'It's my job to recommend books. Here are the 10 best beach reads for your summer holiday.'

There's nothing better than sitting on the beach, by the pool, or in your cousin Larry's backyard and getting lost in a beach read. 

What is a beach read I hear you ask? I define a beach read as a thoroughly enjoyable romp that won't trigger your childhood trauma or make you reach for the thesaurus. 

You know just a bloody good read with good vibes. 

To help you get in the holiday mood, I've rounded up a bunch of beach reads that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even solve a murder or two. (P.S. if you'd like to see my weekly recommendations, follow me on Instagram). 

Here are the 10 best beach reads for your summer holiday: 

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary

Image: Hachette. 

Beth O'Leary knows how to write a bloody good rom-com. 

Her previous books, The Flat Share and The Road Trip, have won hearts around the world and her latest novel, The No-Show, is set to be her best yet. 

The book tells the story of three women, three dates and one missing man. 

Both funny and sad, The No-Show is a book about dating, waiting, and the love that can find us in the most unexpected ways. 

Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes

Image: Penguin Books Australia. 

Rachel's Holiday is one of the first books I fell deeply in love with. The novel follows the story of 27-year-old Rachel Walsh, whose family has admitted her to Cloisters — Dublin’s answer to the Betty Ford Clinic. 

During her time at Cloisters, Rachel faces some hard truths about herself and learns that it's never too late to start over. 

In Again, Rachel, Keyes revisits Rachel, who is now in her 50s. She's happily married with kids, works as an addiction counsellor and even... gardens. 

She's the poster girl for getting your sh*t together. 

But with the sudden reappearance of a man she once loved, Rachel's life wobbles. Maybe she's not as settled as she thought? And maybe it's time for her to rethink things. 

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Image: Ultimo Press. 

After two years of lockdowns, sisters Charlie and Eleanor are about to start the rest of their lives. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend and Charlie's career as an actor is just taking off. They're about to get everything they've ever wanted, if only they can figure out what that really is. 

From the bestselling author of Love & Virtue, comes a darkly funny story about two sisters and the summer that almost breaks them. 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Image: Penguin Books Australia. 

Meet the unconventional, uncompromising Elizabeth Zott.

It's the early 1960s, and Elizabeth is the only female scientist working in an all-male team at Hastings Research Institute. Most of Elizabeth's colleagues ignore her - except for Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with - of all things - her mind. 

Flash forward a few years, and Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six.

But Elizabeth is not only teaching women how to cook... she's daring them to change the status quo. 

Lessons in Chemistry is a joyful book about a woman determined to change the world. 

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

Image: Pan MacMillan. 

Sally Hepworth's latest domestic thriller, The Soulmate, will have you hooked from the very first chapter. 

Gabe and Pippa Gerard have just moved into their dream home. The cliff-side cottage in a sleepy coastal town outside Melbourne seems like the perfect place to repair their marriage and raise their two daughters.

But they soon find out their property is also home to 'The Spot', a popular place for people planning to end their own lives.

One night, Gabe attempts to stop a woman from jumping but fails. And Pippa sees him, standing alone at the cliff’s edge, arms outstretched, palms facing out. 

The death is ruled a suicide, but soon Pippa begins to question whether she truly knows the man she shares her life with. 

The Trivia Night by Ali Lowe

Image: Hachette. 

If you're a fan of Liane Moriarty, you're going to love The Trivia Night. 

Ali Lowe's debut novel follows a group of parents whose lives spin out of control after a particularly raucous school fundraising trivia night. 

The parents of the kindergarten class at Darley Heights primary school seem to have it all. But their lives are changed forever after someone suggests partner swapping at the school trivia night. 

Sworn to secrecy about their wild night, the truth begins to rip their perfect lives part and soon revenge turns... fatal. 

The Trivia Night is the perfect book to lose yourself in by the pool. 

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Image: Penguin Books Australia. 

Twelve summers ago, Poppy and Alex met. They hated each other and were confident they'd never speak again. 

The next summer, they were forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship was formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

Two summers ago, it all went wrong. 

This summer, Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives. 

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Image: Penguin Books Australia. 

Carrie Soto is Back is the last in Taylor Jenkins Reid's quartet of stories about famous women through the ages. 

Six years after retirement, Carrie Soto is sitting in the stands at the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan. 

At 37, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record.

Touching on failure, second chances and starting over, Carrie Soto is Back is the author's most vulnerable book yet.

The Way From Here by Jane Cockram

Image: supplied. 

The Way From Here follows the story of the Anderson sisters - Susie and Mills - who grew up on a remote property in the Northern Territory. 

When Susie suddenly dies just days before her 40th birthday, she leaves Mills six letters and a mystery to solve. The letters take Mills on a journey through London, a tiny French Island, and the English countryside as she pieces together what happened to Susie during her gap year travels and how that event marked the rest of her life. 

The Way From Here is an intergenerational family mystery, full of twists and turns, and a lot of heart. 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Image: HarperCollins Australia. 

The Guest List is the kind of book you'll inhale in one day. 

It's set on a remote island off the windswept Irish coast, where guests have gathered for the wedding of TV celebrity Will Slater and women's website mogul Jules Keegan. 

By the end of the night, someone will be dead, and every single guest will be a suspect. 

The Guest List is a thrilling page-turner and who-dunnit that's perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins. 

Keryn Donnelly is Mamamia's Pop Culture Editor. For her weekly TV, film and book recommendations and to see photos of her dog, follow her on Instagram and TikTok. 

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