Cover Get started on those beach reads with these suggestions. (Photo: Taryn Elliott via Pexels)
Get started on those beach reads with these suggestions. (Photo: Taryn Elliott via Pexels)
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Great beach reads don't have to fit into a single mould. Whether romance, historical fiction or an action-packed thriller, the best summer books are the ones that transport you
Beach reads often have a bad reputation, dismissed as mere fluff or a guilty pleasure. These books are perceived as too light, formulaic or unserious compared to literary heavyweights. But should a book’s worth be judged solely on its complexity?
The best beach reads aren’t just mindless entertainment. They’re engaging, immersive and, most importantly, books you want to read. Whether it’s a gripping page-turner, a beautifully written drama or a feel-good romance, the right beach read can transport you, making you lose track of time while soaking up the sun.
This summer, instead of judging books by their genre or accessibility, let’s celebrate the ones that captivate us. From award-winning literary fiction to can’t-put-down page-turners, here are eight of the best beach reads for 2025.
1. ‘James’ by Percival Everett
Above ‘James’ (Photo: Doubleday)
‘James’ (Photo: Doubleday)
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Percival Everett’s James won the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction. It’s a bold reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, shifting the narrative from Huck to Jim, the enslaved man at the heart of Mark Twain’s novel. By giving Jim full agency, intelligence and an inner life far richer than Twain originally allowed, Everett turns James into a thought-provoking exploration of race and freedom. His razor-sharp wit and signature style elevate this to more than just a retelling—it’s a necessary corrective to an American classic.
Also read: 9 books every ambitious woman should read
2. ‘Homeseeking’ by Karissa Chen
Above ‘Homeseeking’ (Photo: G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
‘Homeseeking’ (Photo: G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
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Spanning over six decades and two continents, Karissa Chen’s Homeseeking is an intimate yet sweeping novel about Chinese immigrants searching for belonging. The story weaves together the lives of various family members as they navigate love, loss and the question of what home means. With rich historical detail and deeply felt emotional truths, this book has been compared to Pachinko and The Joy Luck Club for its exploration of diasporic identity.
See more: 15 must-read books by Asian authors
3. ‘We Do Not Part’ by Han Kang
Above ‘We Do Not Part’ (Photo: Hogarth)
‘We Do Not Part’ (Photo: Hogarth)
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From Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang (The Vegetarian, The White Book) comes another haunting and deeply poetic novel. We Do Not Part follows a woman who begins to experience strange, almost supernatural connections to people she has lost, blurring the boundaries between memory, grief and reality. It’s the perfect read for those who appreciate deeply introspective, beautifully written fiction.
Don't miss: Tatler Book Club: 10 Pulitzer Prize-winning books available in Kindle edition
4. ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ by Emily Henry
Above ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ (Photo: Penguin)
‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ (Photo: Penguin)
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No summer reading list would be complete without an Emily Henry novel. Great Big Beautiful Life has witty dialogue, lovable characters and a romance that feels idyllic but also relatable. This time, Henry introduces readers to a woman who’s spent her life waiting for the big moment—the one that will finally make everything fall into place. But when she reconnects with an old flame on an unexpected road trip, she’s forced to reconsider what happily ever after really means. Warm, funny and packed with emotional depth, this is one beach read that is light-hearted yet still packed with depth.
5. ‘The Three Lives of Cate Kay’ by Kate Fagan
Above ‘The Three Lives of Cate Kay’ (Photo: Atria Books)
‘The Three Lives of Cate Kay’ (Photo: Atria Books)
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Magical realism meets contemporary fiction in Kate Fagan’s The Three Lives of Cate Kay. A woman wakes up one morning with the ability to see alternate versions of her own life. Each path offers a different version of happiness and success: one where she pursued her childhood dream, one where she traded love lives and one where she did the unexpected. As she navigates these parallel realities, Cate begins to question whether fate is fixed or if she has the power to shape her destiny. You’ll be pondering your life choices after this read.
6. ‘Good Dirt’ by Charmaine Wilkerson
Above ‘Good Dirt’ (Photo: Ballantine Books)
‘Good Dirt’ (Photo: Ballantine Books)
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Charmaine Wilkerson follows up the immense success of Black Cake with Good Dirt, another multigenerational saga filled with secrets, betrayals and the ties that bind families together. Two estranged sisters reunite after their mother’s death, only to uncover a past filled with hidden truths. As they dig through their family history, they must confront long-buried resentments and redefine what it means to belong.
7. ‘Dream Count’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Above ‘Dream Count’ (Photo: Knopf)
‘Dream Count’ (Photo: Knopf)
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest novel Dream Count is already being hailed as one of the most powerful books of the year. This story follows a Nigerian woman who immigrates to the US with big dreams, only to face the stark realities of displacement, identity and the weight of expectations. As she struggles to carve out a new life, she begins to question whether the American dream is real or just another myth.
8. ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ by Suzanne Collins
Above ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ (Photo: Scholastic)
‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ (Photo: Scholastic)
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Looking for intense beach reads? Hunger Games fans, get ready—Suzanne Collins is back with Sunrise on the Reaping, a prequel centred on Haymitch Abernathy’s time in the 50th Hunger Games (the second Quarter Quell). Set 24 years before Katniss Everdeen, this novel reveals Haymitch’s cunning survival tactics, his first-hand experience with Capitol cruelty and the emotional scars that shaped the mentor we came to know in the original trilogy.
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