guide our journey. Scheduled for release in hardback on June 6, “Lady Tan” will be available as an audiobook. – Bill Viner
“Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn has been described as “Golden Girls” meet “James Bond.” Four longtime women assassins have reached the age of 60. Their methods are now considered quaint and outdated. Treated to an all-expenses-paid vacation as retirement gifts, they learn that they themselves have been targeted, and it’s kill or be killed. – Gay Vernon
“Hatchet Island” by Paul Doiron features game warden Mike Bowditch, who sets out on a kayaking vacation with his girlfriend. While visiting a research station on the Maine coast, two researchers are brutally murdered, and a third disappears. Miles from shore and with no one to help him, Mike must stop a ruthless murderer. – Thea Chalow
“You Never Forget Your First” by Alexis Coe is not your usual “beach read.” Published in 2021, it is a biography of George Washington, but as the cheeky title suggests it offers a fresh new look at America’s first president. Coe introduces us to a man named George who made mistakes. He had a dog named Sweetlips. There is no denying his role in history, but he was a real person – not just a marble statue. – Bill Finley
