11 Short Stories You Can Actually Finish In A Single Beach Trip

"The Prairie Wife" begins with that classic summertime activity: obsessively pouring over your ex's social media presence. Kirsten can't seem to stop checking Lucy's Twitter feed, even though their summer camp romance ended years ago. Now Lucy's vast lifestyle blog empire is sending Kirsten into an identity crisis in this hilarious, sweet story of summers past.

Who says you can't have an upsetting dystopia set in a summer camp? "How to Get Back to the Forest" is the perfect blend of creepy and almost real, set in a world where children go off to "camp" at a certain age and never return to their parents. A great read around the campfire (but maybe don't send this one to any homesick campers).

When Nahautu was a child, the sky changed. It went from gentle blue to a "pale, blushing rose," filled with strange, spiraling clouds. She and her family adapted to this new sky, but when strangers from the sky arrive asking for her help, right at the end of the summer season, Nahautu knows to be wary. "Cloud Dragon Skies" is part sci-fi fantasy, part romance, and entirely enthralling from beginning to end.

Nothing screams "summer fun" like a hot, sticky day waiting in line at the zoo with your girlfriend's annoying son. That's the premise of the story "Hall of Small Mammals," a lovely, excruciating outing with a reluctant man and a nerdy 12-year-old boy on their way to see some of the rarest monkeys in the world.

No one does weird summer magical realism like Karen Russell. "ZZ’s Sleep-Away Camp for Disordered Dreamers" is set in a strange summer camp, where children are sent in the hopes that they can finally, finally find some way to sleep. But of course, even in the midst of sleep deprivation, campers find a way to bumble into summer romances and creepy, bloody, summertime mysteries.

If you've ever had the misfortune of residing in a human body during the summer, there's a good chance that you've felt the need to slim down/bulk up or otherwise contort yourself attain the so called "beach body." If you've ever felt frustrated by the constant body policing, pick up "The Girl I Hate" for a brutally honest look at the pain of dieting.

Gridlock traffic is always a horror, but gridlock traffic plus heat is an otherworldly nightmare. "The Go-Slow" starts with a man stuck in stifling traffic, and then spins out into a weird, wonderful fantasy about birds, Nollywood, and destiny.

Summer is the season when many people get on airplanes to head off on vacation and dream of being upgraded to first class. "Roy Spivey" is the story of actually being upgraded to first class, and sitting next to a celebrity, and all the weirdness that goes down in signature Miranda July fashion.

"All Summer in a Day" is not exactly a... fun summer story (unless you're a big fan of space bullies), but if you're looking for a poignant reminder of what it was like to be a shy kid who never quite fit in, this is a beautiful gut-punch of a short story. After all, when "summer" only lasts for one day, the chance to enjoy it is terribly brief...

Summer inevitably means summer weddings. In "Silk Brocade," a young clothing designer finds herself creating a wedding dress for an old acquaintance. Set in the 1950's, this story explores fashion, class, and the struggle of putting your own past behind you.

In August, Fatou first walks by "The Embassy of Cambodia" on her way to the pool. She has traversed several different countries and wound up here, in London, working as a domestic servant (although sometimes she wonders if she's really being treated fairly). Through badminton, swimming, and her growing curiosity about the embassy, Fatou begins to examine her life and her place in the world in this brilliant, multi-layered story.