Jim's Ultimate Beach Reads

Sand between your toes, sun on your face, and a book you can't put down — that's Jim's idea of paradise. These fun, breezy reads are perfect for vacation, pool days, or any time you need to escape reality for a few hours.

Published March 27, 2026

1

Beach Read

by Emily Henry

4/5

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary fiction author who's stuck in a rut swap genres for the summer. Neighbors in neighboring beach houses, January and Augustus challenge each other creatively — and romantically — in this witty, heartfelt novel.

2

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5/5

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. She chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the story, and what unfolds is a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love.

3

People We Meet on Vacation

by Emily Henry

4/5

Best friends Alex and Poppy have taken a summer vacation together every year for a decade — until two years ago, when something went wrong. Poppy proposes one more trip to fix their friendship, but unresolved feelings have other plans.

4

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

4/5

A failed bank robber locks himself in a Swedish apartment with eight strangers during an open house viewing. As the police surround the building, the hostages and their bumbling captor begin to connect in the most unexpected ways. A poignant comedy about the enduring human capacity for compassion.

5

Book Lovers

by Emily Henry

4/5

Nora Stephens, a cutthroat literary agent, is dragged to a small town in North Carolina by her sister for a Hallmark-movie vacation. Instead, she keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a brooding editor she's clashed with in New York.

6

The Flatshare

by Beth O'Leary

4/5

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment but have never met — she has the bed during the day, he has it at night. They communicate through Post-it notes, and as their messages grow warmer, so do their feelings in this charming, original British rom-com.

7

Happy Place

by Emily Henry

4/5

Harriet and Wyn broke up months ago but haven't told their friend group. When they're forced to share a room during their annual vacation in Maine, they have to fake being a couple while confronting why they fell apart.

8

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

by Gail Honeyman

5/5

Eleanor Oliphant leads a carefully structured, solitary life — same lunch every day, vodka every weekend, minimal human contact. When she and coworker Raymond befriend an elderly man, her rigid world begins to crack open, revealing deep wounds and the possibility of genuine connection.