Backlist Beach Reads: 55 Books for Summer

We here at Parnassus are firm believers that a beach read is, well, any book you choose to read at the beach! Lighthearted fiction, summer romances, twisting mysteries, enthralling true crime, and otherworldly sci-fi books all belong at the beach, in our humble opinion. If you’ve ever wondered what booksellers have in their beach bags, wonder no more! Our booksellers gathered over fifty paperback recs (with a hardcover or two for good measure) for the whole family’s summer vacation needs!

CONTEMPORARY FICTIONRecommended by Sarah A World BetweenBy Emily Hashimoto

Picture Normal People, but with two queer women of color on a roller coaster of a relationship from the moment they meet in college. You’ll be thinking about Eleanor and Leena for a long time to come.

Recommended by Sarah The Beekeeper of Aleppo: A Novel

By Christy Lefteri

If you loved The Kite Runner and have been looking for a comparable read, look no further than The Beekeeper of Aleppo. This one is for those of you who don’t mind a heavier, but gorgeously written, summer read.

Recommended by Cat Sharks in the Time of Saviors: A Novel

By Kawai Strong Washburn

Family sagas with an element of magical realism seem to be having a moment and one of my favorites in that sub-genre is Sharks in the Time of Saviors. It follows a Hawaiian family as they attempt to find a place of belonging both within their native islands and on the U.S. mainland, but of course there is a family curse that complicates things.

Recommended by Katie Homegoing

By Yaa Gyasi

This book is an absolute masterpiece. It follows two half sisters in Ghana, one who marries an English gentleman, the other sold into slavery, with each chapter being told from the next generation’s perspective. This book has continued to sit with me years after I read it.

Recommended by Kathy Free Food for Millionaires

By Min Jin Lee

Casey, child of Korean immigrants, wants to break free of the old ways and live a 21st century, New York life with her Princeton degree, but her spending leads to disastrous consequences. This is a multi-layered, almost Dickensian novel with numerous characters and plot-lines. Such fun to dig into!

Recommended by Heath Tales of the City: A Novel

By Armistead Maupin

Not only is this classic and groundbreaking LGBTQ literature, it’s also a really fun romp through 1970s San Francisco.

Recommended by Jake Eileen: A Novel

By Ottessa Moshfegh

Pretty much perfect as far as anti-beach reading goes, Eileen is cold, dark, and harrowing. Set in the week before Christmas, Ottessa Moshfegh’s breakout is a gripping character study and features a stunning climax you won’t soon forget.

Recommended by Aly Nothing to See Here: A Read with Jenna Pick

By Kevin Wilson

Lillian doesn’t know where she’s going or what she’s doing. Now is the perfect time for her old school friend to swoop in an offer her a job. With two kids who spontaneously catch on fire, where could things possibly go wrong?

Recommended by Aly Mary Jane: A Novel

By Jessica Anya Blau

This coming of age story has real Daisy Jones and the Six vibes, as fourteen-year-old Mary Jane spends her summer down the street babysitting and becoming immersed in a family’s rock and roll lifestyle.

HISTORICAL FICTIONRecommended by Lindsay The Queen Of The Night

By Alexander Chee

Why go to the beach when you could go to the opera? Alexander Chee’s novel of Lilliet Berne, the star soprano of nineteenth century Paris, is one of my all-time favorites.

Recommended by Rae Ann Our Woman in Moscow: A Novel

By Beatriz Williams

This is a complex spy story of two sisters caught in the web of Cold War espionage. Full of family drama and high stakes decisions.

Recommended by Lindsay The Paying Guests

By Sarah Waters

The Paying Guests is not a mystery inasmuch as it’s a slow-burn sapphic romance in which a murder occurs. No one does historical fiction like Sarah Waters, and her take on 1920s London is absolute perfection.

Recommended by Cat City of Girls: A Novel

By Elizabeth Gilbert

I will always and forever recommend City of Girls as a perfect summer read. It’s got opulence, theatre, found family, and an overwhelming amount of heart. Set in 1940s New York City, our heroine Vivian has found herself a college dropout and sent to spend the summer with her eccentric Aunt Peg at a rundown off-off-Broadway theatre. Hijinks and hard-won life lessons ensue.

