By Diane Hayes.
Everybody enjoys taking their summer reading to the beach, but if you’re looking for a true literary adventure this year, pack your sleeping bag, set up your tent, and don’t forget to choose one of these novels to bring along when you go camping. Reading a book over a campfire is one of the best experiences. What better way to take in the peaceful surroundings than by immersing yourself in an excellent book about the amazing world around you? We collected a list of books you should take camping.
The protagonist in Laura May’s book, The One Woman, is Julie, a graphic artist. The action takes place on the streets of Los Angeles, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, and Kyiv. Sadly, we know very little about Julie’s life or her connection to Mark. Until she meets Ann, that is. Ann is a nice and joyful web developer. It is clear that Julie cares for her. The moment their past and present collide in Spain, there is a genuine spark. When tragedy strikes, Julie will have to choose between her love for Ann and her commitment to Mark. Can true love last a distance? Learn more in this LGBTQ romance written by Laura May author.
In Wendy Corsi Staub’s novel The Other Family, nothing is as it seems. After leaving their lives in California behind, Nora Howell, her husband, and their two girls are eager to make a new beginning in Brooklyn. At first glance, it appears that they have located it in the form of a stunning brownstone with a sordid background. The previous owners were killed in a triple homicide, so the Howells shouldn’t have any reason to be concerned, right? The family’s new home soon experiences weird occurrences, and the oldest daughter soon starts to believe that someone is keeping an eye on them from a distance.
The Hotel Nantucket, the 28th book by Hilderbrand, is about a dilapidated hotel that is saved by business magnate Xavier Darling. Lizbet Keaton, a local, is hired by Xavier to open the hotel and win over a significant Instagram influencer. Oh, and a ghost of a hotel maid makes trouble. There has been a lot of talk surrounding this book, so hopefully it’ll meet up to the expectations! A lovely and entertaining group of people are led by the intrepid Lizbet as she navigates a breakup and a potential new romance.
Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski, set in 1999 and told from different points of view, follows a detective and the staff at the Lovely Lady strip club in the wake of a murder and missing persons inquiry. Samantha, a seasoned dancer, finds herself in a perilous predicament after taking a beginner under her wing. A sad investigator named Holly and a dancer named Georgia soon join forces to solve the crime, but it soon becomes clear that there are more moving elements than they first thought. Readers will become more and more engrossed in the inner workings of the club and its staff as the perspectives of more and more characters are introduced.
Sylah imagines herself as a child growing up in the resistance, hearing prophecies that she would start a revolution that would liberate the Empire from the oppression of the red-blooded ruling classes. The day she witnessed her family being slain in front of her put an end to that flame.
The most influential person in the Empire, Anoor’s mother, has told Anoor that she is nothing, no one, and a disappointment. But during a storm, dust constantly rises.
The stage is set for blood to flow, power to change, and cities to burn as the Empire launches a series of combat and talent trials intended to find its new leaders.
Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne is a reverse My Fair Lady set against the glittering social environment of New York City, where a proper socialite must help a Louisianan who has no desire to mingle with the upper class. Nothing makes Violet Townsend happier than to win the approval of everyone around her, especially her grandma. She is unable to refuse her grandmother’s request to assist Cain Stone, a newly discovered grandchild of one of her friends, in making the move from a life in Louisiana to a high-flying position in Manhattan. The only issue is that Cain has no desire to be transformed into the ideal New Yorker.
This entertaining new book by Katherine Center has the vibe of a summer blockbuster. Hannah may not have the appropriate appearance, yet she serves as a bodyguard for prominent clients. Her mother dies, and her boyfriend/coworker splits up with her. She is also given the task of guarding a huge movie star who is in town visiting family. All of this personal drama is happening at the same time. Although it appears to be a lighthearted affair, it actually packs some emotional blows in addition to some physical ones.
The holy Sanctum rises above the city of Collis. And keeping watch over its spires is Catrin, a young orphan with special abilities who is the only one who can identify construction defects in a structure before they become dangerous.
But when Catrin sees a killer fleeing the crime site, she is snared in the web of a dangerous person who will undoubtedly carry out another attack. The intriguing, smart, and enigmatic Simon, whose insights into the psyche of a killer are alarmingly precise, is tasked with finding the offender.
As the murders continue, Catrin is forced to choose between a murderer and a detective while keeping a secret that could be the only thing that prevents her and the people she cares about from being the next victims—a supernatural sight made possible by the moon.
In the most recent book by best-selling author Colleen Oakley, the tiny Chesapeake Bay village of Frick Island is almost flawless. Tom Parrish, Piper Parrish’s husband, perished in a boating mishap, and his corpse hasn’t been found. Despite her inability to handle her loss, Piper continues to act as though Tom is still alive. An ambitious journalist is given the task of visiting the isolated island to cover a dull yearly fundraiser. However, instead of covering the dull event, he discovers a fascinating story of a village pretending to see and connect with a man who doesn’t exist and gains an invaluable lesson.
