Nothing settles summer into your bones like a good beach read, and this year authors turned out some amazing novels that helped us escape the daily grind and stressors, if only until the last page was turned. If you missed your summer reading quota, pick up some of the books that have left readers raving:

 

The Guest List: A Novel by Lucy Foley

Nothing could go wrong at a luxe island wedding, right? The Guest List wouldn’t have been such a hit if the answer were yes. Mix together a cocktail of jealousy and regret with a dash of dead body, and you have an island mystery that begs to be finished in one sitting.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers might not be a new beach read (it came out in 2018), but with the miniseries based on the book debuting back in August, it’s worth reading before diving into the show. The book brings together nine people, all with their own quirks and inner demons, at a mind and body retreat. Some are looking for transformation, and some are looking for an escape. But none of them expect what’s in store at Tranquillum House. 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It seems like the perfect setting: 1980s Malibu, a wild party, and four famous siblings. One night is all it takes for this perfect image to be shattered, a mysterious fire to break out, and a family to change forever. Everyone has a secret, but which secret will set this party aflame? Malibu Rising has everything you could ask for from a beach read. 

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Disappearing husbands have kicked off many popular summer reads, and The Last Thing He Told Me uses this storyline to bring together a woman and her not so loving stepdaughter. As the two of them try to figure out what happened to the man they both thought they knew, they also work to figure out what to do with each other. 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

 

You wouldn’t think a publishing company would serve as a strong backdrop for a fiery novel, but you’d be wrong. At a predominantly white book publisher, the only Black employee is reaching the end of her rope when a new hire settles in: the other Black girl. Everything is looking up...until the threats start coming in and it seems like the new girl is behind them. 

 

For page-turning excitement, plots full of mystery, and dialogue that will have you laughing and crying in the same breath, any one of our chosen summer reads will do.