I love to read – especially in the summertime. I do my best reading on our yearly beach trip, when there’s nothing to do but just relax and be, and getting lost in a good novel is effortless. Every June, I love picking out new books to bring with me at Parnassus, our local independent bookstore. This summer, I chose four novels that I thought would be perfect to read on the beach.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
This is a romance about Alex and Poppy, two very different people who vacation together every summer as friends and then…it gets complicated. It’s supposed to be heartfelt, funny, and charming, plus fun to read about all the places to which they travel. I did not read her last novel, Beach Read (did you?), because evidently it wasn’t actually a beach read! Perhaps I’ll read it another time, but for this summer, I’m excited about People We Meet on Vacation.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
This is one of those books that’s been on my list since it was released, and I’m ready to read it now. It’s about two women – Emira, a young Black babysitter, and Alix, a white mother; Emira babysits Alix’s daughter, Briar. The story takes off when Emira is accused of kidnapping Briar at a grocery store, and from there, delves into issues of race and white privilege. This is a debut novel, much like The Kindest Lie (which I just recently finished), a book that explores similar issues and one to check out if you haven’t yet.
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
I have heard that this book is poignant, funny, and simply brings everyday people and their experiences to life with humor and warmth. It focuses on Jane, a second grade teacher, and her relationship with serial dater Duncan as well as the others in the community. I can’t wait to read this one.
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner
Reading this book is risky for me because I did not like Big Summer, the author’s book from last year. However, I’ve heard good things, so I’m giving it a go. That Summer is about two women, Daisy and Diana. Daisy, a dissatisfied wife and mother living in the Philadelphia suburbs, continues to mistakenly receive emails for Diana, who strikes Daisy as glamorous, sophisticated, and successful based on the emails she receives. The two meet and become friends, and it turns out there’s more to their connection than they realize. I’m interested to read this book about female friendship.
Until we leave on our trip, I’m reading Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles, which is amazing so far; I read her novel News of the World last summer and also loved it.
What are you reading on the beach this summer?
Both Such a Fun Age & Early Morning Riser were available as ebooks at my library, so I already had those sent to my Kindle while reading your post…ha! Sounds like a good lineup! I want to read People We Meet on Vacation, too. Beach Read was good, though a little different than I expected. But still very well written!