My idea of vacation is somewhere reasonably quiet, in the sun, with a good book. Someone might walk by occasionally and see if I’d like a cocktail. The only time constraint is a potential dinner reservation. I have not had a proper vacation in over a decade (man, that hurts). To be clear, in my family a vacation is different than a trip. For us, trip is when you go somewhere to do something: explore a new country, go skiing, etc. For the sake of this blog, we’re talking vacation reads. That stack of books you want to finish when you have little to no other responsibilities.

Now, these book recommendations come with a rule: It is probable you won’t want to put them down. If your vacation brings you to somewhere with a lot of sun and/or adult beverages, drink your water, re-apply your sunscreen, and take it easy. Happy reading!

Mysteries & Thrillers to Keep You Guessing

Mysteries and thrillers are my favorite genre. There are times when I want something more fast-paced (which is how I determine a thriller), but then other times when I just want my brain to work on a problem with something a little “softer”.

• A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
• The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
• Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
• Head Cases by John McMahon
• This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
• The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
• House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
• Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
• Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
• None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Fantasy & Sci-Fi to Transport You Somewhere Else

I really love a good fantasy series that I can just sink my teeth into. However, there are some not-so-good series that can really suck the life out of the genre. I lumped sci-fi in here too because it always feels a bit fantastical to me.

• Shades of Magic Trilogy by VE Schwab
• Pines by Blake Crouch – This is a trilogy, but I think you could stop after the first.
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
• Recursion by Blake Crouch
• Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas – Full disclosure, I’ve only read the first two, but can’t wait to get my hands on the rest.
• Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart

Historical Fiction to Escape to Another Time

Historical fiction is basically just a book written in a past time that is a recognizable period of time. Now, I think there are some books on this list that I’d claim as a “stretch” as historical fiction (I’d probably just label them as fiction). I don’t make the genre rules though.

• Oil & Marble by Stephanie Storey
• The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

I don’t read a TON of historical fiction. Or maybe I do, but I categorized some of them as “general fiction”?

General Fiction…Just Because

Books that (to me) don’t fall into any other categories. These are books that I would recommend but that I don’t necessarily know where to put them.

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – This could also technically sit in historical fiction, but I think it’s better in this genre.
• James by Percival Everett – I do think you’ll enjoy this book more if you also read Huck Finn. I did not. It was enjoyable, but I wasn’t blown away like everyone else was.
• The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Nonfiction, In Case You Want to Learn

Now, nonfiction isn’t necessarily my first pick for a genre to read beachside, but there are people who enjoy the genre and actively seek it out.

• Taste by Stanley Tucci
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Glow in the F*cking Dark by Tara Schuster

Yes, these are all memoirs. It’s a vacation read, not studying for a final exam. If you’re going to go nonfiction, you can still go light.

You’ll see that there are no romance books in this list. That is not how I like to spend my time reading. I don’t mind a book with a little romance, but it’s not what I actively seek out.

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