These Brand New Books Are The Perfect Vacation Reads

Whether you’re a beach person, a cabin person, or a long-weekend-inside-your-apartment-with-your-phone-turned-off person, these reads (coming out in April) will cure your end-of-winter blues.

Here, you’ll find thrillers, some coming-of-age stories, and Italy adventures—in fact, you won’t be able to pick just one to bring with you on vacation.

What is it about small suburban towns, carpools, soccer games, and culs-de-sac that make for really fun beach reads? While there isn’t the murderous twist of Big Little Lies, there are still plenty of secrets to be uncovered in the neighborhood. We recommend pairing this one with wine for your spring book club.

To buy: $10, amazon.com.

Wolitzer’s newest novel is a beautiful story of mentorship, friendship, and growth. Greer Kadetsky is stuck at a college that she never wanted to attend with a boyfriend miles away and absolutely no direction. After hearing a lecture from feminist Faith Frank, her path begins to take shape and she finds herself trading in a love story for one where she is the heroine. You’ll follow Greer through the grief and loss of growing up, and root for her as she finds her way.

To buy: $17, amazon.com.

We know that Shepard can write a page-turner—she had us all glued to our books and then our TVs with Pretty Little Liars. In her newest book, she breaks out of the YA mold with a dark mystery about a journalist struggling with memory loss as she tries to identify her attacker. If the identity of A kept you up at night, then you’ll want to add this to your TBR pile.

To buy: $26, amazon.com.

A beach read doesn’t have to be fiction! These hilarious essays from bestselling author Sloane Crosley are ideal for a vacation that’s a bit busier—you can fit in an essay between hikes, before happy hour, and right before bed. These true stories of Crosley’s many life adventures deliver laughs, but don’t lack emotional depth—and if you enjoy this collection, you’ll definitely want to order I Was Told There’d Be Cake.

To buy: $17, amazon.com.

The benefit of reading about Tuscany while on vacation is that you might be less jealous of these three American women who decided, on a whim, to move to Italy over the year. May, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, develops an unlikely friendship between three women who have foregone retirement in favor of a European adventure, and the local writer who welcomes them into her community.

To buy: $18, amazon.com.