My Ultimate Summer Reads

Like many, my favorite time of the year to read is summer. Laying by the pool, suntanning, and sitting on a sandy beach are all made ten times more enjoyable by a good book.

Personally, if I'm reading in the summer, I want my books to match the "vibes" of summer. I'm likely not going to reach for a thriller that mainly takes place in the fall or a literary fiction book that takes place in the cold, windy climate of some faraway place. I want a book that either has a coastal setting, takes place in the summer, or involves a warm, sunny climate.

I was Googling "summer reads" and "beach reads" recently and so many of the books were simply best sellers; many of them had none of the qualities I look for in books to read from May to August. So, in case anyone else is frustrated by these "beach read" lists with very few books that are actually beachy or summery, I made my own list!

You can see it here on GoodReads, or you can browse the list below! My criteria for creating this list was that the book has to have one of the following:

• Set mostly in the summer months

• Set in a coastal place

• Set in a place that is warm and sunny most of the year
  

Josie's "Books With Summer Vibes" GoodReads List

In no particular order:

• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Summer in Michigan? Yes please!

• The Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

I read this when I was a little girl, so I'm not sure if it holds up as an adult! But, I remember loving it when I read it many years ago and it definitely fits for summertime reading.

• Safe Harbor by K. Sinko

East Coast, teen, summer romance. What more could you want in a beach read?

• The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight

Family saga, women's fiction set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina! One of my favorite reads from last summer.

• Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

This is one I read in high school, but I loved it so much then and really felt that the spirit of summer was captured in this book.

• Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

This Southern Fiction book takes place during all four seasons, but if memory serves correctly, the majority of it is in the spring and summer. The movie might be influencing me, but I'm pretty positive the book also fits the "summer vibes" I look for in my summer reading.

• Lord Of The Flies by William Golding

Many of us were forced to read this in high school English, but honestly, I enjoyed the book when we read it back in the day! Is it a light read? No. Is it set on a tropical island and filled with hedonistic, summer angst? Yes, which is why it's on the list!

• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I mean, come on, it's in the name! A book featuring surfer siblings in Malibu in the 80s? This has to be at the top of any "beach read" list, in my opinion.

• Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Also set in Malibu, this book was the perfect way to end my summer reading in 2023! Hot take, but I think this might be my favorite of TJR's four historical fiction books.

• Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Yes, there are three Taylor Jenkins Reid books on this list! Daisy Jones & The Six mainly takes place in the summer and in California, making it the perfect book for lounging poolside.

• Hotel Portofino by J.P. O’Connell

This historical fiction book set in the mid-1920s in Portofino, Italy is a great beach read minus the very odd ending.

• The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Although this Kate Morton book takes place during several points of the year, a lot of it is set in the summer and something about it just gives me summer vibes.

• Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

The majority of the book is set in Palestine, but there are several locations the writer takes readers to as we follow four generations of a Palestinian family. On top of being a great summer read, this is a beautifully written book with an interesting plot and characters.

• The Light Between Oceans by R.L. Stedman

This is one of my all-time favorite books! It's set in Australia, and a lot of the book is set on an island with a lighthouse. Perfect beach or poolside read.

• The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

This is my favorite Kate Morton book, and not just because it's a wonderful book for the summertime! I'm going to let the first paragraph of the book summary speak for itself on this one:

"During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother."

• The Lake House by Kate Morton

In case it wasn't obvious, Kate Morton and Taylor Jenkins Reid are two of my favorite authors. Part of why I love Kate Morton is because nearly all of her historical fiction books are also perfect for summer reading, including The Lake House!

• Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This is another one of my all-time favorite books. Where do I begin? The writing, the plot, the romance, the mystery, the main character, the setting. It's all perfect, in my opinion, and is made even more perfect if you read it during the summer months.

• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

This is a great summer read if you want to feel transported. Rebecca Serle does an excellent job describing Positano and everything the main character experiences — I could not only clearly picture everything but I could feel, taste, and hear everything too.

• Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli

This is another book that I read back in high school, so again, it may not hold up as an adult but I remember reading it at the beach and loving it.

• Downriver by Will Hobbs

Last is another high school read, and this one definitely is more suited to teens BUT it's a great summer read so I wanted to include it on the list. Teens need summer book recommendations too!

What are your favorite summer reads? Comment below!