beach read
noun
variants
or less commonly beach book
plural beach reads also beach books
: a usually light work of escapist fiction (such as a thriller or romance)
… blockbuster beach reads from Tom Clancy, Stephen King and Patricia Cornwell.—Jeff Guinn
If you're looking for a fun beach read, you could do a lot worse than this tale of rival mediums duking it out in Victorian London.—Prudence Wade
The idea of the beach read has been maligned by some who consider themselves arbiters of taste, and some critics wield the term with a gently derogatory undertone, but the classic … page-turner remains wildly popular.—Divya Venkataraman
… a beach book, with brisk plot, a dash of humor and plenty of female bonding.—Ben Steelman
broadly
: any enjoyable or accessible book considered suitable for reading while on vacation (as on a beach)
Can a book of poems be your beach read? Yes. —Rachel Becker
[Kate] Storey's research gives the book a more intimate feel than many other histories of the Kennedy family. … Fittingly, it's written in an accessible way that makes the book a welcome beach read. —Andrew Demillo
Sally Bedell Smith has written the nonfiction beach book of the season. —William E. Leuchtenburg
Cite this Entry
“Beach read.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beach%20read. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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