Who plans their vacation packing list around how many books they can fit in their suitcase? That’s right: this girl! I am choosy about my beach reads. I have to be when I spend half my reading time chasing a toddler with a stick of sunscreen and glancing up when told to “watch this” every twelve seconds.

The books have to be juicy, full of twists and with enough substance that I can bug my entire family by asking them if they want to hear what’s happening in the novel I’m reading. (Just me?) Here are some of my favorite books that have found their way into my beach bag each summer…

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

If you haven’t read this on an actual beach, I’m willing to say it: you haven’t lived. This mixes reality TV (think: Real Housewives) with new age feminism then tops it with murder.

It’s smart and frothy with gems like these: “The thinking that women of all shapes and sizes can be beautiful is still hugely problematic, because it is predicated on the idea that the most important thing a woman has to offer the world is her appearance. Men are raised to worry about their legacies, not their upper arm and thigh fat, stretch marks, crows-feet, saggy elbows, ugly armpits, thin eyelashes, and normal-smelling genitals.” Would we expect anything less from Jessica Knoll?

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

This one is for those who, like me, are always jonesing for another Liane Moriarty book. It’s so modern—a woman gets ghosted by a man she’d fallen head over heels for! And the best part is that it’s got dark twists (genuinely surprised me many times over) and romance in equal measure. A rare combination perfect for beach binge reading.

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

I found this to be such a unique read because it marries a number of genres that don’t typically meet. It’s a family drama, a deep study in grief, a mystery and thriller, a wash of teen angst and a touch of—dare I say?—the supernatural.  I raced through this book about a mother who has disappeared on a hike, but the real kicker comes in the last couple of pages. Trust me.

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

A thinking woman’s mystery, this one follows two female scientists at the top of their game, vying for a fellowship to study a severe form of PMS. I love a book that trades in secrets and this one does so beautifully.

“You don’t have a self until you have a secret,” one of the characters tells us and I still wrestle with whether or not that’s true. Megan Abbott is one of my all-time favorite mystery writers and this one lends so much for discussion. Bonus points if you can buddy read it on a lounge chair next to your best friend.

You Think It I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

I’ll admit that I’m a recent convert to short story collections and that, in fact, this was the book that showed me the light. All of the stories in the collection are very smart, but also very accessible.

They follow women in various parts of their lives. They’re complicated. They each end with a punch line that makes coming to a stopping point (margarita refill, anyone?) satisfying as opposed to frustrating. Every one of the installments have stuck with me, but keep a special eye out for my favorite stories from the book which are “The Prairie Wife” and “Off the Record”.