Mini Episode - Genre Series: The One With Sunscreen and the Perfect Beach Read

Apparently, “beach read” is a genre. Except… it isn’t. So what actually makes a beach read a beach read?

Does genre matter? Does it need romance, or can there be a murder or two? Does the story actually have to take place at the beach? And if you read a decidedly un-beachy book while sitting under an umbrella with a frozen drink, does that count?

In this mini episode, we’re attempting to define the completely undefinable—from the genres and settings that give us beach-read vibes to the books we’d actually toss into our vacation bags.

And because apparently books aren’t enough, we’re also talking beach watches: the movies and shows that belong in your vacation lineup when you’ve had enough sun, sand, and reading for the day.

Grab the sunscreen. We’re about to have opinions.

Welcome to Chapter One, Scene One, where the SPF is high and the literary standards are… negotiable.