20 Best Beach Reads for Summer 2024: Explore New Books to Bring on Vacation

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We've sorted through the thrillers, fantasy novels, true crime books and more to find the best summer reads.

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, 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 this June is Margo's Got Money Problems by Rufi Thorpe, a funny and unpredictable read.

'Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel' by Rufi Thorpe

'Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel' by Rufi Thorpe
Amazon

'Margo's Got Money Troubles: A Novel' by Rufi Thorpe

When Margo becomes pregnant with the professor at her junior college, she is left to fend for herself. When her father turns up at her doorstep, she uses his former pro-wrestling career advice to become an adult internet star in Margo's Got Money Troubles

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 on Amazon you'll want on your summer reading list.

The Best Summer Beach Reads of 2024

'Lies and Weddings: A Novel' by Kevin Kwan

'Lies and Weddings: A Novel' by Kevin Kwan
Amazon

'Lies and Weddings: A Novel' by Kevin Kwan

From Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan, Lies and Weddings tells the story of Rufus Leung Gresham, a future earl. Despite a lifestyle of luxury with yachts and manors, the Gresham family is in tremendous debt, but a scheming mother has a solution: Rufus will seduce a rich woman at his sister's wedding to marry.

'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 $19

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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 Demon of Unrest' by Erik Larson

'The Demon of Unrest' by Erik Larson
Amazon

'The Demon of Unrest' by Erik Larson

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 nonfiction historical thriller.

$35 $19

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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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'Nuclear War: A Scenario' by Annie Jacobsen

'Nuclear War: A Scenario' by Annie Jacobsen
Amazon

'Nuclear War: A Scenario' by Annie Jacobsen

It's been the topic of multiple dystopian novels, but what would actually happen in the case of nuclear war? Nuclear War by Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen explores this scenario by interviewing military and civilian experts. 

'This Could Be Us' (Skyland Book 2) by Kennedy Ryan

'This Could Be Us' (Skyland Book 2) by Kennedy Ryan
Amazon

'This Could Be Us' (Skyland Book 2) by Kennedy Ryan

“This book is so multi-dimensional, just as life is—Kennedy Ryan covers divorce, self-discovery, autism, raising kids, the power of friendships, and other huge life changes, but it is done in a way that is so real and relatable,” says Amazon Editor Kami Tei.

$18 $12

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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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'skin & bones: a novel' by Renée Watson

'skin & bones: a novel' by Renée Watson
Amazon

'skin & bones: a novel' by Renée Watson

The poetic novel skin & bones by Renée Watson tells the story of Lena, whose world is rocked by a confession on her wedding day.

$30 $15

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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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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

Expiration Dates: A Novel
Amazon

Expiration Dates: A Novel

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

$27 $12

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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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