18 LGBTQ books to add to your beach reads this summer

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, Hungerstone, Stop Me If You've Heard This One, Atmosphere and Deep House are some of the 2025 LGBTQ beach read picks.

The summer months are a perfect time to sit back, unwind and enjoy a bit of escapism with a book (or e-reader) in hand. For some, this could entail a trope-filled gay romance, while for others, it could mean tales of lesbian vampires and carnivorous flowers (looking at you, Florida!).

In order to serve up beachworthy queer recommendations for book lovers with a variety of tastes and preferences, we asked booksellers and bibliophiles across the country for the titles they’d throw in their beach bags.

“Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One” by Kristen Arnett, about a down-on-her-luck professional clown juggling a messy personal and professional life, was recommended by Christina Pascucci-Ciampa, the founder and owner of All She Wrote Books in Somerville, Massachusetts.

“This book, while at times outlandish and bonkers, was also extremely real and relatable. It’s why I fall in love with books like this one. I also fell in love with all of Arnett’s quirky characters, and the one-liners are chef’s kiss — sharp zingers that make you laugh so hard,” she said in an email.

When asked how she defines a beach read, Pascucci-Ciampa said it’s “a book that you can get lost in, and if it can, makes you laugh out loud. When you are at the beach, it is all about having a good time, especially if there are books involved.”