21 Fantastic Beach Reads Our Readers Loved This Summer

Summer's not over yet!

Page Turners is a BuzzFeed reading group that picks a theme each month, and invites people to choose any book that fits the theme and join in. In July, everyone read a summer beach read. Here are some of our members' favorites:

1. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

HarperCollins

"Have you ever read a book that kept you smiling, laughing, and made you so ridiculously happy? The Hating Game does that. I adore the sizzling chemistry, sharp dialogue, witty banter, and charming leads. Pretty much every scene is gold. This book left me feeling all warm and fluffy and I didn't really want Lucy and Josh's story to end. Can’t wait to see how the movie turns out!"

—Cherlynn Ng, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $8.48+, Barnes & Noble for $10.90+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

2. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Nikki Francois/Simon & Schuster

"I love this book! I actually read it all in one sitting since I was stuck in the airport. It's a quick read — but a super cute story about love, sisterhood, and finding yourself. It's hard not to love quirky Lara Jean and her relationship with her sisters. Plus, her younger sister, Kitty, is honestly the best character — she's a hilarious and sassy nine-year-old. This is the perfect YA summer beach read and I can't wait to finish the series!"

—Nikki Francois

Get it on Amazon for $7.53+, Barnes & Noble for $9.39+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

3. They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire

Penguin Random House

"This book is WILD. The best way to describe it is if Final Destination took place in a small suburban town. The main character Kenzie is also really great because she’s smart and logical. 100% would recommend this book. I couldn’t put it down!!!!!"

—Lauren Garafano, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.94+, Barnes & Noble for $9.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

4. My Lady’s Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

Penguin Random House

"This book is a ‘choose your own romance’ adventure, set in a pseudo-Regency England. It hits all the tropes I had expected to run into and then some. While I felt bad abandoning characters to go down a different path, the romance I ended up choosing was SO FUN! Female pirates! Saving archeological treasures in Egypt! Wooing rich eccentric women! Really, what more could you ask for a weekend read? It's a super fun introduction to the genre, and it gives me a new perspective on why romance has so many devoted fans!"

—Maisie Q Iven, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.54+, Barnes & Noble for $11.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

5. The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

Penguin Random House

"This book is Gillian Flynn-ish. It doesn't have as dark of plot lines, but it does have an estranged relationship between mother and daughter. It’s not your typical coming-of-age book. I recommend it!"

—Teri O'Flannagan, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $3.86+, Barnes & Noble for $9.34+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

6. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Diana Garner/Penguin Random House

"I read this book for the first time and it’s a perfect beach read! I realize I’m a few years late to the party, but I’m really glad I finally got around to reading it. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in such a way that makes you feel like you’re nestled somewhere cozy with your bestie as she regales you with the tale of the incredible adventure she’s just been on. Eat, Pray, Love is uplifting and often funny, and desperately makes me want to travel the world!"

—Diana Garner, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $7.19+, Barnes & Noble for $11.90+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

7. All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Simon & Schuster

"Quick, easy, and entertaining — everything you want in a romance novel/beach read. Definitely one of her better books! Heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once."

—Lily Doyle, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.64+, Barnes & Noble for $11.17+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

8. Circe by Madeline Miller

Little, Brown and Company

"The writing is gorgeous and the story is really interesting — it's a retelling of The Odyssey and some other Greek myths from the POV of the nymph Circe. It's a little slow for my taste, but I enjoyed seeing some familiar stories from a new vantage point."

—Abbie Ford, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $15.29+, Barnes & Noble for $16.99+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

9. Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins

Astrid Felicia Lim/Macmillan

"It's a cute anthology — consisting of 12 love stories set in the summer. This book has everything — realistic YA, horror, fantasy, comedy, a lot of diverse characters, and some unpredictable endings. You can feel the summer vibes by just looking at the cover! A perfect companion for my vacation."

—Astrid Felicia Lim, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $6.98+, Barnes & Noble for $8.79+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

10. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Elizabeth Bessette/Penguin Classics

"For me a 'beach read' is one where the story or the setting is in such contrast to my reality at the beach. I read this book when I was on vacation at Lake George, NY this month. Reading about Esther's breakdown and her decent into her mental illness was jarring, as I was surrounded by mountain air and the sounds of the lake. I've read the book before, but, as with many books, you gain a deeper understanding when you re-read them at different points in your life. Would definitely recommend."

