These Books Are the Perfect Companion to Your Summer Travels

You can tell from the title alone how apt this slim novel is. Written by Tove Jansson (yes, the creator of the beloved Moomin trolls series), The Summer Book documents the relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter as they spend the summer together on a small island off the Gulf of Finland. The story unfolds over the course of 22 quaint vignettes that explore themes of grief, nature, and familial bonds. The novel, first published in 1972, is interspersed with mystical illustrations by Jansson herself. That, coupled with the fact that the book is under 200 pages, makes it the ideal, easy yet still enriching summer read. —Kelsey Allen, associate editor, Thrillist

Let me first acknowledge that most of this book is set in Alaska, so it might feel a bit incongruous to read it on a beach. But if a light, breezy read set in a cozy, cold-weather locale (yes, summer is the best time to visit Alaska) is your vacation read of choice, this debut novel hits all the marks. In Any Trope But You, published this spring, a disgraced romance novelist goes on a self-designed writing retreat to reinvent herself and work on her next big book, a murder mystery set in Alaska. Within the first few chapters, she finds herself in the middle of all the love-story cliches she’s used to writing in her books—starting with, of course, the ruggedly charming son of the hotel proprietor. Come for the sweet plot (with a decent amount of twists), stay for Lavine’s ability to make a no-frills, adventure-led Alaska vacation feel appealing to even the least outdoorsy of travelers. —Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief, Eater

If you’re familiar with Graham Greene, you’ll know he classified his books under two categories: novels (focused on more serious matters) and entertainments (usually thrillers). Of his vast oeuvre, Brighton Rock, published in 1938, is the exception, melding the two genres to create an enthralling, sinister yet comedic masterpiece. The novel kicks off at the start of the summer in the seaside town Brighton, England, where tourists flock to the luxury hotels and townies bemoan their existence at the local watering hole. Following the parallel narratives of posh Londoner Ida and gangster leader Pinkie, Brighton Rock delves into the complexities of class, religion, and good versus evil, all set against the backdrop of the sunny city of Brighton. —KA

Spy thrillers are classic vacation reads, but don’t go into this one expecting bombastic fluff. Ilium, published in 2024, is as much a taut literary character study as it is a thriller—an introspective novel about belonging and motivation, timing and perspective, and the intricate dance of recruitment. It manages to be both thoughtful and exciting, an intellectual page-turner. It’s also chock full of summer inspo, as the nameless main character strolls through pine forests, swims in the Atlantic Ocean, and has luxurious outdoor lunches while she poses as an art critic at the fabulous Cap-Ferret estate of the mysterious man she is supposed to be observing. —Ben Mesirow, associate editor, Thrillist and Eater

While A Year in Provence begins at the start of a brutal winter in the French countryside, Peter Mayle’s best-selling 1989 memoir quickly blooms into a scenic, envy-inducing foray into the region’s bright, wildflower-ridden spring and summer. Mayle, a British businessman in his forties, and his wife Jennie relocate from Devon, England to the Luberon in southern France to live out their days in a 200-year-old stone house, tending to the vineyards; eating spreads of olives, anchovies, and cheese; and interacting with the quirky longtime locals. For anyone jonesing to flee the city for the leisurely provincial life, this might finally convince you to pack up your things and move once and for all. —KA

There is truly nothing quite like reading about the inevitable eradication of modern humanity while on vacation. You’re already foregoing most of your everyday creature comforts being away from home, so what better time to fantasize about what it might be like to lose all of them? Emily St. John Mandel set her 2014 apocalypse sci-fi oeuvre in the Great Lakes region of the U.S.—making it the perfect accompaniment to any summer trip up the Michigan shoreline—with much of the plot unfurling inside an abandoned airport-turned-dystopian society. Considering the state of air travel these days, I can’t think of anything more fitting. —Lesley Suter, editorial director, Thrillist, special projects director, Eater 

“We spent hours on the beach overwhelmed by the heat and gradually assuming healthy golden tans,” 18-year-old Françoise Sagan writes in the beginning of her debut novel from 1954. Bonjour Tristesse follows 17-year-old Cecile as she summers in the French Riviera with her hedonistic father and his mistress. The coming-of-age novel, which was recently adapted into a film starring Chloe Sevigny, tells a story of naivety, frivolity, and bourgeois society, which is held up by Sagan’s effortless prose and own personal insights into ennui and the melodrama of teenagehood. —KA

Asking me to choose just one book under any circumstances is pretty much impossible. Thankfully, this literary masterpiece of nonfiction from 2013 has never let me down when I have to recommend one. It is, quite simply, one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read. Written by an Indigenous botanist and often described as “instructive poetry,” Braiding Sweetgrass combines scientific research with Indigenous teachings to reconnect readers with the natural world and offer a dire warning of the consequences of not listening to our oldest teachers: plants. Whether you’re camping in a forest or lounging at the beach this summer, this book insists you see your surroundings with new eyes. —Sarah Medina, managing editor, Thrillist 

In Jasmine Guillory’s latest release, Flirting Lessons, she weaves together narratives of two queer women in their 30s searching for the spark that so many in their friend groups seem to have found behind white picket fences. The story follows Avery Jensen, a reclusive workaholic with an enviable degree of professional success that her love life doesn’t match, and Taylor Cameron, a silver-tongued savant in the Napa Valley wine and romance scenes. Both of the main characters’ skillsets have landed them in heated hook-ups and even hotter water once that initial intrigue fizzles out. Although the “opposites attract” framing isn’t necessarily groundbreaking in the rom-com-osphere, Guillory’s dedication to creating complex and capable (even if uncertain) characters is an exuberant reminder that it’s never too late to (re)discover yourself or to start enjoying the journey. It’s even better with a cocktail or a glass of wine as the sun sets. —Jesse Sparks, senior editor, Thrillist and Eater