The best list of beach reads, V2
Reading has always been one of my greatest joys. As a kid, I spent my Saturdays riding my bike along the river in the morning and visiting the public library in the afternoon. I’d always leave with a stack of books for the week ahead; I especially enjoyed sitting down and reading a whole book in one sitting. I still love riding my bike, and I still make sure I always have a book on me, and although it’s rarer now, I especially enjoy it when I can sit down and read a book for hours on end. I read on my subway commute, while eating my lunch, before I go to bed, whenever I’m on a plane: it’s definitely a big reason why my Kindle is so convenient!
All of that said: I always have a book to recommend when friends are looking! Last year, I wrote my best list of beach reads (still very relevant!)–and below is an updated version that includes the best books I read in 2015 and early 2016. Would love to hear what you’d add to it!
The Fiction I Couldn’t Put Down
My Brilliant Friend + The Neapolitan Novels (This was only time I have EVER pre-ordered a book: I was so into the first three books that I could barely wait to read the last one!)
The Royal We (I’m not much of a Royal Family obsessive, but I did enjoy this cheeky book.)
The Expatriates (A tale of three tangled expat lives in Hong Kong.)
The Nightingale (Everyone knows I love a good WW2 historical fiction piece, especially set in France!)
Luckiest Girl Alive (A modern day thriller with a twist.)
The Darkest Corners (This is technically YA, but we read it for my book club and we all absolutely loved it–none of us could figure it out until the very, very end. A true mystery!)
All the Light We Cannot See (Another excellent WW2 historical fiction book.)
The Arrangement (To switch up from WW2, a different kind of historical fiction.)
Leaving Time (A Jodi Picoult with a nice twist at the end.)
The Best Non-Fiction I’ve Read
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Worth a read for anyone, especially for those starting out in their career! It’s a l
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (If you work in a creative field, or have a creative passion, or wish you did either: don’t miss Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest.)
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office (A good one for women beginning their careers.)
The Woman I Wanted To Be (Diane Von Furstenberg’s memoir, and what a life she has had!)
The Greatest Salesman in the World (A little bit corny, but an inspiring short read all the same.)
All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation (A super interesting look into the history and evolution of marriage and singlehood in our country.)
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (An incredibly intriguing book that is simultaneously a murder mystery, a history of Mormonism and a deep dive into the dark side of Mormon fundamentalism.)
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (I read this in advance on my trip to South Africa, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.)
What’s on my List
Modern Romance (Aziz is always hilarious, and this was recommended by quite a few followers.)
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice (Mostly because I adore Jane Austen, and would love to see how it translates into modern day.)
In the Unlikely Event (The new Judy Blume!)
The Shadow of the Wind (Recommended by a reader, and it looks just up my alley: “an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love” set in Barcelona, 1945.)
Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
The Storyteller (Jodi Picoult is great for lazy days on the beach.)
What’s the best book you’ve read recently? What is on your list to read next?
