One of my favorite ways to spend a summer afternoon is outside with the sun on my face, a cold glass of rosé, and a book I can’t put down. As we reach the beginning of beach reads season, these are the books we can’t wait to read and the reading glasses we’ll need to read them. From thrilling mysteries to heartwarming romances, there’s something for everyone. Happy reading!
A coming of age story with a fantastical twist, Gold Diggers has made just about every Most Anticipated Books List out there. Now that it’s finally here, I can say it lives up to the hype. There’s magical gold, a son trying to live up to his family’s expectations, and a tragedy. It’s funny, touching, ambitious – and Mindy Kaling is turning it into her next TV show.
Bolu Babalola is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30, and she’s deeply funny. There are some laughs in her short story debut Love In Color, but mostly she turns her sharp observational eye towards her favorite subject: love. Each chapter in the collection is a retelling of classic love story, some mythical and some fairytales, from cultures all over the world. They’re heartbreaking, romantic, and vivid. You’ll fall in love with this book.
Jennifer Weiner’s latest novel, That Summer, hits all the familiar interests of her other work. There’s a smart woman protaganist, strong female friendships, and plenty of delicious secrets waiting to surface. This is like the novel version of a Nancy Meyers movie or a cozy cotton sweater on a chilly summer night.
The Last Thing He Told Me is for all the mystery and thriller obsessives out there. One of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club picks, author Laura Dave has written a gripping mystery that starts when a young woman wakes up to a note on her pillow from her husband of a year. When the FBI shows up, she quickly realizes her husband is not what she thought he was.
Helen Oyeyemi’s newest novel, Peaces, is a surreal and inventive novel about a couple on a very odd train ride that will change them forever. The trip, given to them by an aunt, quickly devolves into a mystery that makes them question themselves, and their bond to each other.
Shop the rest of our Beach Reads and Reading Glasses edit below:
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
