Best classic summer beach reads

Ahh, the beach read.

Don’t let the literary snobs fool you: Popular summer books, aka beach reads, aren’t all crazy genre novels that are devoured on a beach towel in July and forgotten by Halloween (although those are fun too!). In fact, many of the best summer reads of all time go way beyond fluff — they’re classics.

But it begs the question: If it’s not the book’s topic or quality that makes it a great beach read, what does? This list highlights some typical traits of great summer reads, with examples from the classics — the best summer reads of all time.

Grab your sunhat and a tall, cool drink. We’re about to take a tour of classic books that make for great beach reads.

A Deeply Compelling Plot

This first entry destroys another beach-read myth — that summer reads are always novels. “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote is a true story, and you won’t be able to put it down. It tells the tale of the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. To be clear, it isn’t a mystery, and it’s not focused on the gore of the crime itself (that’s not really described at all). Instead, Capote reveals the killers at the book’s beginning and draws readers in with pure suspense as he reveals the characters of both the victims and killers with unforgettable empathy.

An Out-of-This-World Setting

Another key feature of many classic summer reads is a setting that’s completely different from the every day spots (we’re looking at you, “Dune“!). It can be a spaceship in a galaxy far, far away. But out-of-this-world can also be right here on Earth, say, on a remote desert island, like “Robinson Crusoe.” This is a novel about an English sailor who’s cast away on a Caribbean island for almost 30 years. Part adventure story (cannibals! rogue sailors!) and part diary, it recounts the struggles he faces to survive — and to understand his life.

A Puzzle You Can’t Wait to Solve

You might think that “The Da Vinci Code” was the first great summer puzzle read. But Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” is the classic of the genre. Published in the 1930s, this book features famous fictional Detective Hercule Poirot and a cast of intriguing characters aboard a luxury train on a trip from Istanbul to England. A murder occurs. A who-done-it follows. And you’ll be guessing until the end.

Grab a book or tablet and choose your favorite classic summer beach read.

A Captivating Lead Character

The massive success of “Gone Girl” as a beach read a few years ago underscored another feature of a great summer book: a lead character you just can’t look away from. At the other end of the moral spectrum is Atticus Finch, the heroic lead character in Harper Lee’s classic novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Finch is an unforgettable model of a good man, with the courage to confront the weakness of human character and the boldness to stand up for what’s right when things go very wrong in a small town in the American South. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and inspired an Oscar-winning movie.

A Happy Ending

Another popular theme in beach reading? “And they lived happily ever after.” And perhaps no book has delivered the happy ending with more literary impact than “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin. The book, which was published in the 19th century, broke the mold for its day — its charming, engaging characters determine their destinies, rather than fate, as they struggle and scheme to find the love and/or marriage that they crave. And that’s probably why it’s still so popular today.

An Epic Story

Sweeping sagas make for great summertime reads — stories that cover vast timeframes or cross broad landscapes. “Lonesome Dove” by Larry McMurtry is as classic as the story of the American frontier. It’s set in a small Texas town, peopled with rich characters, and part of a legendary series of novels. Think reading a Western of men tracking cattle will be too dull to draw you in? This book will make you think again.

Here’s the final analysis: The best summer reads of all time have the power to grab and hold your attention — pulling you in so completely that they take you far, far away — even if you never leave your lounge chair.