14 binge-worthy books to read on your beach vacation

Every time I go on vacation I need at least three books with me at all times. There’s just something about cracking open an especially binge-worthy paperback while lounging by the pool on the beach.

The perfect kind of book to read is either a super fast-paced mystery thriller or a sticky sweet romance. The sand sticking to your legs just adds to the experience.

Below are a few binge-worthy books that I’ve either read while on vacation or I think would be the ultimate beach read.

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing | Hank Green

This may seem like an unlikely pick as it is about online culture and alien robots, but it is such a fun and quick read!! I listened to the audiobook of this and 100% recommend it. It’s easy to follow and has some great commentary on online culture (especially YouTube) You’ll definitely get sucked in immediately.

Genuine Fraud | E. Lockhart

You are probably more familiar with her uber-famous thriller We Were Liars. This book is a little more under the radar (and a little less loved lol) but I find it so fun!! It’s a weird twisty thriller that’s told in a very interesting way. I also listened to the audiobook and was hooked right from the start.

The Devil and The Dark Water | Stuart Turton

If you’re looking for more of a vintage mystery rather than a modern thriller, this is the book for you. I love both of his mystery novels (and would also recommend The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evenlyn Hardcastle) but am including this one here since it takes place on a boat and feels more beach-related. lol. If you’re the type to want to puzzle together a very confusing mystery, pick this one up!

Recursion | Blake Crouch

The king of sci-fi thrillers!! I will always rush to read his new releases. To be honest, I think most of his books are better without knowing much about the plot. But I will tell you this is very weird and deals with memory. That’s all you get!!

Into the Drowning Deep | Mira Grant

Another book on the darker side, this book deals with spooky mermaids! You won’t be getting much summer beachy vibes since the majority takes place on a gigantic boat in the middle of the ocean, but it takes place in water. So, I’ll count it.

They Never Learn | Layne Fargo

The best feminist thriller I’ve read! That’s all you need to know. Think: the prey becomes the predator. This is an especially binge-worthy read!

The Kiss Quotient | Helen Hoang

One of my all-time favorite contemporary romances! This story is so so cute and adds the perfect amount of spice.

Flock | Kate Stewart

A dark romance filled with mystery and pain. Straight up pain!! One of my all-time favorite series. You will get sucked in immediately.

People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry

I could have thrown in her Beach Read, but I thought I should add at least one friends-to-lovers story in the bunch! Not my favorite trope, but this book is so sugary sweet that it touched even my cold dead heart. It made me feel all fuzzy inside!!

It Happened One Summer | Tessa Bailey

One of my favorite hate-to-love stories. We’ve got a big fisherman and an out of place socialite in a sleepy fishing town in the upper north west. Let yearning commence!

Act Your Age Eve Brown | Talia Hibbert

This book was so fun and so cuuuute! Another hate-to-love story that just hit me in the heart. There are some seriously steamy moments in here that you all must read. I recommend the entire trilogy, but this is my favorite book of the bunch!

A Week to Be Wicked | Tessa Dare

I had to throw a little historical romance in here. This book is so underrated!! The classic beach reach. It’s been a couple of years since I read this but I remember it being hot. Maybe I should read it on my upcoming beach trip just to be sure…

Love & Olives | Jenna Evans Welch

This entire series! My heart! each set in a different European city during a summer break. Makes me wish I could spend all my time traveling and *realizing things* about myself.