--- description: Check out these great beach reads recommended by notable authors and experts. title: The Summer Reading List to End All Summer Reading Lists image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Summer Reading List to End All Summer Reading Lists by [Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 2, 2017 12:00 PM CUT by [Real Simple](/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 2, 2017 12:00 PM CUT If you hate to be seaside (or lakeside or poolside or anything -side) without a book in hand, you’ve landed in the right place. Here, great beach reads recommended by notable authors and experts. See the full list of the books at [RealSimple.com](http://realsimple.com/?xid=time-rs "undefined"). _This_ [_article_](https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/entertainment/summer-reading/?xid=time-rs "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_RealSimple.com_](http://realsimple.com/?xid=time-rs "undefined") _We’ve included affiliate links into this article._ [_Click here_](http://time.com/money/4607657/money-affiliate-link-policy/ "undefined") _to learn what those are._ ### _The Stranger In The Woods_ _, by Michael Finkel_  Amazon.com “Fancy a few back-to-nature days roughing it in the New England woods? How about decades? Finkel mines the true story of Christopher Knight, who spent 27 years camping alone in the oft-unforgiving Maine wilds. How did he survive? Not by being neighborly. A lightening-fast read. Nothing is simple about Knight’s life. Writing about it is even more complicated.” —**Matthew Quick** is the _New York Times_ bestselling author of _The Silver Linings Playbook._ His latest novel, _The Reason You’re Alive_ ($18, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062424300/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062424300&linkId=b3d39cbfa82bf8bb69b20da1b3076b29&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), will be published on July 4. **To buy:** $16, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1101875682/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1101875682&linkId=91b501d8e4bd11e97b93cce833b7b0ad&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga_, by Julia Whitty  Amazon.com “The title alone begs that this brilliant collection of short stories be read. I read _Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga_ beachside in 2015\. The stories are emotional, unique, riveting, imaginative, and at times have an otherworldly feel. The titular story is told from the perspective of a tortoise who is the companion to the Queen of Tonga. From captive orcas to an appearance by Charles Darwin, Whitty’s writing is something to behold.” **Ann Kidd Taylor** is the co-author of _Traveling with Pomegranates,_ which she wrote with her mother, Sue Monk Kidd. Her latest novel, _The Shark Club,_ will be published on June 6 ($17, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735221715/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0735221715&linkId=a0b52629fd511b0cc5ad3a45970decde&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")). **To buy:** $11, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618119809/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0618119809&linkId=f96785829c3762ab6af6a42b3bf8da92&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _The Argonauts_, by Maggie Nelson  Amazon.com “This experimental and heady memoir is accessible enough to qualify as a summer read, but pithy enough to satisfy any time of year. The book chronicles the parallel narratives of the author’s first pregnancy and her partner’s gender transition, alongside ruminations and quotes on gender, motherhood, and myriad other subjects. It manages to be deeply intellectual but also intimate and moving. In my opinion, this book should be required reading for everyone, as it illustrates and deepens the urgent conversations being had around gender and sexuality. Why not pick it up this summer?” —**Zinzi Clemmons’** debut novel, _What We Lose_, will be published on July 11 ($15; [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735221715/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0735221715&linkId=a0b52629fd511b0cc5ad3a45970decde&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")). **To buy:** $9, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555977359/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1555977359&linkId=d13c6d05efa794c701a57cdd2525242f&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Spaceman of Bohemia_, by Jaroslav Kalfar  Amazon.com “What better time than the summer—with its endless daylight—to read a book set in the pitch-blackness of space? I loved Jaroslav Kalfar’s charming debut novel, _Spaceman of Bohemia,_ in which a Czech astronaut named Jakub Procházka—the country’s very first—leaves his wife behind to go on a dangerous solo mission to Venus. In the process, he meets a strange alien creature, and runs into a few unforeseen difficulties. That description doesn’t do the book any kind of justice: It’s also an astute exploration into marriage, family, ambition, and being alone. I loved it.” —**Rachel Khong’s** debut novel, _Goodbye, Vitamin,_will be published on July 11 ($18, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250109167/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1250109167&linkId=4a7e3f572d59fd7417e164b84b1d0b91&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")). **To buy:** $14, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316273430/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316273430&linkId=31fdbaf7d121c8d7ba78d593e1cc4bb7&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _The Animators_, by Kayla Rae Whitaker  Amazon.com “_The Animators_ is completely absorbing. It dives into the world of animation, using a symbiotic friendship to keep us turning the pages. Mel and Kisses are an unforgettable duo, as they fail and succeed together, fight and make up. This novel is complex and irresistible, and it balances light with darkness perfectly to ask us what it means to live a creative