At least once per summer at the library, I find a book in our return bin with sand still stuck in the dust jacket. It makes me smile every time even though there is absolutely no way to clean all the sand out, and the book has to be withdrawn. (Please don’t go and bury your library book in the sand, dig it up, and return it just to bring me joy. I appreciate the thought but we really do prefer to keep the books in circulation.)
The “Beach Read” has been around for a while and is typically thought of as a light, fluffy read that gives your brain a break from the daily grind. The books that immediately come to mind in this category have eye-catching, candy-colored covers and lean in the rom-com direction. I love a good, spicy romance in the mix of my reading life, but what if that’s not your thing? If you’ve read any of my previous columns, then you know I am all about reading what you want and not what someone else says you should.
I know.
The whole point of this column is me telling you about things to read. I hope you do read some of my suggestions, but I will never tell you that you SHOULD read something other than what calls to you. So I have good news! If sweet or spicy rom-coms aren’t your thing, then WHATEVER you read this summer can be considered your Beach Read.
We are deep in the Summer Reading Program at the library, which is the program we spend the rest of the year gearing up for. As I comb through the four book titles that adults turn in to complete their program (That’s right! Adults can participate, too!), I see so much more than the stereotypical Beach Read. Here are a few of the most popular. Follow the JenksLibraryReads account on Bibliocommons to see a full list of the top summer reads after the Summer Reading Program ends on July 31.
The Women by Kristin Hannah (Historical Fiction, PTSD, Women in War, Loss, Self-Discovery)
This latest novel by popular author Kristin Hannah is leading the most-read books of summer list by a large margin at the Jenks Library and is one I also read in the last month. I could not read this book fast enough. Powerful storytelling and memorable, authentic character development shed light on a lesser-told part of history.
Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, Frances “Frankie” McGrath has always prided herself on doing the right thing. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. The moment she sets foot in Vietnam, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Psychological thriller, Family Secrets, Toxic Relationships, Darkly Humorous)
The first in the series by prolific author Freida McFadden, queen of this summer’s psychological thrillers, The Housemaid takes the tropes of unreliable narrator and plot twists to a new level. Hoping to make a fresh start as the housemaid to the Winchester family, the protagonist soon discovers they have secrets that may rival her own. The only question is, whose are more dangerous.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (Memoir, Music artist, Dysfunctional Family, Mental Health)
Celebrity memoirs are having a moment, and this summer readers are drawn to Britney Spears’ conversational and heartfelt story of her rise to stardom in her teens and continuous struggles with family and mental health. A quick read that is equal parts affecting and infuriating as you learn about how those closest to her failed her and how she has continued to fight for her passions and freedoms.
Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose (Thriller/Suspense, Family Secrets, Death of a Parent)
Chills and thrillers are proving to be the go-to reads this summer with another tale of family secrets from an author who is no stranger to the genre. After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends. The siblings must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.
Three-Inch Teeth by C. J. Box (Western Thriller, Crime, Gritty)
The latest in C. J. Box's Joe Pickett series rounds out our top five. A rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage—killing, among others, the fiancée of Joe’s daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a list of six names tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property. Targeted are a judge, the county prosecutor, his lawyer, a prison guard—and both Joe Pickett and his close friend. Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates devises a method of violence identical to the bear killings and sets out to methodically check off his list.
