5 of the Best Nonfiction Beach Reads!

If “Calgon, take me away” were a book, it would be Elizabeth Gilbert’s blockbuster 2006 memoir of leaving her husband and her successful career to spend a year traveling in search of the elusive something more. She feasts to her heart’s content in Italy, studies meditation in India, and seeks new connections in Bali. This is delicious, indulgent, occasionally hedonistic (and, yes, privilege-infused) escapism that flew off shelves before divorce memoirs were cool and was adapted into a film starring Julia Roberts. It might not inspire you to change your life, but it’s all the permission you’ll need to order another spritz and take your second beach nap of the day.

— Rebecca Joines Schinsky

Samantha Irby is the humor writer of our generation. She tells it like it is, giving us everything from her application to the Bachelorette to a description of her cat, Helen Keller (who hates her). As she talks about her job, her love life, her anxiety, and everything in between, you’ll giggle, laugh out loud poolside, and maybe even cry once or twice. Her self-deprecating, wild humor is addictive. When I first read this book, I kept compulsively reading the best passages to my partner. You’ll commiserate, shake your head, shield your eyes, and cackle in turn as you fly through these essays.

—Leah Rachel von Essen

For nature-loving readers looking for a new realm to explore, you have to check out Night Magic. Over the spring, summer, and fall, Leigh Ann Henion explores the world of nature after dark. She discovers glowworms in her neighborhood, goes on a night walk to find glowing fungi, and helps with efforts to study the mysterious world of bats. Henion’s love of nature comes through on every page as she discusses the ongoing problem of light pollution in America. She strikes the perfect balance of narrative and research, guiding readers along into the night.

When I’m not reading, I’m cooking, and this summer is no exception. One of my all-time favorite cookbooks is Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. By looking at these four different elements of cooking, Nosrat teaches her readers the elements of cooking. This way, cooks don’t need to painstakingly copy a recipe every time they want a delicious meal; now they can invent their own. As an added bonus, there is an audiobook for this cookbook (a rarity to be sure), so you can listen to it AND cook at the same time. It’s a win-win!

When I asked my history-loving spouse which history book I should include for summer reading, he enthusiastically recommended Enemy of All Mankind. “It has pirates on the high seas!” he said. Henry Every, the 17th century’s most notorious pirate, rules the high seas. The British government wanted him dead. But more than that, Steven Johnson argues that his nefarious deeds changed the course of the global economy. So, if you’re looking for adventure, epic sea battles, and just a general good time, Enemy of All Mankind is a must.