—Elizabeth Bessette, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $12.37+, Barnes & Noble for $15.04+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

11. Tin Man by Sarah Winman

Rebecca Wiens/Penguin Random House

"It's a beautifully poetic piece of prose. Though short, it takes the reader on a full journey through multiple generations in one family. Somehow, it's simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming — it's truly stunning work of art."

—Rebecca Wiens, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $13.14+, Barnes & Noble for $16.10+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

12. Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan

Bloomsbury

"It's a chilling psychological thriller about a writer who gets in a creepily intense friendship with an enigmatic woman only named as L. You absolutely cannot put it down once you've started it. Beneath the whole 'fun psychological thriller summer read exterior', more complex questions appear — is this a true story? Is it all happening inside the narrator's head? Where's the limit between fiction and reality? What's the value of a work of complete fiction next to a work based on a true story?"

—Tatiana Kalmykova, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $6.80+, Barnes & Noble for $23.80+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

13. Gidget by Frederick Kohner

Susan González/Berkley Publishing Group

"It's about a precocious teenage girl who wants to learn how to surf. She befriends the local surfers in 1950s Malibu and falls in love with the sport. Think Catcher in the Rye, but a female main character. I would also recommend the movie of the same name. It stars Sandra Dee!"

—Susan González, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $11.90+, Barnes & Noble for $12.97+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

14. Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

Henry Holt and Co

"I listened to it as an audiobook and 'read' it in the car instead of on the beach, but I still think it qualifies as a beach book. It's light, entertaining, and full of fun anecdotes, so it's a perfectly satisfying summer read."

—Amanda Cuda Swavy, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.01+, Barnes & Noble for $14.39+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

15. Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper

Gallery Books

"I love this book. It's the perfect fun, summer beach read. It feels like the book version of the TV show, Hart of Dixie."

—Emily Wakefield, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.87+, Barnes & Noble for $12.80+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

16. Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry

Stephanie Dillon/Penguin Random House

"I completely take back my childhood statement of wanting to go to Neverland with Peter Pan. I’d be a pirate with Captain Hook any day after reading this story! I love Henry’s take on Hook's childhood and why he hates Peter Pan so much. The novel took me away to the Second Star on the Right and wouldn’t let me out until the last page."

—Stephanie Dillon, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $9.14+, Barnes & Noble for $12.00+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

17. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Kelly Raquet/Hyperion Books

"I absolutely love this book! The plot is ridiculous in a really great way — you learn about the main character’s adventures after he climbs out the window of the nursing home on his 100th birthday. You also learn his life story leading to the day he climbs out, which includes multiple times he influences huge world events. This story had me laughing out loud, even as I was dealing with a difficult time in my family. I highly recommend this book!"

—Kelly Raquet, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $13.35+, Barnes & Noble for $14.28+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

18. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Simon and Schuster

"It's loosely based on a composite image of a few starlets from the golden age of Hollywood. This tale is thrilling and surprisingly deep — all of the main characters grow and change over the course of the novel. This book is fantastically written and commands your full attention until the last page. It's great for a day at the beach!"

—Rebecca Wiens, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $14.40+, Barnes & Noble for $15.41+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

19. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Dodd, Mead & Co.

"I read a few books by the beach, but my favorite was The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie. It's quick, engaging, and unpredictable. Christie's mysteries always make me think and I fly through them. Also, I find they're not too gruesome to read."

—Naomi Sutherland, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $10.33+, Barnes & Noble for $11.36+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

20. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Zac Taylor/Broadway Books

"I think I had the ending figured out a little early, but the writing was so good that I finished the whole thing in about a day. The way Flynn explores the psychological depths of all her characters is riveting."

—Zac Taylor, Facebook

Get it on Amazon for $8.99+, Barnes & Noble for $9.89+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

21. And, of course, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Nikki Francois/Warner Bros.

"This book is the perfect summer read — it's quick, fun, and holds your attention. Think a Gossip Girl-type story that's set in Singapore — but the characters are even richer. There's a lot of characters, which can be hard to keep track of, but I love how dynamic and funny they all can be. I honestly wish I read this book on the beach with a fancy drink in my hand as I pretended to be as ridiculously rich as these characters are."

—Nikki Francois

Get it on Amazon for $9.60+, Barnes & Noble for $10.27+, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

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Page Turners is our book group where you get to suggest and choose your own books each month. Join the Facebook group to get in on the discussion, or tell us what you're reading in the comments below!