Books
School is out, the weather is heating up, Fourth of July is right around the corner: summer is officially here. And that means that it's time to get serious about summer reading goals, and put aside a stack of books to grab on your way out to the beach, park, pool or sidewalk cafe. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to narrow things down. Do you want thrillers? Rom-coms? Or are you just looking for entertaining books that will absorb you, genre totally optional? If you're into the latter, I'm with you. Summer reading should be stress free and completely relaxed — perfect for the long days and lazy evenings that the season inspires. But if you still need a little guidance, Barnes & Noble has it in the form of their 10 Best Beach Reads. (And, as always, a beach read is... whatever you want to read on the beach! That's it!)
These books, crossing all genres, spanning page counts, and crisscrossing age groups will offer you exactly what you're looking for when it comes to your summer TBR. If you want thrilling, they've got it. Romantic? That's here to. Captivating fantasy, edge-of-your-seat mystery, and even some delightfully snarky essays: it's all here, just waiting to take part in all the sandy, salty, sunscreen-filled days of your summer.
'The Fallen' by David Baldacci
Something sinister is going on in Baronville. The rust belt town has seen four bizarre murders in the space of two weeks. Cryptic clues left at the scenes — obscure bible verses, odd symbols. Amos Decker and his FBI colleague Alex Jamison begin to realize that the recent string of deaths may be only one small piece of a much larger scheme — with consequences that will reach far beyond Baronville.
'War Storm' by Victoria Aveyard
Mare Barrow learned that victory comes at a price when Cal’s betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart — and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her — Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all...starting with the crown on Maven’s head.
'The President Is Missing' by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
Enemies are planning an attack of unprecedented scale on America. Uncertainty and fear grip Washington. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the cabinet. The President himself becomes a suspect, and then goes missing.
'Children Of Blood And Bone' by Tomi Adeyemi
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
'The Perfect Couple' by Elin Hilderbrand
When one lavish Nantucket wedding ends in disaster before it can even begin — with the bride-to-be discovered dead just hours before the ceremony — everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash investigates he discovers that every wedding is a minefield...and no couple is perfect.
'Leah On The Offbeat' by Becky Albertalli
An anomaly in her friend group, Leah Burke is the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. And she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends — not even her openly gay BFF, Simon — that she's bisexual. So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways, especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.
'The Pharaoh Key' by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
After centuries of silence, a code-breaking machine at EES has cracked the translation of a centuries-old stone tablet, the Phaistos Disc. The message hints at incredible treasures, and a world-altering secret. No one remains at EES to take on this most remarkable mission but Gideon and Garza. The two agree to solve the mystery of the disc's message and split the spoils. But they soon discover that some missions are more dangerous than others.
'A Reaper At The Gates' by Sabaa Tahir
Helene Aquilla is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. Laia knows the fate of the world lies in stopping the Nightbringer. Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion. All the while, the threat of war looms ever larger.
'Calypso' by David Sedaris
When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself.
'Love & Luck' by Jenna Evans Welch
Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget. And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan.
