12 Unexpected Summer Reads That Aren’t Necessarily “Beach Reads”

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When I wrote to our contributors asking for their recs for our Downtime summer reading list, I kept the prompt open to interpretation. They were each asked to recommend two books that are “beach reads, but not necessarily,” and it was up to them to decide where they’d want to go with it.

What a bounty of they responded with! The recommendations come from a sparkly panel: Romance writers Alexandra Romanoff and Kate Spencer, established novelists Jade Chang and larissa pham, book podcaster Traci Thomas of The Stacks, and poet Chet’la Sebree.

Their recommendations are as expansive and interesting as the panel itself. The list contains contemporary fiction, classics, plays, graphic novels and story collections. Thank you, ladies, for offering up your selections (along with your great taste and wit).

Alexandra Romanoff recommends:

This One Summer, Jillian Tamaki

This One Summer takes place at the beach, so it has that going for it in the “beach read” column. But this graphic novel about a pair of tweens navigating a summer on the precipice between childhood and adolescence isn’t steamy or thrilling; instead, it’s moody, contemplative and deeply heartfelt.

Beating Heart Baby, Lio Min

Okay, this one IS sexy-- wildly, achingly so. (Though it’s also YA, so don’t expect romance-level spice.) Set in LA, it follows star-crossed lovers Suwa and Santi as they flirt and fight and break each others’ hearts and make up and make art. If you’re looking for longing that sears, this is the one.

Zan Romanoff is a cultural critic, teacher, and the author of six novels, including Vacation Self, out in August...