Travel from Venice and Sicily to Fire Island and the Jersey Shore.
From the shores of Long Island to the coast of Italy, there’s no better travel companion than a good book. But with so many wonderful summer selections, how do you ultimately decide which to pack? My favorite way of picking a book is to match its setting to where I wish to travel — whether in body or spirit.
I devoured William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns on the flight to Delhi, Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See on a train from Paris to Nice, and Delia Ephron’s Siracusa over thrice-baked ricotta in Siracusa itself. Even when my travels take me no further than my living room, books set in interesting places have proven a great escape. Reading Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air was clearly the easier path to the top of Everest, and I could practically taste the Beef Bourguignon while consuming Julie Powell’s Julie & Julia.
Whether your summer plans have you reading on a faraway beach, or in your very own backyard, check out the latest literary locales, along with the inside scoop on why these authors set their novels where they did.
12 Best New Beach Reads 2024
A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson
Who hasn’t wondered if that childhood friend is meant to be something more? In this beautiful, heart-clenching adult debut, life-long besties Issac and Ni spend three sizzling months in Rhode Island discovering what might happen if they went from friends to lovers. As in her young adult books, Neilson’s prose is warm and dreamy. Escape through them to Rhode Island. You’ll be happy you did.
Why Rhode Island?
“My small state is surrounded by ocean; has always felt full of magic; and is brimming with culture, amazing food, and art, so I don’t know that I’ll ever not write about it.” –Riss M. Neilson
All The Summer’s in Between by Brooke Lea Foster
Set in dual timelines of 1967 and 1977 in the Hamptons, this one had me racing to turn the pages. Thea, a local teen, meets Margot, a wealthy summer resident, and the two form an unlikely friendship tested with unimaginable twists and turns. I won’t say more — except pick it up on June 4 and cancel your plans for the rest of the week!
Why the Hamptons?
“The Hamptons have always inspired me with its drama and beauty. Partly because of the quiet tension simmering between wealthy city people and hardscrabble locals, and partly because the light dances across the sea, inspiring generations of artists and writers to express themselves.” –Brooke Lea Foster
Tehrangeles: A Novel by Porochista Khakpour
Iranian-American multimillionaires Ali and Homa Milani have it all — a McMansion in the hills of Los Angeles, a microwaveable snack empire, and four spirited daughters. On the verge of landing a reality TV show, the looming scrutiny of fame threatens the family, making for a fun and fabulous exploration of a slice of LA that I knew little about.
Why Los Angeles?
“I’m from LA’s East Side and grew up watching the very affluent, flashy, ultra-glam, and super-superficial Tehrangelenos with a mix of amusement & horror, so this was an ideal landscape for this kind of satire.”-Porochista Khakpour
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
A huge fan of both Sicily and Jo Piazza, I waited patiently to get this one in my hands, and it didn’t disappoint. Piazza’s newest release is a transporting novel rooted in the author’s family history including a disputed inheritance and a family secret that some will kill to protect. If I had to choose, dare I say, I would take the book and leave the cannolis!
Why Sicily?
“Sicily is an island of extremes. It’s beautiful and dangerous, warm and wonderful. A true destination that hasn’t been spoiled by tourism, it was the perfect place to set this delicious adventure.”—Jo Piazza
The Memo by Rachel Dodes & Lauren Mechling
From the gilded halls of her upstate New York alma mater to the beaches of Costa Rica Jenny Green is stuck in a life that isn’t the one she expected while her friends seem to have it all figured out. At age 35, with a cheating boyfriend and a lousy job, Jenny wonders, did she just not get the memo everyone else did? If you had a chance to go back in time and right your wrongs would you take it? Get The Memo and see how it all turns out.
Why Costa Rica?