Recommended by Katie In the Unlikely Event: A Novel

By Judy Blume

As a proud Jersey Girl and a Judy Blume devotee I loved this adult historical fiction book by Blume. Set in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and bringing together three generations of family and friends, this novel tells the true story of one summer when three planes crash landed in this small suburban town and the ripple effect it had over the community.

Recommended by Heath The Remains of the Day (Vintage International)

By Kazuo Ishiguro

An English butler looks back on his 30 years of service at Darlington Hall for a distinguished British lord. As he reflects upon the grandeur of those times, there is a nagging notion that things may not have been as ideal as he once thought them to be. This is like Downton Abbey but better.

Recommended by Chelsea The Diamond Eye: A Novel

By Kate Quinn

Kate Quinn brings a fascinating level of detail to her research and characters, and The Diamond Eye is the perfect example of this. This riveting book held my attention from beginning to end.

Recommended by Rae Ann Code Name Hélène: A Novel

By Ariel Lawhon

If you missed this novel when it came out in March 2020 like I did, put this on your summer reading list. This is the story of real-life socialite spy Nancy Wake during WWII. A fascinating read.

MYSTERYRecommended by Jake And Then There Were None

By Agatha Christie

The best whodunnit ever written and the one by which all others should be judged, And Then There Were None is near-impossible to put down. Following ten strangers trapped on an island, mysterious circumstances quickly lead to one death after another. Can the mystery be solved before the title proves true? Agatha Christie has rightfully claimed her title as the queen of mystery, and this is among her very best work.

Recommended by Sarah Mouth to Mouth: A Novel

By Antoine Wilson

Put together a psychological mystery, an unreliable narrator, and Great Gatsby-esque vibes, and you get this former First Editions Club pick. I couldn’t put it down!

Recommended by Lindsay The Appeal: A Novel

By Janice Hallett

If you’re nosey like me, chances are you’ll want to read this murder mystery told entirely through emails and texts–The Appeal is an engrossing read, with all the pettiness and drama of desperate rich people.

Recommended by Rae Ann A Study In Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series #1)

By Sherry Thomas

When Charlotte Holmes is cast to the fringes of society, she assumes the name Sherlock Holmes to solve mysteries. She must stop a criminal mastermind and clear her family’s name in the first book in the Lady Sherlock Series.

Recommended by Chelsea Blacktop Wasteland: A Novel

By S. A. Cosby

Have you read any S. A. Cosby yet? He’s my favorite mystery writer these days, and this fast-paced heist novel is the perfect intro into his gritty Southern mysteries.

Recommended by Jenness The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

By Stuart Turton

A locked-room whodunit at an English country estate, several suspects, one victim – and 7 1/2 deaths. A twisty, turny fantastical set-up (our protagonist inhabits a different character daily in order to solve the murder), this makes for a great summer read. You can tax your brain trying to figure out the who, how, and why of it all, or just sit back and let the fresh, clever, bizarre mystery take you away.

ROMANCERecommended by Hannah K. Book Lovers

By Emily Henry

Although Henry has a book literally titled Beach Read, I picked this one for a reason: Book Lovers is, without a doubt, Emily Henry’s best book yet. Combining the very best elements from her previous two bestsellers, it’s a delight from cover to cover. An ode to romance novels, it’s aware of the tropes, stares them in the face, and still manages to bring something new and brilliant to the genre.

Recommended by Hannah K. The Unhoneymooners

By Christina Lauren

When sworn enemies Olive & Ethan are gifted an all-expenses-paid honeymoon to Hawaii, they’re resolved to avoid each other as much as possible. But keeping up the dating charade is proving difficult, and the pair soon realize they’re not as different as they’d thought… Whether you’re actually traveling to the tropics or not, reading this book feels like laying out on the beach with a daquiri.

