Prompts

What Lighthearted Beach, Poolside or Park Reads Did You Get Lost In?

With summer here, many of us are taking the opportunity to get outside and read. That could mean finding a cozy spot in a park, stretching out on a chair poolside or on a blanket on the beach – or staying warm in bed. "Pool reads" are lighthearted and fun. They're an escape from everything happening in our lives.

When you think of fun stories that had you staying put far longer than you intended, what books come to mind?

Project Hail Mary

2021 • 3,153 Readers • 496 pages 4.4

The Martian

2011 • 2,665 Readers • 384 pages 4.4

Tress of the Emerald Sea

2023 • 1,451 Readers • 480 pages 4.5

Skyward

2018 • 943 Readers • 530 pages 4.4

Off to Be the Wizard

2013 • 253 Readers • 373 pages 3.9

The Princess Bride

1973 • 1,131 Readers • 465 pages 4.2

Guards! Guards!

1989 • 706 Readers • 344 pages 4.2

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

2021 • 1,186 Readers • 160 pages 4.3

Six Wakes

2017 • 267 Readers • 400 pages 3.9

The Rosie Project

2013 • 399 Readers • 295 pages 3.8

Paladin's Grace

2020 • 297 Readers • 357 pages 4.2

Spell Bound

2023 • 73 Readers • 302 pages 4.1

The Hotel Nantucket

2022 • 85 Readers • 368 pages 4.2

Happy Place

2023 • 778 Readers • 388 pages 3.8

The House Witch

2022 • 164 Readers • 474 pages 3.9

Bookshops & Bonedust

2023 • 704 Readers • 352 pages 4.3

The Seven Year Slip

2023 • 410 Readers • 9h 44m 4.3

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

2014 • 1,259 Readers • 518 pages 4.1

His Majesty's Dragon

2006 • 236 Readers • 336 pages 3.9

Throne in the Dark

2022 • 68 Readers • 459 pages 4.2

A Million Junes

2017 • 69 Readers • 391 pages 4.1

The Siren

2009 • 54 Readers • 276 pages 3.3

Duke and I

2000 • 400 Readers • 464 pages 3.3

My Friend Anna

2019 • 47 Readers • 288 pages 3.6

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

1979 • 3,072 Readers • 215 pages 4.2

Beach Read

2020 • 954 Readers • 401 pages 3.9

The Rule Of Four

2004 • 46 Readers • 372 pages 3.2