The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2018
Whether you’re spending your summer at the beach, at the pool or at your house wishing you were at the beach or pool, here are 35 of the season’s best reads…preferably to be paired with a mojito and SPF 50.
1.
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
A follow-up to The Devil Wears Prada, Weisberger’s latest follows Miranda Priestley’s former assistant, Emily, as she moves to Greenwich, CT, and attempts a career overhaul. Buy the book
2.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Hoang’s sweet debut novel follows Stella, a 30-year-old with Asperger’s, as she attempts to come out of her shell and enter the weird, confusing world of dating. Buy the book
3.
The Last Thing I Told You by Emily Arsenault
From the author of The Evening Spider, a creepy thriller about the murder of a psychologist in a quiet New England town and his former patient, who may or may not be involved. Buy the book
4.
A Theory of Love by Margaret Bradham Thornton
Drawing on entanglement theory (the idea that particles remain connected even when separated), A Theory of Love charts the relationship between a British journalist and a French-American financier. Buy the book
5.
Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson
Billed as Cruel Intentions meets Pretty Little Liars, this twisted YA novel is about two teenagers from different parts of the country who have nothing in common but romantic relationships that quickly turn explosive. Buy the book
6.
The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
Knoll's (Luckiest Girl Alive) latest follows five hyper-competitive women appearing on a reality show that’s part Real Housewives, part Shark Tank. Executives expect a season filled with petty grievances and social media attacks, not...murder. Buy the book
7.
Do This for Me by Eliza Kennedy
A sharp take on sexual politics, Do This for Me is about an ambitious NYC lawyer whose seemingly perfect life abruptly crumbles when she discovers her husband’s infidelity. Buy the book
8.
You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac
A devoted single mother is forced to reconnect with her son’s father when she learns that, due to a hereditary illness, she may not always be around to care for him, in this novel that’s already been optioned for film by Lionsgate. Buy the book
9.
Mine by JL Butler
A divorce lawyer risks her career—and her life—when she starts an illicit affair with her client, who then becomes the primary suspect in his estranged wife’s disappearance. Buy the book
10.
Dreams of Falling by Karen White
Three young women, bound by the dictates of their Southern upbringings, come of age in the 1950s while harboring a secret that will tie them and their families together for decades. Buy the book
11.
The Glitch by Elisabeth Cohen
A high-profile Silicon Valley CEO and mother finds her world spiraling out of control when a woman claiming to be a younger version of herself appears and causes a major upheaval. Buy the book
12.
Sex and the City and Us by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong
We couldn't help but wonder if this written history of the show—coinciding with its 20th anniversary—was the perfect poolside entertainment. Buy the book
13.
The Windfall by Diksha Basu
When they suddenly come into an enormous sum of money, a middle-aged couple in India moves to the rich side of town, where they become eager to fit in, setting off a chain of events that rock their neighbors and their marriage. Buy the book
14.
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
Katie is a people pleaser from Kentucky and Cassidy is a native New Yorker who, on first look, Katie mistakes for a man. Their story is about how they both deal with this new, exciting and sometimes scary connection. Buy the book
15.
The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger
A private plane bound for Geneva drops off the radar in the Alps. Among those presumed dead is an insider at an offshore bank, whose widow is left grappling with his secrets, including an encrypted laptop and a shady client list. Buy the book
16.
The Lido by Libby Page
When a young reporter is assigned to write about the closing of a public pool (a lido) in London, she expects it to be a local interest story. But after meeting an 86-year-old widow who’s been swimming there since just after WWII, it becomes much more. Buy the book
17.
Little Big Love by Katy Regan
Told through the alternating perspectives of ten-year-old Zac, his mom and his grandfather, Little Big Love is the story of a sweet and wise little boy in pursuit of the perfect family. Buy the book
18.
The Intermission by Elyssa Friedland
Friedland’s second novel is a he said, she said about a husband and wife who take a marital intermission and spend six months living on opposite coasts, only reuniting for custody swaps of their dog. Buy the book
19.
The Art of French Kissing by Brianna Shrum
After realizing her dream of getting a scholarship to go to culinary school, a 17-year-old girl meets an archrival on day one, only to realize she may be falling for him. Buy the book
20.
Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins
Three women have been best friends since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When one of them dies, she leaves one final wish for her friends: to conquer the fears they still carry. Buy the book
21.
The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall
Two women living in New York, a generation apart, find themselves up against the same eternal struggle to find an impossible balance between love, happiness and ambition. Buy the book
22.
The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner
Twenty-nine-year-old Marin seems to have it all, until one mistake brings her world crashing down. Fleeing NYC for Provincetown, Massachusetts, she attempts to find solace and start rebuilding. Buy the book
23.
So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know by Retta
The hilarious star of Parks and Recreation and Good Girls, Retta knows how to get a laugh. Her debut essay collection tackles everything from abandoning her med school plans to stalking the cast of Hamilton. Buy the book
24.
The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs
This thrilling YA debut is about the trials and tribulations of a teen girl who’s in the witness protection program. Buy the book
25.
Tell Me No Lies by Adele Griffin
Jam-packed with ‘80s references, Griffin’s new YA novel touches on the complicated friendships and first heartbreaks of young adolescence. Buy the book
26.
Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza
This timely novel is an astute commentary on what it’s really like to be a woman running for political office in America today, through the experience of a candidate for Senate in the most important race in the country. Buy the book
27.
The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable
Based on the real life of an American socialite, this story is an alternate Kennedy family history that will make you question what you thought you knew about JFK. Buy the book
28.
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering
When Lucy arrives at a small California college, she’s ready to embrace the co-ed life. She’s quickly seduced by Stephen, who’s charming, attractive and confident, but soon finds out there’s more to him than his frat boy façade suggests. Buy the book
29.
How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson
The funny sequel to Pearson's debut, I Don't Know How She Does It, finds her protagonist dealing with surly teenagers, declining parents and a husband swept up in a mid-life crisis. Buy the book
30.
My Life as a Goddess by Guy Branum
In this essay collection, comedian Branum talks about everything from the pitfalls of being typecast as the “Sassy Gay Friend” to how going to law school made him decide to try stand-up. Buy the book
31.
The Bucket List by Georgia Clark
After discovering she has the “breast cancer gene,” a young woman embarks on a bucket list adventure while grappling with a life-changing decision. Buy the book
32.
A Double Life by Flynn Berry
This complex feminist thriller is based on the famous Lord Lucan Case, in which a British lord attacked his wife, murdered his children’s nanny and fled the country, never to be seen again. Buy the book
33.
Eagle & Crane by Suzanne Rindell
Inspired by the author’s family history with aviation, Eagle & Crane centers on the Depression, the 1930s, Pearl Harbor and the love one young woman has for two very different aviators. Buy the book
34.
Best Beach Ever by Wendy Wax
Perfect for HGTV addicts, Wax’s novel concerns the stars of a renovation reality TV show as they try to bounce back from the show’s cancellation. Buy the book
35.
The High Season by Judy Blundell
Over Memorial Day weekend, a woman, her not-quite-ex-husband and their teenage daughter pack up their summer home, which they’ve decided to rent out to add to save for retirement and pay for their eventual divorce. Buy the book