Recommended by Chelsea Spoiler Alert: A Novel

By Olivia Dade

If you, like me, spent your formative years reading fan fiction, this romance is for you. I really appreciated the character arcs and their conversations around hard topics. This is the first of a series centered around the same fandom!

Recommended by Katie The Boyfriend Project

By Farrah Rochon

When I am on vacation I want to sink my teeth into a series and The Boyfriend Project kicks off a fabulous series that centers around three women who find themselves dating the same jerk. Instead of competing they become friends and help each other find their true happily ever afters.

Recommended by Katie Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

By Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green is my fictional book girlfriend. This steamy sapphic romance is chef’s kiss. So good. So fun. So hot. And because it’s also the first in a series, you can spend some time with this group of friends as they figure out how to be good friends, good family, and good lovers.

SCI-FI/FANTASYRecommended by Hannah K. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

By Sangu Mandanna

Purely delightful magic in book form. The epitome of cozy, witchy vibes. If you loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, this needs to be next up on your TBR! I practically guarantee you’ll wish you could practice magic after reading this charming novel.

Recommended by Katie The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)

By Becky Chambers

Life is hard. Gimme some cozy aliens on a space adventure. Becky Chambers is the shiniest star in the sky right now and I think everyone should read her.

Recommended by Katie A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos)

By Samantha Shannon

Here me out…the beach is the PERFECT place to take an 800 page book. Shannon’s books often times feel daunting because of their size so you don’t want to start them. But being stuck on vacation with a singular book that lasts you the whole week can help. It doesn’t hurt that this book is literal perfection.

Recommended by Chelsea She Who Became the Sun (The Radiant Emperor Duology #1)

By Shelley Parker-Chan

This powerful, sweeping debut tracks female monk Zhu Chongba as she refuses to succumb to nothingness in 1345 Mongol-ruled China. The sequel comes out later this summer!

Recommended by Rae Ann Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (10th Anniversary Edition): A Novel

By Robin Sloan, Paul Yamazaki (Foreword by)

An out-of-work web designer takes a job at a bookstore – a bookstore with a limited selection of books and a few customers who rarely buy anything. With the help of some friends, the mystery of the store begins to unfold in this fun fast-paced read.

Recommended by Rachel This Is How You Lose the Time War

By Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone

Two rivals write letters back and forth across the multiverse, slowly moving from friendly competition, to passionate love and life-altering danger. The love letters in these pages are some of the most beautiful sentences I have ever read. A perfect, awe-inspiring, concise (& sapphic!) summer read.

NONFICTIONRecommended by Chelsea I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran & Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa

By Charles Brandt

This reads as Frank Sheeran’s confessional and provides an answer to the age-old question of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa.

Recommended by Lindsay Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art

By Mary Gabriel

Real ones know that the best way to spend a vacation is with a 944-page book on midcentury female painters.

Recommended by Heather Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World

By Noah Strycker

The ultimate travel experience – 365 days and 6,042 species of birds, along with some unique travel challenges, and hundreds of new friends helping along the way.

Recommended by Heath Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood

By Mark Harris

A fascinating look at how the five 1968 best picture nominees changed the face of movies forever. If you have ever wondered how old Hollywood evolved into new Hollywood, you’ll like this book.

Recommended by Andy Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life

By William Finnegan

My favorite summer read is Barbarian Days by William Finnegan. It won the Pulitzer Prize. A book about surfing won the Pulitzer, enough said.

Recommended by Andy Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler

By Lynne Olson

A thrilling account of the woman who led the largest resistance group in France during WWII that sent information on troop movements and logistics to contacts in Britain, and they were one of the first to report on the development of the V-2 rocket. Twice she was captured by the Gestapo and escaped. Olson’s telling reads like a spy novel but is an incredible account of this brave women and her army of patriots.

Recommended by Rachel What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence

By Michele Filgate (Editor)

A collection of essays exploring fifteen authors and their relationships with their mothers. A diverse collection with something relatable for everyone as well as new perspectives to learn from. While reading, I was transported to a back porch in the summer, listening to these authors tell their family stories, laughing and crying together, and just basking in the complexities of a mother’s love.

