By Lauren Lege

People come to the beach to relax, and do, well, as little as possible. But after three hours of baking in the sun, you may find your mind looking for an outlet other than staring into a phone that’s probably looking more like a mirror at this point. After visiting with several local bookstores, we got the insider’s opinion of what to read this summer. So, here are 10 great books for your beach bag, as recommended by the staff at Sundog Books, and basically anyone lounging outside of Amavida Coffee with a book in their hand:

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Straub describes her book as “an irresistible, deftly observed novel about the secrets, joys, and jealousies that rise to the surface over the course of an American family’s two-week stay in Mallorca.” And People magazine says it’s, “Delicious… richly riveting… The Vacationers offers all the delights of a fluffy, read-it-with-sunglasses-on-the-beach read, made substantial by the exceptional wit, insight, intelligence and talents of its author.”

I’m Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum

Glamour named this book one of the “10 Best Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List Right This Second.” It’s about a “failed monogamist” who tries to woo back his estranged wife in pursuit of the answer to this question: Is it possible to fall back in love with your spouse?

“A great story about love and marriage… Very enchanting, a good beach read.” — TODAY Show

Sarah at Sundog Books shares a few of her recommended reads:

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Winner of the L.A. Times book prize for fiction, A Tale for the Time Being is “deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth; brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.”

Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Frank

Harper Collins writes, “Beloved New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank once again takes us deep in the heart of the magical Low Country — a sultry land of ancient magic, glorious sunsets, and soothing coastal breezes, where three generations of strong women wrestle with the expectations of family while struggling to understand their complicated relationships with each other.”

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

An epic family saga rooted in the magic and lifestyle of the Virgin Islands, The Huffington Post wrote, “… Yanique’s debut novel bursts with imagination and intoxicating atmosphere, and the deeply felt characters at its heart demand to be heard.”

One More Thing by BJ Novak

One More Thing is a collection of stories that were pieced together at comedy clubs and bookstores by the actor, writer, and director of hit the TV comedy series The Office.

“Hugely pleasurable… droll and smart in spades, but often humane and vulnerable, too,” wrote Teddy Wayne, in his New York Times book review. “Beneath the hilarious pieces and satire here beats a surprisingly tender heart.”

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

“A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny,” wrote The New York Times. “Green shows us true love… and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” Meanwhile, the The Washington Post said, “John Green deftly mixes the profound and the quotidian in this tough, touching valentine to the human spirit.”

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

Goodreads.com writes: “Claire Limyè Lanmè is an enchanting child born into love and tragedy in Ville Rose, Haiti. Claire’s mother died in childbirth, and on each of her birthdays, Claire is taken by her father, Nozias, to visit her mother’s grave. Nozias wonders if he should give away his young daughter to a local shopkeeper, who lost a child of her own, so that Claire can have a better life.”

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

“From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of The Namesake comes an extraordinary new novel, set in both India and America, that expands the scope and range of one of our most dazzling storytellers: a tale of two brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn by revolution, and a love that lasts long past death.”  –Amazon.com

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s masterpiece (and winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction) is a novel about Africa in a wider sense. It’s about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class and race — and about the ways in which love can complicate all of these things.

“Half of a Yellow Sun is a tremendously evocative novel of the promise, hope, and disappointment of the Biafran war.” –Amazon.com

Looking for some cool new tunes to add to your beach playlist? Here are a few rhythmic recommendations from our friend Ed up at Central Square Records in Seaside: