20 Best Beach Reads for Summer Travel: Explore New Non-Fiction, Memoirs, Romance and More

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The 19 Best New Books to Read on Spring Days
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We've sorted through the thrillers, fantasy novels, true crime books and more to find the best options to read this summer.

Soaking up the sun while reading a book you can't put down is something to look forward to this summer. Outside of deciding which insulated tumbler to take with you for hydration in the heat and finding a comfy spot on the beach or in a hammock, the most challenging part about settling in for a riveting read is choosing the novel itself.

E-readers and overnight online deliveries have put a library of unlimited books at our fingertips. From non-fiction to science fiction genres and celebrity memoirs to book-to-screen adaptations, there are all kinds of incredible pages to peruse this spring. One of Amazon's most anticipated releases and biggest bestsellers for May is Erik Larson's latest book about the election of Abraham Lincoln and his presidency as the Civil War started.

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
Amazon

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

President Lincoln was only in office for five months before the Civil War began. See what unfolded in those days in Erik Larson's latest non-fiction historical thriller.

$35 $20

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Your summer library doesn't end there, because we've rounded up plenty of other newly released book picks, from steamy romance novels to chart-topping non-fiction books to edge-of-your-seat thrillers to magical worlds filled with sorcery and everything in between. Whether you read to enter a new world or to learn more about the world you live in, we've found a book you'll want on your reading list.

The Best Summer Reads of 2024

Long Island (Eilis Lacey Series)

Long Island (Eilis Lacey Series)
Amazon

Long Island (Eilis Lacey Series)

An Oprah's Book Club pick, Long Island tells the story of Eilis Lacey, a women whose life is changed when her husband's baby from a secret affair winds up on her doorstep.

$28 $25

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The Ministry of Time: A Novel by Kaliane Bradley

The Ministry of Time: A Novel by Kaliane Bradley
Amazon

The Ministry of Time: A Novel by Kaliane Bradley

The Ministry of Time is spy thriller with a mix of time travel and romance. When a civil servant begins working a new time travel project, she must decide if falling in love is worth the consequences of changing history.

$29 $22

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The Familiar: A Novel by Leigh Bardugo

The Familiar: A Novel by Leigh Bardugo
Amazon

The Familiar: A Novel by Leigh Bardugo

This immersive romance novel taking place during the Spanish Inquisition tells the story of Luzia, a magic user enlisted to help the king.

$30 $18

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The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah
Amazon

The Women: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale, has a new book that's made its way onto four of the top bestseller lists. The Women tells the story of Frances, a field nurse who enters the Vietnam War to return home only to find rising political tensions. 

$30 $19

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First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Amazon

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

A Reese's Book Club Pick, First Lie Wins is a thriller that centers around Evie Porter, who is actually someone else and was given her identity by the mysterious Mr. Smith. Evie wants a new life, but one slip-up will change her future forever.

$28 $17

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Rebel Rising: A Memoir by Rebel Wilson

Rebel Rising: A Memoir by Rebel Wilson
Amazon

Rebel Rising: A Memoir by Rebel Wilson

Taking readers through the ups and downs of her career, Wilson's memoir ultimately teaches self-love with laughter along the way.

$30 $21

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The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Amazon

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

While digging a foundation for a new development in the 1970s, the residents of Pottstown are shocked to find a skeleton. James McBride's novel The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store intertwines the lives of the townspeople and their community during these times.

$28 $17

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Our Fight: A Memoir by Ronda Rousey

Our Fight: A Memoir by Ronda Rousey
Amazon

Our Fight: A Memoir by Ronda Rousey

As the UFC's first female champion, Ronda Rousey has made a name for herself in the world of mixed martial arts. Sharing her journey from the pursuit of perfection to the pursuit of happiness, this relatable story is about facing your fears.  

$29 $21

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Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier

Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier
Amazon

Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier

Currently No. 1 on Amazon's Most Sold Non-Fiction Books for the week, Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up by Abigail Shrier explores the rising mental health crisis happening specifically in the Gen Z population. Interviewing experts in the field, Shrier explores some of the serious side effects of popular therapeutic approaches.

$30 $22

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The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul

The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul
Amazon

The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul

Save 30% when you shop RuPaul's new memoir on Amazon right now. Because reading is what? Fundamental! 

$30 $21

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The Hunter: A Novel by Tana French

The Hunter: A Novel by Tana French
Amazon

The Hunter: A Novel by Tana French

This much-anticipated book by Tana French tells the story of Cal Hooper, who develops a quiet life in Ireland with Lena and her unruly son Trey after retiring early from the Chicago P.D. When Trey's absent father shows up, the couple will do whatever they must to protect the boy.

$32 $19

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Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere

Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere
Amazon

Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere

Today show host Savannah Guthrie explores how her belief in God can help her grapple with the challenging times happening in our world in her new book Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere.

$30 $15

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The Teacher: A Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden

The Teacher: A Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden
Amazon

The Teacher: A Psychological Thriller by Freida McFadden

In this story, a scandal rocks Caseham High School when the news of an inappropriate student-teacher relationship comes to light. However, nothing is what it seems in Freida McFadden's newest thriller.

 

$18 $13

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Expiration Dates: A Novel by Rebecca Serle

Expiration Dates: A Novel by Rebecca Serle
Amazon

Expiration Dates: A Novel by Rebecca Serle

New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Serle released a heart-wrenching story that made Amazon's best books of March. 

$27 $13

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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Amazon

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

New York Times best-selling author Tia Williams' latest book is a No. 1 pick on Amazon. In A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, misfit Ricki Wilde moves to Harlem to open a flower shop where a mysterious stranger sets her world ablaze. 

$29 $15

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Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton

Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton
Amazon

Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton

Award-winning journalist Antonia Hylton explains the 93-year-old history of Crownsville Hospital — a segregated asylum in Maryland — in her book Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum, which was one of Amazon Editor's Best Book Picks. The hospital discussed in the book was shuttered in 2004 but the building still stands today.

$30 $19

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Amazon

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Lana is a former movie star who invites her closest friends on a vacation to her private Greek island. But things suddenly take a turn when one of them is murdered in Alex Michaelides' new thriller The Fury.

$29 $17

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Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
Amazon

Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks

Horse, which was released in mid-January, is already an award-winning novel that focuses on race, art and history.

$19 $14

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Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Amazon

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Telling stories from those at the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Wandering Stars spans three generations of a family detailing their struggles and hopes for the future.

$29 $19

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