12 Summer Reads to Bring Along on Your Next Beach Vacation

The perfect complement to sun, sand and a fruity beverage? A good book, of course!
By Diana Pearl
Updated July 25, 2016 04:00 PM
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FIRST COMES LOVE BY EMILY GIFFIN

Giffin's newest novel follows two sisters still haunted by a tragedy from years before who are struggling to find satisfaction in their adult families. Giffin's signature knack for understanding human emotion – and making it fun to read about – shines through on every page of First Comes Love.

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ELIGIBLE BY CURTIS SITTENFELD

Fans of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice will whiz through Sittenfeld's Eligible, a modern take on the classic, this time set in Cincinnati, Ohio – and with a reality-TV twist.

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THE SINGLES GAME BY LAUREN WEISBERGER

The author of The Devil Wears Prada is back with another love-to-hate-'em villain in The Singles Game. Instead of the world of fashion magazines, this novel is set on the professional tennis circuit – and follows Charlie Silver, a tennis star who undergoes a personal and athletic makeover as she pursues a grand slam under the tutelage of a harsh coach.

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CHINA RICH GIRLFRIEND BY KEVIN KWAN

If you read Crazy Rich Asians a few years back, then chances are, you've heard there's a sequel, China Rich Girlfriend, which delves deeper into the world of the ultra-ultra-wealthy elites of Singapore, Hong Kong and China. And you’re in luck: the second installment offers up even more eye-popping spending and juicy drama than the first.

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FALLING: A LOVE STORY BY JANE GREEN

Green is the queen of beach books, and Falling is another compelling, plot-twist-filled read. The story of a British woman who moves to a seaside town in Connecticut and meets an intriguing (and attractive) neighbor, A Love Story should charm longtime Green readers and newcomers alike.

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SWEETBITTER BY STEPHANIE DANLER

Anyone who has ever dined at a New York City eatery will appreciate Sweetbitter, which follows Tess, a small-town girl in search of adventure, who tries to make it in the Manhattan restaurant biz. Chock full of romantic drama and plenty of food porn, it's a treat.

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TRULY MADLY GUILTY BY LIANE MORIARTY

A simple backyard barbecue sets three couples on unexpected paths in Truly Madly Guilty. Moriarty’s 2014 novel Big Little Lies is soon to be a TV series starring Reese Witherspoon, and her latest is every bit as witty and suspenseful.

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YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT BY JESSI KLEIN

The head writer for Inside Amy Schumer (she was the brains behind "The Last F—able Day" episode), comedian Klein's debut book You'll Grow Out of It opens up her life through a collection of hilarious essays on being a tom man, why she likes The Bachelor and why no pregnant woman should say no to an epidural. Brilliant and relatable from start to finish.

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THE GIRLS BY EMMA CLINE

Anyone fascinated by the Manson murders will love The Girls, a fictionalized look at a the notorious 1960s cult killings as seen through the eyes of the impressionable young women Charles Manson beguiled.

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MODERN LOVERS BY EMMA STRAUB

Straub's The Vacationers was a staple on the beach back in 2014, and you've probably seen Modern Lovers just as much this summer. It follows three friends in Brooklyn with a past they can't seem to ignore.

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THE ASSISTANTS BY CAMILLE PERRI

Stuck in a dead-end assistant job? Then you'll sympathize with The Assistants' protagonist, Tina, who is 30 and “so” over it. When she starts pocketing her boss's cash to pay off her student loan debt, however, the story gets a bit more out there – and even more captivating.

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THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATTOO BY AMY SCHUMER

If Schumer's much-anticipated literary debut is as funny as her stand-up, her Instagram, or her award show acceptance speeches, or well, pretty much anything else she does, then it will be sure to have you crying happy tears all afternoon. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo doesn't hit bookstores until Aug. 15, though, so you'll have to save this one for a late summer getaway.

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