Want quality writing, but don’t want to think too hard in order to read it?
These books won’t make you pull your hair with their twists and turns, but their clever turns of phrase and interesting characters provide the perfect amount of restful entertainment for crashing waves and toes dug into the sand.
by Heather Barbieri
A Booklist starred review, this book takes you into the life of a humiliated political wife escaping to the beach with her two daughters. There she learns about her past, including a surprising and fantastical twist you’re bound to enjoy.
by Juliette Fay
I admit it. I checked this book out because I loved the cover. The flower arrangement was bright and beautiful and I wanted something uplifting (and not too difficult) to read. About two chapters in, I found myself Googling the author, realizing that the book was flowing much more smoothly and had a lot more depth than most chick-lit I’d read. Turns out, Fay earned a BA from Boston College and a master’s from Harvard. This one is worth your time.
by Sarah Strohmeyer
You’ll laugh and cry with this group of four women as they share their struggles and triumphs, often over martinis. This story is a good reminder that we are often far less different from others than we may first appear.
by Elin Hilderbrand
Actually, you can pick up about anything by Hilderbrand and read about women and the beach. Her stories are compelling, and you’ll find yourself getting attached to the characters. If the hold list is too long on this title, check out The Island, The Castaways, or Barefoot.
by Nancy Thayer
Similar in style and substance to Hilderbrand, you’ll find lots of strong female relationships in Thayer’s books. Summer Breeze is her newest. If all the copies are checked out, try Beachcombers or Summer House.
Along with Juliette Fay, the authors on this list hold degrees from Harvard, Hopkins, and Tufts, among other well-respected universities – can you guess who went where?
