Rachana Patani
Best Beach Reads
Best beach reads don’t require packing a suitcase—they sweep you off your feet, stir something inside, and make you laugh, cry, and mentally book one-way trips to faraway places. Whether you’re reading poolside, beachside, or simply enjoying some quiet time with a cold drink and zero obligations, this list is your summer shelf care—equal parts escape, spice, and soul.
Let Them by Mel Robbins (Mindset / Personal Growth)
This one is on my classic, must haves list, and I’m adding it here, too. Let Them is like a mindset reset button—because sometimes, the best way to enjoy your summer is to stop trying to control everything and everyone. A reminder to loosen the grip, release the guilt, and reclaim your own peace. Find it here https://amzn.to/4kBHivK
Murder in the Dollhouse by Rich Cohen (True-Crime Mystery)
A haunting true crime tale that starts with a perfectly preserved 1940s dollhouse—and leads to a chilling murder hidden in plain sight. Cohen unpacks the strange intersection of nostalgia, architecture, and cold-blooded crime in a story that’s as eerie as it is fascinating. For fans of Serial and The Staircase. Find it here https://amzn.to/4mZKkM3
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Romance / Space Drama)
Set against the backdrop of NASA’s early space race, this sweeping romance follows an ambitious scientist and a charismatic pilot whose love story burns bright—and collides with history. Reid’s signature style blends nostalgia, heartbreak, and hope, wrapped in an out-of-this-world setting that still feels deeply human. Find it here https://amzn.to/4mSqnX9
The Women by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction)
Frances “Frankie” McGrath is a sheltered California girl who volunteers as a nurse during the Vietnam War—and is changed forever. This sweeping, emotional novel gives overdue attention to the women who served, fought, and came home to a country that didn’t want to hear their stories. It’s historical fiction with guts and heart. Find it here https://amzn.to/3HKQfEi
The Compound by Aisling Rawle (Thriller / Dystopian)
Imagine if The Hunger Games met Big Brother. In a crumbling future society, contestants on a reality show are promised safety inside “The Compound”—but once inside, nothing is what it seems. Twisted alliances, survival politics, and the blur between performance and truth make this a breathless, read-in-one-sitting thriller. Find it here https://amzn.to/45g4CKO
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Literary Fiction)
Vuong’s lyrical prose returns in this emotionally intimate novel about a young man caring for his ailing grandmother while trying to make sense of his place in the world. It’s about memory, queerness, generational trauma, and finding beauty in the broken places. Prepare to underline every other sentence. Find it here https://amzn.to/3SHqya5
Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin (Literary / Mystery)
A former boxing champ turned barfly is pulled back into the ring when a mysterious death reopens old wounds. This gritty mystery unfolds through layered flashbacks and tough-love relationships, with prose that punches as hard as its hero. It’s noir with soul. Find it here https://amzn.to/43Jhzdq
Try to Make Your Life by Margot Friedländer (Memoir / Biography)
This was one of my favorites! At 101 years old, Friedländer recounts her experience surviving the Holocaust in hiding—after her mother urged her to “try to make your life.” Her story is not only a testament to survival, but to rebuilding, forgiveness, and purpose. Find it here https://amzn.to/43FgS6s
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (Family Drama)
Inspired by Little Women, this novel explores the bonds between four sisters and the outsider who enters—and disrupts—their tight-knit world. Themes of loyalty, grief, and second chances give this one emotional weight. A quiet stunner. Find it here https://amzn.to/4kY74tW
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (Epic Literary Fiction)
Set across three generations in South India, this richly layered novel follows a family cursed by a mysterious drowning affliction. Verghese (author of Cutting for Stone) combines history, medicine, and spirituality in a story that is both vast and intimate. Find it here https://amzn.to/3FRrw0w
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune (Contemporary Romance)
Lucy and Felix have shared one steamy summer together—every year, like clockwork—until now. What happens when real life catches up to a no-strings-attached romance? Set on the breathtaking beaches of Prince Edward Island, this second-chance story is sunlit, sexy, and emotionally resonant. Find it here https://amzn.to/3Fw2pAx
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Southern Noir / Crime Thriller)
Roman Carruthers fled his rural Virginia hometown years ago, but when his brother dies and his mother vanishes, he’s forced back into a place still ruled by corruption and silence. Cosby weaves a dark, urgent tale of family, race, and reckoning—gritty, fast-paced, and full of soul. For fans of morally complex crime fiction with real emotional stakes. Find it here https://amzn.to/43CI31F
No matter where summer takes you—or doesn’t—these stories are ready to keep you company. So pour something cold, turn the page, and let yourself drift. Happy reading!
