What Makes a Summer Beach Read?

John Guillen27 Comments

All over the internet you’ll find lists of summer beach reads. I have not read a single one of these lists. Except one. It was probably a month ago now that a blogger I follow wrote about beach reads. And I don’t remember the post or what she said, but she defined beach reads (in part) as books that take place on the beach. I don’t know about you, but I’m unaware of the beach genre. I’ve never read a book that takes place on the beach. And I think it’d be beyond ridiculous for someone to seek out such a book.

I mean, an entire book can’t even take place on a beach. So that doesn’t even make sense. I remember liking her complete definition, but I have no idea what else it entailed. So now I’m just wondering to myself (and to y’all) about what makes a book a beach read. Is it a summer romance? Is it YA? Is it anything written by Nicholas Sparks? I have no idea. But I do know that it can’t simply be books set on the beach. At least I hope that’s not what all those lists are listing.

So what makes a book a summer beach read?

And I’m writing this as a separate post from my post on Summer Reading Lists because I see articles about books that “should be on your summer reading list” and I see articles about “summer beach reads”. So I’m assuming there’s some difference here.

On this day in 2014 I published Language in Your Writing.

27 thoughts on “What Makes a Summer Beach Read?”

  1. I’m rarely at the beach, but when I do go, I usually take something a little bit lighthearted. An easy read, I suppose. I wouldn’t take Dickens or Austen or Tolkien. Reading something too heavy at the beach I think takes away from the point of being there. But, again, I’m not that much of a beach person.

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  2. Don’t think a “beach read” has anything to do with a beach. It’s more the mindset of the freedom of summer and how with a bit more time people can read more. It being summer, the pace of what most people prefer is lightweight, more fun stories that don’t take too much thought to enjoy. Because when you are sitting on the beach, if you are so lucky, you probably don’t want to have to concentrate too hard or you’ll miss the peace and serenity happening all around.

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  3. I tend to read a lot of romance/rom-com/chick lit type books when I’m lazing around the book or lying on the beach. Books that don’t need a lot of brain power, are light and are pretty much guaranteed to have a happy ending. I don’t want heaviness or sadness when I’m lying in the glaring sun thank you very much. I go to the beach to relax not to make my brain work. And I need books that I can dump on my towel 20 times a day to run into the sea and catch some waves and still be able to come back to it and fall back in easily.

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  4. I agree with the above,I’m think it’s all about your mindset, while on the beach. It’s a time to relax and read what you enjoy, unfettered by other thoughts! So it could be light hearted, or serious, but whatever you love to read!
    The lists tend to be composed of easy read books, but as I said, it’s all in how you interpret what a ‘beach read’ should be!!!!

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  5. Whoah! What’s your problem with beaches? 🙂
    No, haven’t a clue what a ‘beach book’ is either. Don’t read chick lit, so I would never read them anywhere. And, in truth, I’ve never had a beach holiday – lots of day trips to the English seaside, but when you go there it’s almost compulsory to make sand castles, sitting huddled over a flask of tea whilst you’re fighting the seagulls for your sandwiches.
    No relaxing reading for us here 🙂

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  6. I have trouble defining a “beach read” as well. I guess I think of them as light-hearted books that don’t require a lot of in-depth reading. Something that you can put down and pick up a number of times without getting lost.

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