6 Dazzling New Beach Reads (Plus 15 Classics)

If you're looking for a novel that will turn you into a compulsive book-finisher—despite the sand flung in your face by passing walkers and the screams of very loud children jumping in waves—look no further. Moriarty has produced another gripping, satirical hit. Trivia night at Pirriwee Public School comes to an abrupt end when one of the parents ends up dead. But who? The reader is the last to know, since the book jumps back in time, following three women whose lives intersect six months before the fatal party. While the momentum of who actually died drives Big Little Lies  forward, it’s can’t-put-downability comes from its darker subplots (read: domestic abuse, bullying, infidelity) that Moriarty explores, even as she pokes fun at idealized suburban life. Laugh—and perhaps groan—in recognition, but read to the end. A book that will make you appreciate the long days of summer, when everyone one—not just kids—gets a break from school-related pressure.