It’s no secret that everyone who comes to Maine – both people from here and those From Away dream of days spent lazing on the Pine State’s shores. And for many, one of a beach day’s greatest pleasures is getting lost in a page-turner. 

If you’re looking for your next immersive read for a day by the beach, six Maine writers, editors and booksellers have just the book for you, from New England’s beach towns to “Pretty Woman” callbacks.

‘Ladder of Years’ by Anne Tyler

Who hasn’t daydreamed of walking away from their real life to live a perpetual vacation with no obligations? In Anne Tyler’s “Ladder of Years,” the protagonist, Delia Grinstead, is knocked off-kilter when an encounter with a stranger in a supermarket leads her to imagine a life that looks nothing like her own. On a beach vacation, Delia literally walks away from the family that takes her for granted and rents a room in a small town where no one knows or depends on her. In this liminal space, she meets others also trying to carve out different lives and builds unanticipated connections that show she can’t leave her old life entirely behind.

– Katherine K. Lee, news and culture editor 

‘Mutual Interest’ by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith

Pick up Olivia Wolfgang-Smith’s “Mutual Interest” for a post-Gilded Age soap opera — with actual soap. The novel reimagines the origins of a Procter & Gamble–like empire through the lives of three ambitious queer misfits. Armed with big dreams (and big secrets) Vivian, Oscar and Squire ascend the corporate ladder, learning the true costs of doing business. An irresistible romp through New York’s high society, this novel has charming banter and thoughtful historical detail. Its winking narrator keeps the story light even as it explores the grim realities of life in the closet. It is an immersive, surprisingly moving read that never takes itself too seriously.

– Chloe Liversidge, Press Herald intern 

‘Fates and Furies’ by Lauren Groff

The sublime dissolution of a charmed marriage may make for unlikely beachside entertainment, but Lauren Groff’s 2015 novel, “Fates and Furies,” is one I read ferociously. Telling the story of Lotto and Mathilde in two parts — his side, her side — the book probes the lies a couple tells each other to preserve both their own selves and the integrity of their bond. There’s something sickly and spellbinding to the pair, and when I hit the pivot in the novel’s second part, I find this novel impossible to put down. Groff gives new meaning to words like “ursine” and “Norwegian,” too. 

– Michael Colbert, books editor-at-large

‘Dolly All the Time’ by Annabel Monaghan

A great beach read this summer is “Dolly All the Time” by Annabel Monaghan. This novel blends grumpy/sunshine romance with more substantial themes of carrying too much responsibility for too long and navigating family obligation. Readers will enjoy “Pretty Woman” callbacks (with welcome updates) alongside a setting that feels wonderfully Maine-like despite being set in Rhode Island. The characters have real depth beneath their simmering chemistry, and the ending delivers exactly what you want in a summer read. It’s satisfying, hopeful, and perfect for a day by the lake or ocean. 

– Christine Mackenzie, assistant manager, Nonesuch Books

‘June Baby’ by Shannon Garvey

“June Baby” instantly captivated me from the first page. The beach read takes place on Block Island and follows Ruth after her mother dies from cancer. As Ruth strives to figure out a path in life, she’s met with family secrets and a romance that make her question her own belonging. Garvey uses her experience from waitressing on Block Island and living on the New Hampshire seacoast to transport the reader to a realistic New England summer. Garvey is also a local author and University of New Hampshire graduate. 

– Emily Duggan, Kennebec Journal staff writer 

‘Summer of ’42’ by Herman Raucher

I first read “Summer of ’42” when I was a tween, not long after the bestseller was published in 1971. I plucked it from a bookshelf at camp and expertly found all the racy bits. Herman Raucher adapted it from his screenplay for the Oscar-nominated film, released the same year. Based on his experience as a teen on Nantucket, it follows his relationships with two buddies and a young woman whose husband is fighting in World War II. The writing is what you’d expect from a former Mad Men-era ad executive. The beach setting is appropriately warm and moody. 

— Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald staff writer