Some of my favorite beach books

Ahh, summer. It’s the best time to grab some beach books and head out into the great outdoors. Of course, in an ideal world, all beach reads would be read at the beach! But, sadly, we can’t be at the beach all the time. Luckily, we can read beach books anywhere and still feel like we’re escaping the real world.

Do you have any go-to authors that you read every summer? I tend to stick to Elin Hilderbrand and Sarah Dessen. I used to read Luanne Rice a lot during the summer too, but I haven’t lately. What is your favorite genre to read in the summer? I can always use recommendations for my next summer beach book.

I’ve got some fun summer beach books for you to check out. Click on any of the book covers to find out more about the books.

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Elin Hilderbrand books

Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing “Home, Sweet Home” at the Club Car piano bar.

Sarah Dessen Books

Sarah: I’ve been writing, in one way or another, for as long as I can remember. I was always a big reader, mostly because my parents were. I used to get frustrated with my mom because she bought me books for Christmas when what I really wanted were the gifts my friends got, things like sweaters and jewelry. But I did love to read.

When I was eight or nine my parents gave me an old manual typewriter and a little desk in the corner of our den, and I’d sit there and type up my stories. I was the kind of kid that people always sighed over and said, “She has such a wild imagination,” which usually meant “I wish Sarah would try to stick to the truth.” I have a tendency to embellish: I think it’s just a weakness of fiction writers. Once you learn how to make a story better, it’s hard not to do it all the time.

Luanne Rice books

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of 32 novels, which have been translated into 24 languages. The author of Dream Country, Beach Girls, The Secret Language of Sisters and others, Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.

Have you read any of these beach books? Which ones are your favorites? If you haven’t, what is your favorite beach read? Update: Here are some brand new releases as of May 2019 to add to your lists!