21 beach books: Something to satisfy any reader

  • Los Angeles Times
  • Monday, June 25, 2012 8:10pm
  • Life

Every summer, it seems, people are usually looking for a “good beach read,” even if they’re not going to the beach.

So whether you use a Kindle or Nook, hefty hard covers or lop-eared paperbacks, here are some recommendations for the porch or the plane.

“The After Wife” by Gigi Levangie Grazer ($25): A charming tale of a grieving 40-ish widow — and the wacky friends who love her — as she attempts to regain control of her life in the sometimes-surreal L.A. landscape.

“The Age of Doubt” by Andrea Camilleri ($15): In the latest in the author’s series, take another journey to Sicily with Inspector Montalbano, who seeks to penetrate the mystery surrounding two yachts and the discovery of a mutilated corpse.

“Beach Season” by Lisa Jackson, Cathy Lamb and Holly Chamberlin ($15): Can’t a good girl ever get a break in life and love? The tales of forlorn heroines gathered here are like a chocolate sampler: romantic, brief, sweet.

“Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Imperative” by Eric Van Lustbader, $27.99: Jason Bourne’s rescue of a drowning man not only reminds him of himself (the man’s an amnesiac, too), it raises plenty of questions. Why is he being stalked by the Mossad? Could he really be a legendary terrorist assassin, or is this a case of mistaken identity?

“Broken Harbor” by Tana French: ($27.95): Detective Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy returns, in French’s latest, to investigate what appears to be a straightforward attack on a family in an Irish housing development, but nothing, Kennedy knows, is ever so simple.

“Capital” by John Lanchester ($26.95): In the shadow of terrorism and the 2008 global financial implosion, a cast of English characters are brought together via a strange message delivered on postcards in this latest by the author of “The Debt to Pleasure.”

“Creole Belle” by James Lee Burke ($27.99): Dave Robicheaux can’t get the song “Creole Belle” out of his mind or the New Orleans girl who disappeared after giving the song to him on an iPod. This leads to a new search against the backdrop of an oil rig disaster in the Gulf — and the threat posed to life along the coast.

“Criminal” by Karin Slaughter ($27): The brutal crime that started investigator Amanda Wagner’s career entwines with the mysterious, heartbreaking past of her colleague, agent Will Trent, in a tale spanning 40 years.

“The Family Corleone” by Ed Falco ($27.99): Mario Puzo’s saga of a crime family continues with a look back to the early 1930s and Sonny Corleone’s desire to join his father, Vito, in the family business.

“Growing Up Dead in Texas” by Stephen Graham Jones ($14.95): A novel of small-town lives in Texas and a young man’s return to find answers to unanswered questions about a disaster that affected the community many years ago.

“The Kingmaker’s Daughter” by Philippa Gregory ($26.99): Conspiracy and a fight to the death for love and power at the court of King Edward IV of England.

“A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar” by Suzanne Joinson ($26): A tale of two journeys: Two sisters embark on a bicycle trip on the Silk Road in 1923 and a present-day Londoner befriends a homeless Yemeni man.

“Little Night” by Luanne Rice ($26.95): Clare and her niece struggle to build a relationship that requires overcoming old family scars inflicted by Clare’s sister years ago.

“Mission to Paris” by Alan Furst ($27): In 1938 Europe, Hollywood star Frederic Stahl’s not only interesting to his French film crew, a Paris network of spies considers him a potentially valuable ally.

“Monarch Beach” by Anita Hughes ($14.99): Can a woman create a new life after her husband’s infidelity? The answer is yes for Amanda, a San Francisco heiress who ditches that fellow (a French chef).

“Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury” by Sam Weller and Mort Castle($15.99): A collection of 26 stories — including Neil Gaiman’s “The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury” — in honor of the maker of such classics as “Fahrenheit 451” and “The Martian Chronicles.”

“The Sins of the Father” by Jeffrey Archer ($27.99): The second installment in Archer’s Clifton Chronicles, which started with “Only Time Will Tell,” revolves around a fake identity and follows Harry Clifton in the early days of World War II.

“Skinnydipping” by Bethenny Frankel ($25): The reality TV star offers a tale of — what else? — a frank-talking woman whose mouth gets her in trouble on a popular reality TV show. Her journey takes her from New York to L.A. to New York.

“The Storm” by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown ($27.95): A spreading black substance in the Indian Ocean: Is it oil or something far more deadly? It must be investigated by the NUMA Special Assignments Team … if it doesn’t kill them.

“The St. Zita Society” by Ruth Rendell ($26): Tranquillity reigns on an upscale London Street, but secrets lurk behind the elegance, including a disturbed gardener who thinks he hears the voice of God.

“Summer Breeze” by Nancy Thayer ($26): Summer offers a chance to deepen bonds, which three women discover at Dragonfly Lake in New England.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

A firefighter with Sky Valley Fire sprays water on a hotspot Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, along U.S. 2 as the Bolt Creek fire continues to burn between Index and Skykomish. (Peter Mongillo / Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue)
Snohomish County releases draft of wildfire protection plan

Community members can submit feedback and questions online through July.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.