These books offer breezy escapism. That doesn’t mean they’re silly

The beach read has a long history, dating back to the 1800s.

Summer is almost here, and you’re looking forward to that long-awaited vacation. You can even picture it: The sun is shining, the waves are rolling gently and you’re curling up with a book. Perhaps you’re diving into a steamy romance novel or losing yourself in a page-turning thriller. Maybe a work of romantasy is captivating you instead. Whatever your flavor of escapism, it’s likely that it could be classified as a “beach read” — that oft-dismissed, unofficial category of books that readers gravitate toward in the warmer months. But what exactly constitutes a beach read? And where did that idea come from? Here’s what to know about the popular term. A beach read is, naturally, the sort of book one might read at the beach — or at a lake, a resort or another typical summer destination. The books populating “beach read” round-ups from booksellers, publishers and periodicals generally fall into the category of commercial fiction, designed to lure in readers with their saturated covers and playful illustrations. They’re also almost always marketed to women. Amanda Bergeron acquires contemporary and historical book club fiction for Penguin Random House’s imprint Berkley, which has published several authors whose books frequently appear on “beach read” lists: Carley Fortune, Jasmine Guillory and Emily Henry, to name a few. When looking for the next big summer read, Bergeron says she’s drawn to fast-paced stories with compelling characters. If it transports the reader to another location, all the better.