As you all probably recall, my definition of beach reads is whatever people actually read at the beach. This year, fourteen people ages 16-94, read the following (in no particular order).

You may notice a lot of romance reads, in honor of National Read a Romance Novel Month.

Jack’s Fantastic Voyage, Michael Foreman

The Heartbeat of the Wild, David Quammen

The Golden Bowl, Henry James

Mrs. Digger’s Roots, Eleanor Friedlander

Lizzie’s Spirit, Charlotte Wellard

Sixteen Days at Pemberley, Susan Andriani

The Three Body Problem, Cixin Liu

Death’s End, Cixin Liu

Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus, Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

Lock Every Door, Riley Sager

Silver Buckles, Grace Gibson

The Last House in Lambton, Grace Gibson

Black Woods, Blue Sky, Eowyn Ivey

The Stranger, Albert Camus

Look on the Heart, M. Stratton

Searching for Elizabeth, Cathleen Earle

The Backyard Bird Chronicles, Amy Tan

Love Your Life, Sophie Kinsella

There Are Moms Way Worse Than You, Glenn Boozan

And one podcast noted: If Books Could Kill, M. Hobbs and P. Shamshiri

Bottom Line: I can’t speak for or against any of these beach reads, merely put them forth as books chosen by people I love.