For the Love of Books

Summer (book) Lovin’

If you’re anything like me, relaxing on one of our beautiful beaches with a great book is one of life’s ultimate pleasures. I have two very different preferences for beach reads though – I love light reads like rom coms or a grab me thriller.

Books that don’t involve too much brain power but are engaging and enjoyable. OR I go the opposite and spend time with huge tomes and literary fiction because I love to be able to read these in huge uninterrupted chunks and get completely lost within the story.

If you’re in the first category, my go to authors would be Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary, Claire Christian, or Christian White. Other new releases like Kate Mildenhall’s latest or Benjamin Steven’s bank heist mystery could also hit the spot. Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore has been a 2025 favourite amongst many, as has Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth.

If you’re up for the second category though, there are some brilliant works that could completely whisk you away. Over the years some of my favourite back-list beach reads have been A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, or Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.

This year I’m hoping to finish off the Elements Series by John Boyne, and the newer releases The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, and The True True Story of Raja The Gullible by Rabih Alameddine which recently won the National Book Award.

Happy holidays and happy reading! @sarahsbookchat

Author: Sarah Krause