YOUNG ADULTRecommended by Chelsea Firekeeper’s Daughter

By Angeline Boulley

This intricate story traces drugs found on Daunis’s reservation. Add in romance, hockey, and the exploration of cultural identity, and you have a layered, compulsive read.

Recommended by Rae Ann Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All

By Laura Ruby

Two girls in a Chicago orphanage narrate this tale of WWII-era Chicago. This National Book Award finalist is a gripping story of a girl searching for a better future for herself and the ghost who watches over her.

Recommended by Katie Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

By Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert doesn’t miss. Be it adult or YA romance, her style is charming and witty, and whenever I see a new one from her I can’t help but jump for joy. This friends to enemies to smoochy face partners almost makes me want to travel back to high school and fall in like with a cute someone. Almost.

Recommended by Katie Last Night at the Telegraph Club

By Malinda Lo

A queer historical romance that isn’t all doom and gloom. Yes, please! This is a beautiful YA book set in a 1950s San Francisco and tells the story of two young girls fighting for a love against tremendous odds.

Recommended by Rae Ann Lore

By Alexandra Bracken

This action-packed story puts a modern twist on Greek mythology as ancient bloodlines hunt the Olympian gods across New York in hopes of stealing their power and immortality.

Recommended by Rae Ann The Agathas (An Agathas Mystery #1)

By Kathleen Glasgow, Liz Lawson

Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams are classmates but not friends. When Alice’s ex-best friend is found dead, she teams up with her tutor to find the killer using the guidance of the works of Agatha Christie.

Recommended by Aly Emergency Contact

By Mary H. K. Choi

Choi gives us the story of Penny and Sam, who manage to accidentally become the only person the other can depend on in this achingly beautiful and funny romance.

Recommended by Jenny Carry On (Simon Snow Trilogy #1)

By Rainbow Rowell

A fictional character’s fanfiction brought to life, Carry On takes place in a magical boarding school where Simon Snow is constantly getting into scrapes. When things go from goofy to serious, Simon finds himself getting help in the most unlikely of places. Queer, adventurous, and magical, Carry On had me laughing out loud and crying a little bit too.

MIDDLE GRADERecommended by Katie Murder Is Bad Manners (A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery)

By Robin Stevens

Move over Nancy Drew, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are on the case and ready to solve a murder. It’s the 1930s and Hazel and Daisy find themselves bored at their boarding school. In an effort to shake things up they form a secret detective agency, but the trouble is they don’t have anything to investigate, until one day their science teacher is found dead and they are absolutely sure it’s foul play.

Recommended by Aly Best Friends, Bikinis, and Other Summer Catastrophes

By Kristi Wientge

When you’re twelve years old, summer is supposed to be all about fun, but everything starts falling apart for Alex when her best friend, Will, gets a crush. How dare he! AND on the most popular girl in school?!

Recommended by Katie Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1)

By B. B. Alston

Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black, Amari and the Night Brothers is an exciting middle grade novel for anyone who is looking for a high-stakes and thrilling adventure to read this summer. Desperate to find the reason her brother has gone missing, Amari finds a suitcase in his closet from the Bureau of Supernatural Beings and she just knows it has something to do with him going missing. She is determined to get to the bottom if it all!

Recommended by Rae Ann The Elephant in the Room

By Holly Goldberg Sloan

A special class project, a lottery winner who rescues an elephant, and a new friend give Sila a summer adventure like she never expected.

Recommended by Rae Ann How to Save a Queendom

By Jessica Lawson

This fantasy adventure takes readers on an epic journey with an orphan, a pet chicken, and a tiny wizard.

Recommended by Rae Ann The Westing Game

By Ellen Raskin

Sixteen people are invited to the reading of Mr. Westing’s will. They could all become millionaires if they win the complicated and dangerous Westing Game.

Recommended by Rachel The Unwanteds

By Lisa McMann

In a futuristic world where creativity is punished, Alex and his friends are saved from a fiery death by a stone cheetah with wings. They are taken to a magic school and taught to embrace their inner artist while surrounded by all sorts of whimsical characters.