Four friends connect over their mutual love of reading (and more than a little wine) and the growing realization that their lives are not turning out the way they had planned during book club meetings in an old carriage house turned bookstore. Four women use literature, fun, and the joy of friendships to help them through the new and unexpected chapters of their lives as they balance motherhood and a demanding job, question marriages, and deal with a tough mother-in-law.
Your thoughts on 10 books you should take camping?
Hope you enjoy these reads. Share your book selection in the comments below!
Diane Hayes
Diane Hayes is an online writer who works on building her online portfolio. She is an avid camper, who always takes a book with her. Diane enjoys solo camping on weekends and longer trips with her partner.
She has published her work with freelancers union, outvoices and for creative girls.
Great book list! I rarely bring a book on camping but these books sound great!
Saving the list! I always read A LOT when I am camping. Finding a good read is never easy so your post is perfect for me. I have plans for camping in two weeks and have been thinking about what to take. I will most likely simply use your list.
I haven’t read any of these books. I definitely saw a few that I would love to check out. Also, I’ve never been camping either. Thanks, for sharing.
I love reading books about camping. I know these recommended books are not about camping but I find topics to do with the outdoors very interesting.
Thanks for this list! All of these titles are totally up my alley and I can’t wait to get started on them once i finished this book I’m on.
Interesting! I’ve taken books to the beach but never camping. I’ll have to take one the next time I go!
I enjoy reading while camping!
All of these books look amazing. I think I will start with Blood & Moonlight by Erin Beaty. Thank you for the recommendations.
Good choice!
Hhhhmmmm….The Bodyguard has really caught my eye! I so badly want to read it.
Yes, and I loved other books by this author!
Great suggestions for books, I have not read any of them but I would love to read “Blood and Moonlight”. Honestly I better read in the mountains or while camping than at the beach. It can get pretty noisy in beaches in Summer time.
Totally agree.
These all look like awesome books! I miss going camping, and there’s nothing like enjoying a good book in nature.
Yes!
You’ve included loads of great book options there. It would be great to get outside and read in the open air surrounded by trees. I can imagine it would be very relaxing.
I love camping but it has been a long time since the last time I did that. Thank you for sharing these great books!
I must go to the library for checking out these books. The Other Family intrigued me most, but Made in Manhattan sounds funny. Great recommendations!
Wow! These are all really great recommendations! I’m surely gonna add this on my list! I’m also gonna share this with my sister!
Thanks!
These are great recommendations. Even if not for camping….
I’m a big reader, so always get excited to see book recommendations. Great selection and can see they would be great to read while camping. I think I would choose The Hotel Nantucket, by Hilderbrand. I know she is such a popular author and read a couple of her earlier books. They are light and easy summer reads.
I always have a book with me when we go camping. It’s so relaxing to sit out there by a warm fire or in the hammock and read a book. These are all new books to me so I’m adding some to my reading list.
Oh, wow. Can you believe after all these years of camping, I never thought of bringing a book? I guess I was always just worried I’d ruin it.
I am sure camping provides lots of quiet time to settle in with a good book. Since I don’t read paper books anymore, it would be great to load my iPad with a few of these. And pack a battery backup too. A great variety here. Something for everyone.
Which ones did you like best from the list?
I’ve only read two of these books and love to check out the rest, great summaries and probably be interested in reading the Break Up Book Club, the Other Family and Hotel Nantucket. Sounds like the types of books I would love to spend a little quiet time and enjoy them.
Hope you’ll like the rest from the list!
I had macular hole surgery on my right eye 3 years ago. Now I have posterior vitreous detachment on my left. Plus I already do a lot of writing. So I have given up on reading really. I would have loved to read these books!
I am a big fan of Elin Hilderbrand’s writing and somehow I missed The Hotel Nantucket! Of course, with 28 books published (and counting), it’s hard to keep up. I would definitely enjoy reading this book while camping, especially since I love all things Cape Cod. Thanks for putting this one on my book list!
Nothing compares to a good book and a quiet place while you’re camping or even otherwise. All these books are written with lot of twists and turns and look like page turners.I would love to read each of them. I’m a crime thriller meets drama fanatic.
You are welcome 🙂
I have recently been camping for the first time and there were times when a book would have been very handy, especially in the afternoons, when we all wanted to rest after a long walk. I like easy reads when I go on holiday, so I would pick Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne as my first choice, from this list of great books. The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax sounds like a very fun book as well.
Good choice!