Best Beach Reads of 2017

Beach season in the ‘Bu calls for a refreshing housemade cocktail, a shimmering view over the Pacific, and a captivating novel to while away the afternoon.

So to help you pack your bag for the months to come, we at Malibu Beach Inn have selected a number of new releases to complement your blissful stay along Carbon Beach. Whether you prefer breezy, humor-filled reads or something with a little more weight, here are our most anticipated books of the year:

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

March 14, 2017

A witty, addictive novel about self-discovery, The Idiot follows Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, during her first year at Harvard and throughout the following summer in Europe. Her journey is unlike anything she has come to expect of the typical American college student, and while navigating the confusion of first love and the uncertainty of life before adulthood, she must come to terms with the comical realization that she is doomed to become a writer.

Into the Water: A Novel by Paula Hawkins

May 2, 2017

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, a deeply compelling novel of psychological suspense that explores the deceptiveness of emotion and memory. After a single mother is found dead in the river that runs through town, her lonely 15-year-old daughter is placed in the care of an unfamiliar aunt who previously fled town with no intent of ever coming back.

The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

February 7, 2017

With the same brilliant insight of The Sympathizer, Pulitzer Prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen bridges two worlds—the adopted home and the country of birth—with his collection of stories about immigration, identity, love, and family. Written over the last 20 years, the tales of refugees include a young Vietnamese man suffering profound culture shock in San Francisco and a girl in Ho Chi Minh City whose half-sister seems to have accomplished everything that she never will in America.

Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki

May 9, 2017

Set high in Hollywood Hills, Woman No. 17 is a darkly humorous novel by New York Times bestselling author Edan Lepucki about art, motherhood, and the intensity of friendship. After privileged writer Lady Daniels hires eccentric artist S as a live-in nanny for her sons, the two become unlikely friends. But both are protecting secrets and quickly find themselves entangled in the personal details of each other’s lives.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

February 14, 2017

The long-awaited debut novel of short-story author George Saunders has already climbed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list since its publication in February. A mesmerizing tale of father and son and matters of the heart, Lincoln in the Bardo begins in 1862 with the death of 11-year-old Willie, son of Abraham Lincoln. Blending history and the supernatural, Willie finds himself in purgatory awaiting ascension with an unforgettable cast of ghosts.

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

January 3, 2017

New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay returns with Difficult Women, a collection of short stories about modern female experiences of rare force and beauty. With a diverse, relatable group of characters that don’t quite embody acceptable femininity – from a girls’ fight club to a wealthy Florida neighborhood where neighbors spy on each other – Gay tells tales of the complexity of human connection.

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer

April 25, 2017

Named one of the most anticipated books of 2017 by The New York Times, Borne follows a young woman named Rachel who is surviving as a scavenger in a destroyed city. Rachel finds a strange, charismatic creature called Borne and, much to her partner Wick’s dismay, brings him home. Entering into what critics have called a literary category entirely of its own, the story takes an intimate look at personal relationships and monsters, both human and real.

All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg

March 7, 2017

From New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg comes a raw, wickedly funny story about discovering what matters in life. All Grown Up centers on Andrea Bern, a 39-year-old designer who defies convention without any children or a lasting relationship. But when a family member suffers from a heartbreaking ailment, she is forced to re-evaluate her choices and seek out the connections that she craves.

*Difficult Women book cover courtesy of Grove Atlantic, Inc.