“Costa Rica is the most magical land I’ve ever visited, home to wild sloths, jacuzzi-warm waves, and countless cretins who might worm their way into a woman’s life for far too long. The idea of rendering two versions of a trip — one botched, one brilliant — on the Pacific coast was a no-brainer when Rachel and I were plotting The Memo.”—Lauren Mechling
This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
In This Summer Will Be Different, Lucy is vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island and is shown a very good time by a local named Felix. The chink in the armor of this meet-cute is that Felix is her best friend’s younger brother. Some say Carley’s third novel is her best yet, but I would be hard-pressed to pick just one. Pick up all three and your summer will be booked, pun intended.
Why Prince Edward Island?
“I first traveled to Prince Edward Island in my early 20s with my best friend and twice more while writing This Summer Will Be Different. Each trip exceeded my expectations. One of my hopes is that readers feel like they’ve also taken a vacation to the island. I want them to taste the oysters, feel the coastal wind on their cheeks, and dig their toes in the sand. I want this to be a book you can taste.” –Carley Fortune
Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland
The four Jacobson siblings reunite when their newly widowed father puts their Jersey Shore beach house on the market. When three of them go in on a winning Powerball ticket and become overnight millionaires all hell breaks loose. If Elyssa Friedland was not anointed the queen of the family drama before, this one surely cements her crown.
Why the Jersey Shore?
“As a Jersey girl, it was important for me to show off the magic of the Shore. Our state is so much more than the turnpike and Snooki; we are wide beaches, gorgeous sunsets, flavored ices, and Bon Jovi.”—Elyssa Friedland
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum
Very Bad Company is a dark comedy about a team of high-flying executives on a retreat in Miami when one of them goes missing. Drama, scandal, humor, and palm trees all come together in Rosenblum’s racy second novel, following her best-seller Bad Summer People.
Why Miami?
“There’s a line in Very Bad Company — ‘Miami Beach was the perfect combo of trashy and lux.’ That’s why it’s such a great place to set a novel! That mix of tropical vacation vibes with tons of nightlife and chaotic energy results in a feeling that anything could happen. –Emma Rosenblum
A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Kristy Woodson Harvey’s latest novel is a sweet and sensitive tale of a young woman who spends a life-changing summer in North Carolina, leading her to find the family she’s always longed for. Harvey has stated that this book is her favorite, and since she’s playing favorites, I have to agree.
Why Beaufort, North Carolina?
“This is the first time I’ve written about the town that captured my heart from the moment I saw it. Beaufort is a charming seaside escape loaded with quirky characters, fascinating history, and, maybe best of all, pre-revolutionary homes.”—Kristy Woodson Harvey
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
In The Guncle, Patrick O’Hara spends a summer looking after his niece Maisie and nephew Grant after their mother’s passing. In this sequel, Patrick’s called back to his guncle duties, this time for a big family wedding in Venice. As he travels with young Maisie and Grant through Europe on their way to their father’s wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, just as he did with loss. It was such a pleasure to spend more time with these characters. Like with any great trip, I didn’t want it to end.
Why Venice?
“Venice is unlike any city on Earth and it’s one with a rich literary history. When I traveled there, I wondered how I could ever capture it in words. Imagining how one might introduce the city and all its splendors to kids allowed me to look at it with fresh eyes and capture my favorite off-the-beaten-path places like the Libreria Acqua Alta, a magical bookstore.”—Steven Rowley
Seven Summer Weekends by Jane L. Rosen
Pack your bags and come back to Fire Island with me for Seven Summer Weekends. When a Zoom disaster upends Addison Irwin’s decade-long career at a posh Manhattan advertising agency she throws her into a journey of self-discovery, meddling relatives, unexpected adventures, and, of course, heart-stopping romance!
Why Fire Island?
Seven Summer Weekends is the second of my three novels set on Fire Island (On Fire Island, 2023 and Songs of Summer, 2025). My happiest days have been spent on the car-free narrow stretch of land, bordered by the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Wherever I wander, it is the place I always want to come back to.
Jane L. Rosen is the author of five novels including Seven Summer Weekends, out June 4.
