These magical beach books will whisk your imagination away to a new place this summer.
In my opinion, a great beach read falls into one of three categories:
- A light and breezy beach read that takes place near the ocean or a lake:
Check out my list of light beach reads here. - A story that takes place in a foreign land I want to travel to someday
- A dark and magical story that transports my imagination far, far away
When I'm deep into reading my book near the pool, I want to look up from the page and have to blink my eyes for a few moments to remember where I am.
I've read and loved every book on this list. I hope they are just the escape you need this summer.
Waterproof Your Book
If you plan to read by the pool or take your book to the beach, you may enjoy my tips for how to waterproof books for adults.
Magical Beach Reads for Summer
Sarah Addison Allen is one of my very favorite authors and this is one of my very favorite books that she's written.
It is light, sweet, with just a hint of magic rather than a beat-you-over-the-head magical plot. It takes place in rural Georgia so has a fun southern influence to the story.
If you're not sure you're totally into magical realism fiction, this is a perfect place to dip your toes in.
I devoured this book a couple summers ago.
It is a much more heavy-handed magic story that features fairies and magical creatures. There are several steamy romantic scenes throughout the story and the plot definitely gets dark.
I guarantee it will make you forget where you are when you read it.
I flew through this book during our beach trip to Hilton Head despite our crazy-busy vacation adventures. I found myself grabbing it to just get a few pages in every chance I got.
The story will make you question every beauty rule and ideal we have.
The Night Circus is one of my very favorite books of all time. A movie is rumored to be in the works right now.
Summary:"Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in The Night Circus, the spellbinding bestseller that has captured the world's imagination.
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night."
I've been hunting for the next The Night Circus for years.
Caraval comes very close. Book 1 in a trilogy, it is a fun romantic magical tale. The audio version is really well done if you prefer to listen.
We actually read this for book club, you can read the book club discussion guide here.
This may be the darkest book on the list but I flew through it in just a matter of days. Perfect if you're looking for a grown-up fairy tale.
Summary:"Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels.
But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set.
Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
More Great Beach Reads
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