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Summer Book Recommendations for 2024


reading a great book on the beach in the summer of 2024

I don’t know about all of you but I am more than ready to hit the beach with a good book and my favorite straw hat. I do more reading during the summer months than at any other time of year. I read a chapter or two in the morning on my deck with a cup of coffee, poolside on the weekends as the kids splash around, at the beach with waves lapping, and sitting in an Adirondack chair on our front porch as the sun sets. Usually, my summer reading picks are all about entertainment. I don’t want to have to think too hard (or, God forbid, cry), so a lot on my “to-read” list are light, bright, and airy. 


This spring, I started collecting a few books to tuck away for summer. I also keep a handy list whenever someone recommends something or when a book catches my eye on Goodreads. My list below is comprised of both!


I’ve already got several books on hold at the library and plan to shop for more soon. If you’re looking to support independent bookstores but don’t have one near you, visit Bookshop.org. My mom, a fellow book lover, introduced it to me. It’s a site that supports local bookstores through online sales (raising almost $32 million at the time of this post!!). You can choose to purchase from a particular shop or just order the book you want, and it will be shipped from one of the participating bookstores. I do not receive any commission from Bookshop.org but have linked all of my recommended reads to buy from their site as well as Amazon (I do receive a small commission from Amazon). While it’s so easy to be swayed by that easy Amazon one-click order button, get wild and crazy and give a big ol’ internet hug to our local booksellers and buy from Bookshop.org!


Just One For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

summer book recommendations reading guide 2024 Just for The Summer by Abby Jimenez

A Good Morning America Bookclub pick, this rom-com about a fateful summer fling is billed to be both witty and charming.



 

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Summer Book Recommendations 2024 summer reading guide Real Americans by Rachel Khong

I’m seeing this one all over everyone’s summer lists. This story follows three generations in one family over a period of a couple of decades and details the ups and downs of their ever-changing lives.



 

Funny Story by Emily Henry

Summer Book Recommendations 2024 summer reading guide beach reads Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny story - I actually read this one last week so I got a head start on my summer reading with this one ;). You really can’t go wrong with any Emily Henry book during the summer. This is a funny and touching story about two roommates navigating heartbreak and possibly finding love again.



 

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Reads Dolly Alderton Good Material

This is currently sitting on my bedside table but I have yet to crack it. This Dolly Alderton book is about loss, love, friendship, and how to survive it all. She's a stellar writer.



 

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Reads Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg

A great pick for Pride Month in June, this is about two housemates who discover themselves on a road trip that's indicative of all that is youth and the world as their oyster.



 

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Reads Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

Can’t say that I didn’t squeal with delight when I saw Kevin Kwan had a new book out. As a huge fan of Crazy Rich Asians, I am so excited to read his latest book about…well… lies and weddings. 



 

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Reads The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

Enter the first thriller on my list. The Midnight Feast is being touted as both spooky and fun to read. I’m looking forward to Lucy Fowley’s great ability to tell a story from multiple points of view.



 

Within Arm’s Reach by Ann Napolitano

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Reads Within Arm's Reach book by ann napolitano

One of my favorite books last year was Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful so I’m excited to pick this one up. It’s about an Irish American family and their relationships, emotions, crisis and enduring bonds.



 

Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams (6/25/24 release date)

Summer Reading Recommendations for Books in 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Books like Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams

I’ve read one of Beatriz Williams’ books for the past few summers. They are perfect beach reads! Husbands and Lovers is about two women’s second chances at love while linked with a mysterious family heirloom. Sounds like a good one!



 

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

Summer Reading Recommendations for 2024 Summer Reading Guide for the Best beach books and reads like The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

I fully admit, I bought this one from my local bookstore the other week because I loved the bright pretty vacation-esque cover! Will a fake marriage with a huge inheritance on the line keep these two people together? Inquiring minds want to know!



 

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

Summer Reading Recommendations for 2024 and Summer Reading Guide for the best beach books like The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

Set in 1980s Paris, this historical fiction delves into the luscious realms of art, food, and fashionable France. Ruth Reichl is the former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, so I’m looking forward to what I’m sure will be amazing descriptions of food.



 

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

Summer Reading Recommendations for 2024 Summer Reading Guide for Beach Books like The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

I absolutely adored The Guncle and read it one sitting. I can’t wait to crack open The Guncle Abroad, where I’m sure I will laugh my way through the adventures of a family wedding in Italy.



 

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

Summer Reading Recommendations for 2024. a summer reading guide for the bets beach reads like the mystery thriller A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson

This mystery thriller hits on a topic that I love to listen to podcasts about - murder, ofcourse. A happily married newlywed begins to suspect there’s more to husband than meets the eye. Will he turn out to be a murderer? I cannot wait to read it and find out.



 

Sandwich by Catherine Newman (6/18/24 release date)

Summer reading recommendations 2024 summer reading guide for beach books like Sandwich by Catherine Newman

What better beach read than a Cape Cod-based story about an annual week-long family summer vacation with the main character stuck between aging parents and newly adult children. 



 

Beware The Woman by Megan Abbott

Summer Reading Recommendations 2024 Summer Reads for the best beach books like Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott

I’m reading reviews like “terrifying”, “adult horror” and “it kept me on the edge of my seat”. Sounds like this mystery thriller about a family outing gone wrong will keep us all up late into the summer night.



 

Summers At The Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

the best summer reading recommendations for 2024. the summer guide to the best beach books like Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

I am a sucker for Mary Kay Andrews and ending my list with her because - well, why not? Her books never fail to make me smile and I’m hoping Summers at the Saint is no different. Southern traditions and neighborhood scandal? Count me in!!


 

Disclaimer: The Betty Edit is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you purchase something through the links above, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. I'm a former digital marketer turned stay-at-home mom looking to make a few extra bucks for coffee runs and new books. I only recommend products I genuinely like, use, or come recommended by trusted friends. Thank you for supporting me!

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