life.” —**Danya Kukafka’s** debut novel, _Girl in Snow,_ will be published on August 1 ($17, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501144375/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1501144375&linkId=f0e40c8e16f10ae84b4f86fd12be34b9&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")). **To buy:** $18, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812989287/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0812989287&linkId=d8c3583579b7ae0f25ae2d896fc0a510&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Made for Love_, by Alissa Nutting  Amazon.com “I love authors who aren’t afraid to break rules, and there’s no rule breaker out there quite like Alissa Nutting. _Made for Love_ traffics in my favorite kind of humor: it’s dark, absurdist, and terrific fun. If spending some beach time with a feisty wife trying to escape her cyberstalking tech mogul husband by bunking up with her father (and his sex doll) in a senior citizen trailer park sounds like your jam, then this book is for you. And who wouldn’t want to be seen sunbathing with this cover?” —**Courtney Maum** is the author of _I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You_ and the chapbook _Notes from Mexico._ Her most recent novel, _Touch_($7, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735212120/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0735212120&linkId=d5d1e6a42bbbb3cd6fa7219a5de4ed0e&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), is out now. **To buy:** $18, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062280554/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0062280554&linkId=9f629e2dcb2a8201da80b232f10a5eb5&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Marjorie Morningstar_ _, by Herman Wouk_  Amazon.com “Love stories make for wonderful beach reads, and this book is one of the funniest and most heartbreaking I have ever read. Bring tissues!” —**Laurie Gelman’s** debut novel, _Class Mom_ ($17, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250124697/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1250124697&linkId=113273b8c2148c9ae3fc6ceb487f2cfe&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), will be published on August 1. **To buy:** $10, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316955132/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0316955132&linkId=af15cad7b056f08d356c880638b95c60&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Three Junes_ _, by Julia Glass_  Amazon.com “I fell in love with _Three Junes_ in 2002 just after it won the National Book Award and it made me an instant Julia Glass fan. Since then, I’ve read and loved her other four novels, but summer after summer, I find myself returning to _Three Junes_ to spend time with an old friend. Besides writing endearing characters that are so fully formed you almost expect them to step from the page, Glass also brings scenes so vividly to life that I found myself squinting at descriptions of Greece’s sharp sunlight and feeling nostalgic for places I’d never been. The Scottish McLeod family—with their secrets and betrayals, longings, and heartbreaks—will engage and delight you. And if you become a fan, you’ll be happy to know Julia Glass is releasing another novel, _A House Among the Trees_, this June.” —**Bianca Marais’s** debut novel, _Hum if You Don’t Know the Words_ ($17, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399575065/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0399575065&linkId=99a6141f57992f39d27d95b851db7976&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), will be out on July 11. **To buy:** $9, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385721420/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0385721420&linkId=45ecf8cdd197eacccf8d02220a637737&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Defending Jacob_, by William Landay  Amazon.com “_Defending Jacob_ is a compelling page-turner about a district attorney whose son is accused of murder. As the novel plunges into a provocative family drama, Landay asks, ‘What is a man willing to do for his family? And what is he willing to do to find the truth?’ His answers are surprising and touching. You’ll find this one impossible to put down.” —**Laura Dave** is the author of _Eight Hundred Grapes_ and _The First Husband._ Her next novel, _Hello, Sunshine_ ($17, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476789320/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1476789320&linkId=9412778f447e5600ed8de854d16cf971&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), will be out on July 11. **To buy:** $10, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345533666/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0345533666&linkId=2f7f6f1f05559ac4aaa4e7aff03700b6&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _Not Working_, by Lisa Owens  Amazon.com “Written in uncanny vignettes, this novel is about a woman who has just quit her office job in pursuit of a passion she has yet to find. The resulting inertia and lack of routine push her to confront who she is and her relationships with others. Anybody who has a separate loose outfit for driving (‘I need to be comfortable on the road,’ she keeps insisting) or has said regrettable things to family members after too many wines will relate to our heroine as she finds her place in the world.” —**Balli Kaur Jaswal** is the author of _Inheritance_ and _Sugarbread._ Her next novel, _Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows_ ($19, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0008209898/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0008209898&linkId=da42d2afe0f219c1d81ada21fb1dc897&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined")), will be published on June 13. **To buy:** $14, [amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812988817/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fsp%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0812988817&linkId=5d7180939aa0b08cc6decc4071eacc66&tag=mottocom-20 "undefined"). ### _The Inn at Lake Devine