Resort Blog

Photo credit: @amy_margaret01

Every good vacation needs a great reading list. A solid beach read is an essential part of your beach day packing, like remembering to bring sunscreen or a towel.

Palmetto Dunes is situated on ­three miles of pristine beachfront, ideal for swimming, surfing, or just lounging—with that great book you remembered to pack.

So, what should you be reading this summer? We’ve picked out ten beach reads for 2018 that are perfect for every kind of vacationer.

For the Whole Book Club

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

This novel about female friendship and cultural identities will be a hit with the whole book club. In fact, Reese Witherspoon recently selected it for her own club. It’s a playful yet thought provoking read that will leave you and your pals with lots to discuss.

For the Funny Fiction Lover

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

This uproarious novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and will have you in stitches on the beach. In it, a failed novelist embarks on a round-the-world trip in order to politely avoid accepting an invitation to his ex-boyfriend’s wedding. This bittersweet love story is the perfect summer beach read for anyone looking for a laugh.

For the Observational Comedian

Calypso by David Sedaris

If humorous memoirs are more your style, look no further than the master himself, David Sedaris. Sedaris’s latest offering, Calypso, features the wry, witty observational humor he’s known for. The stories in this collection often center around the time his family spends at a beach house on the Carolina coast, making it a particularly apt read for a Hilton Head Island vacation.

For the True Crime Junkie

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

If your smartphone is loaded up with true crime podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Serial, then you’ll want the latest and greatest from the genre on your reading list as well. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is being heralded as a masterpiece of true crime writing. In her book, author McNamara investigated the famous “Golden State Killer” and just may have contributed to his surprising arrest in April of 2018, decades after the crimes were committed. True crime junkies won’t be able to put this one down.

For the Short Story Lover

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

Short stories can be easily put down and picked back up again, making them perfect for busy vacationers. This is novelist Curtis Sittenfeld’s first collection of short stories, and they deliver the same colorful characters and sharp, clever observations as her acclaimed novels.

For the Science Buff

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

Though this book will certainly resonate with science lovers, don’t mistake it for a dry textbook style piece of non-fiction. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is science, but it’s also storytelling. It’s a biography at heart. The book artfully traces a 200-million-year history and connects it with modern-day accounts of the real-life work of its paleontologist author.

For the Hopeless Romantic

A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

This sweet story of an estranged family reunited for a wedding will appeal to the romantic souls on the beach. In her debut novel, Mirza tells the saga of a Muslim Indian-American family’s bonds and betrayals. Though the story spans decades, it is also intimate and captivating. Fun fact: this is the first book published under celebrity Sarah Jessica Parker’s new imprint, SJP for Hogarth.

For the Southern Belle

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

This book is perfect for southern belles, and those inspired by the South following a relaxing Lowcountry vacation. This frothy, lighthearted book offers advice on everything from entertaining, to home décor, to how to style one’s hair—the Southern way.

For the Pop Culture Junkie

You’re on an Airplane by Parker Posey

If you’re the type of beachgoer who usually packs a few glossy magazines or tabloids in their bag, then this fun, funny book from actress Parker Posey is for you. The indie film darling’s memoir is as offbeat as her persona. Hilarious stories of her childhood, hobbies, and Hollywood life are told as though you, the reader, have Posey as an airplane seatmate.

For the Poetry Lover

Yesterday I Was the Moon by Noor Unnahar

Personal, insightful poetry has experienced a resurgence in recent years, thanks to works like Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur and Love Her Wild by Atticus. If you liked those collections, pick up Noor Unnahar’s debut collection. You’ll love soaking up each beautiful word while you soak up your beautiful surroundings on Hilton Head Island.

What will you be reading on the Palmetto Dunes beach this summer? Snap an Instagram and tag it #PalmettoDunes to share your best beach reads with us.