Posted on May 27, 2021 at 10:05 AM by Maggie Witte
As the weather heats up and the days get longer, the frenetic pace of the rest of year seems to slow to a crawl. Sunny days encourage us to take time and lounge outdoors in the shade, visit the sun-soaked beach, or sit on the porch with an ice-cold drink and a good book. Beach reads are books you can get totally absorbed in, perfect for this time. They are escapes from the grind of everyday life.
So pack a bag with your beach essentials, grab a book, and get ready for a summer day at the beach, whether you have sand under your feet or are relaxing in the cool confines of your home. We at Kansas Talking Books share our beach essentials and a list of beach reads just right for the long summer days ahead.
Kansas Talking Books Beach Essentials
- towel
- sunscreen
- cooler with ice and drinks
- chocolate
- umbrella
- music
- swimsuit
- fitted sheet
- and, of course, books.
Now that our bag is packed, check out one, or more, of these beach reads to escape into the next time you’re ready to lounge in the sun.
Annotation: Flora fled the small Scottish island of her youth years ago and built a life in London, but she heads back to deal with the American developer planning a resort on the island. While home, she discovers a passion for cooking and opens a local cafe. Strong language. 2016.
DB 102611 Act your age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Annotation: Eve Brown has a hard time sticking with anything for long, and her parents have just shut off her trust fund. She applies for a job as a chef at a country bed and breakfast, but immediately clashes with Jacob, the owner. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
DB 95304 Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Annotation: Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin, until her sister Ami s entire wedding party gets food poisoning. The only two not affected are Olive and the best man, Ethan. Rather than have Ami's Hawaiian honeymoon go to waste, Olive and Ethan pretend to be newlyweds. Contains some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 101141 Spoiler alert by Olivia Dade
Annotation: Fanfiction writer April Whittier is surprised when actor Marcus Caster-Rupp from her favorite show reaches out to her on social media after a picture of her in a cosplay costume goes viral. She has no idea Marcus has been writing fanfiction anonymously and they are friends online. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
DB 102215 Better luck next time by Julia Claiborne Johnson
Annotation: In 1938, women seeking a quick, no-questions-asked split from their husbands head to the divorce capital of the world: Reno, Nevada. While they wait the required six weeks, many of these wealthy, soon-to-be divorce´es flock to the Flying Leap, the dude ranch where Ward Bennet works. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2021
DB 95799 The last house guest by Megan Miranda
Annotation: Typically, friendships never develop between locals and summer people in Littleport, Maine, but that's what happens with visitor Sadie and resident Avery. For almost a decade, the girls are inseparable--until Sadie is found dead. Although the death is ruled a suicide, Avery feels she is being blamed. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
DB 98951 The house in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Annotation: As a case worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, Linus Baker spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. He is unexpectedly given a highly classified assignment: travel to a remote island orphanage where six dangerous children reside. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
DB 100054 The splendid and the vile: a saga of Churchill, family, and defiance during the Blitz by Erik Larson
Annotation: The author of Dead Wake (DB 80936) describes Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz. He examines this dark year of London's history primarily through the domestic drama of Churchill and his family's day-to-day experiences. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2020.
DB 94381 Invisible women by Caroline Criado Perez
Annotation: Examination of a root cause of gender inequality--the exclusion of women or preferential bias toward men in research data sets. Discusses the ways these biases play out in daily life, the workplace, product design, the doctor's office, and public life, and what happens when things go wrong. 2019.
DB 98647 Djinn patron on the purple line by Deepa Anappara
Annotation: Nine-year-old Jai watches too many reality police shows. When a classmate goes missing, Jai decides to use the crime-solving skills he has picked up from TV to find him. He asks friends Pari and Faiz to be his assistants, while other children start disappearing from their urban Indian neighborhood. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
DB 100906 The midnight library by Matt Haig
Annotation: After she attempts suicide, Nora wakes up in a mysterious library. The shelves are full of books, each the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with other books for the other lives you could have lived. Contains some descriptions of sex, some violence, and strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
DB 100981 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Annotation: In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. And the bodies begin to pile up. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.
DB 97929 Such a fun age by Kiley Reid
African American babysitter Emira Tucker is accused by a security guard of having kidnapped the toddler she is caring for when she takes the girl to an upscale market. The incident is caught on film and her white employer is determined to make things right. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. Bestseller. 2019.
DB 101133 Her last flight by Beatriz Williams
Annotation: 1947. Photographer Janey Everett arrives in a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. She is researching the life of aviator Sam Mallory and believes his secrets are kept by Irene Lindquist--who Janey believes is the famed--and missing--aviatrix, Irene Foster. Secrets are revealed. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2020.