I’m With the Sand: 5 of the Best SFF Beach Reads

Hello, my little sunny bunnies! Summer is almost upon us (at least here in Maine), which means it’s nearly time to fill up your tote with great books and head to the beach. That’s why Book Riot has put together a list of the Best Beach Reads of All Time! And there are so many amazing sci-fi and fantasy books that are perfect for when you’re stretching out in the sand.

What makes a book a beach read? Well, really, any book you bring to the beach is a beach read. But if you’re looking for awesome reads that are fun in the sun, and will have you quickly flipping pages as you tune out the world around you, the five below will help you do just that!

These recommendations have heroes and villains, action, adventure, magic, and more! Who wants the real world when you’re trying to relax? So grab your cooler and your folding chair and get ready to soak them in. (And don’t forget the sunscreen!)

2 of My Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Beach Reads

Starter Villain by John Scalzi Like Angelmaker, this is a funny, fast-paced sci-fi adventure about good vs. evil, but this time, the hero is a supervillain. Kinda. Sort of. Charlie barely knew about his Uncle Jake and he definitely didn’t know what Jake did for a living. But when he dies, Charlie learns that Jake has left his business to him, and that business is evil. Quickly, Charlie goes from being an unhappy, newly-divorced substitute teacher to the head of an evil empire, with its own secret lair on an island, henchmen, talking animals, and tons of cash. But Charlie didn’t just inherit the business—he also inherited his uncle’s enemies, and he’ll have to get the hang of the supervillain profession quick if he wants to survive.

3 Book Rioters’ Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Beach Reads

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna A magical coastal estate in England. A slow-burn romance between a grumpgrump librarian and a kindhearted witch in search of found family. All things cottagecore. Come on! What more could you want from a beach read? Sangu Mandanna’s sweet romance hits the molten hot core of cozy and my personal witchy wheelhouse. This is the book you’ll want to grab when you’re looking for a summer read to help you unwind and capture those carefree vibes. Yes, it has stakes and some racist, xenophobic antagonists, but the strife is soft. You can bet that it delivers the HEA and a houseful of human-shaped cinnamon rolls (even if in the making). —S. Zainab Williams

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda  If you’re new to manga or simply looking for new-to-you manga, One Piece is perfect for bringing to the beach. Apart from being one of the longest-running and most internationally loved manga series, it’s got pirates sailing the Seven Seas of a fantastical world, found family, and even a few heart-touching moments. At the head of it all is Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of finding the One Piece treasure and becoming King of the Pirates. He just needs a loyal crew… and to deal with the curse of never being able to swim again that he accidentally exchanged for an extraordinary power. —Erica Ezeifedi

Lumberjanes by ND Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Gus A. Allen Okay, so hear me out on why Lumberjanes is my ideal beach read. It’s the story of a group of young ladies at summer camp. But it’s no ordinary summer camp. The forest is filled with magical creatures, dangers, and mysteries. And these young ladies, these Lumberjanes? They run toward danger and always rely on each other and their friendship to solve every problem and right every wrong. Yes, it’s a comic book. Yes, it’s pretty much middle grade. And that’s why it’s perfect. It’s easy to read, fun and funny, and it warms the heart as the sun warms my skin. —Chris M. Arnone

And for more of the best books to bring to the shore, be sure to check out our 50 Best Beach Reads!

Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the BR podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.

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The following comes to you from the Editorial Desk.

We love a good cover, and this week, we’re highlighting a list of the best short story covers. Trust us when we say that these will look so demure on your bookshelves!

Read on for an excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.

In the course of writing about great book covers, there’s one thing that I’ve noted several times: short story collections have some of the most innovative, memorable, and eye-catching covers of them all. Why is that? Perhaps part of it is because short story collections are a harder sell to the average reader, so the first line of marketing has to be for the bookshop browser, whether they’re perusing on or off line. Perhaps part of it is that many great short story collections are coming from smaller presses, so pushing boundaries with design is part of what’s possible because there are fewer stakeholders to please in the process. Perhaps it’s also simply that short story collections, by nature of their diversity, invite more creativity into the cover design process.

Whatever the reason or reasons, I suspect anyone who appreciates a good book cover is here for it.

Let’s take a look at some of the banging short story book covers that have hit shelves this year, as well as look at some of the upcoming covers of collections you’ll want to pop on your TBR ASAP. If you’re reading this when the piece publishes in mid-May, know you’ll be reading it in time to partake in Short Story Month, too. Any month can be short story month, of course, but May gives extra reason to dive into bite-sized fiction.

As always, caveats abound here. It is still unnecessarily difficult to track down cover designers and artists for book covers, especially if you don’t have the book in your hand to double-check. Many publishers still don’t put this information on the landing pages for these books, so it takes good Googling and a lot of luck to dig up names to credit.

Autocorrect by Etgar Keret, translated by Jessica Cohen and Sondra Silverston (May 27) If you’re looking for a collection of darkly funny stories, this cover is not going to steer you in the wrong direction. It’s a squirrel that’s clearly been launched right into the book title, and he looks completely unfazed by it all. There’s a lot of nice movement in this design, especially as it is very simplistic.

Sign up to become an All Access member for only $6/month and then click here to read the full, unlocked article. Level up your reading life with All Access membership and explore a full library of exclusive bonus content, including must-reads, deep d