Ahh, beach reads. For something that should be so effortless and fun, I often find choosing one to be quite an endeavor. Since these books are often going on planes and road trips, being read in front of a significant other’s family or left out on tables in beach houses for any member of the extended family to peruse, there is a surprising amount of pressure on a beach read. And as a student studying writing, I feel like there’s added pressure to read something with at least a thin veneer of quality (though even a James Beard Award-winning chef probably eats Taco Bell from time to time).
Kudos to those who can shrug off these worries and plop in the sand with a dystopian young adult novel or some blindingly fuschia chick lit. But for those who find the task of picking a worthy summer beach read daunting, here are four (technically five) options that are embarrassment-free, super fun and — dare I say — just plain good.
“Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan
“Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” is a hi-tech bookish romp that follows former web designer Clay Jannon as he takes a job at a unique little bookstore. As he notices the odd habits of the clientele as they “check out” older books from strange corners of the store, Clay begins to realize there are more secrets hidden between the pages than he knows. As an old-school love of literature clashes with tech-savvy contacts over at Google, this fun mystery turns into an unexpected rollercoaster of secret societies and crazy gadgets, and makes for a quick beach read.
“Vampires in the Lemon Grove” by Karen Russell
If you like your summertime to take you far away, cool off in this lush short story collection of magical realism. Whether our narrator is sinking fangs into lemons, pulling colored silk from their own fingertips or carting a much-admired glass window around a drought-dried prairie, Russell’s language gorgeously weaves together eight different tales. Though a few are less memorable, ones like “The Barn at the End of Our Term,” which envisions U.S. presidents reincarnated as horses in a barn they debate might be Heaven, had me laughing out loud. Otherworldly and often dreamy, “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” is that sweet combination of incredible imagination and stunning writing.
“Next” by James Hynes
Ann Arbor editor Kevin Quinn flies to Austin, Texas for an impromptu job interview. Keeping his day away a secret from his clingy younger girlfriend, Kevin wanders Austin while following the cute girl from his flight, pondering his failed relationships, his tepid career and whether he could survive in ultra-hot Austin. The entire novel takes place in one day with tension building towards an ending we guess at but almost can’t believe when it arrives — the ultimate revelation Kevin’s day has built up to. An engrossing and unusual read, “Next” is written in such detailed, funny and specific language that you’re not surprised James Hynes can make an entire tome of a single day.
“The Cuckoo’s Calling” and “The Silkworm” by Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling
If you like to bounce from novel to sequel in one seamless, sunny afternoon, here’s a fun detective series with a big name behind it. J.K. Rowling published the first installment, “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith before revealing herself to be the author in 2013; this breezy, fun mystery novel follows private investigator Cormoran Strike as he investigates the death of a supermodel. In the out-later-this-month sequel, “The Silkworm,” Strikes seeks the whereabouts of a missing novelist. (Pre-order it at Walmart due to the Amazon vs. Hachette ordeal. Way to make summer reading even more difficult, Amazon!)
With one or two (or all five) of these in your beach bag, you’ll have guilt-free summer reads that pair perfectly with sunglasses, flip-flops and an ice cream cone.
Read more of Hally’s book reviews at hallyjoseph.com/whatimreading.
