Nothing completes a summer vacation better than a trusty beach read to enjoy on the beach, by the pool, or on a lakefront dock. The Little Free Library nonprofit organization has partnered with Vrbo and Penguin Random House publisher Berkley to help travelers unplug, unwind, and escape into exciting page-turners during their summer vacations.
“Beach reads are an iconic vacation staple. With the explosion of #Booktok and the slow travel movement, consumers have entered a new chapter of reading on vacation,” said Melanie Fish, Vrbo Travel Expert. “Book lovers are intentionally unplugging, planning ‘Readaways’ — reading retreats with their friends and book clubs — and spending entire trips relaxing and bonding over the latest bestsellers.”
To bring the summer’s hottest beach reads to the beach, Vrbo and Little Free Library constructed 12 beach house-themed libraries that will be installed in Vrbo’s top summer vacation destinations across the U.S. Guests and locals can find the libraries in Pensacola, Florida; Hilton Head, South Carolina; San Diego, Calif.; Yarmouth, Mass.; New Buffalo, Michigan; and the Texas Hill Country. The colorful mini-Vrbos come stocked with a new set of popular beach reads that travelers won’t want to put down.
We’ve enlisted the help of Berkley—the publishing house for bestselling authors including Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, and Deanna Raybourn—to curate travelers’ TBR lists this summer season. Every book on the list is inspired by travel or vacation. Many take place in some of Vrbo’s most in-demand leisure destinations—from the charming Lake Michigan beach houses in Beach Read to the lakefront Canadian cottages in Every Summer After.
Berkley’s 2026 Beach Read Recommendations for Your Next Beach Readaway
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
- The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson
- Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
- Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
- Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake
- Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
- Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson
- Summer’s Never Over by Darby Bozeman
- That Summer Feeling by Bridget Morrissey
- Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
“Reading has the power to connect people and create moments of delight and inspiration, whether at home or on vacation,” said Daniel Gumnit, CEO and Executive Director of Little Free Library. “As a nonprofit organization, we have a mission to expand access to books for everyone, and we’re proud to partner with Vrbo to bring hundreds of new titles to beautiful destinations across the country. Together, we’re creating more opportunities for travelers to discover, share, and celebrate the joy of reading.”
To find Vrbo’s beach read-themed Little Free Libraries, visit this page for a list of locations where the miniature, book-filled Vrbos will be installed. The libraries can also be found on the Little Free Library mobile app and online world map.
Enter to Win Vrbo’s Beach Readaway Giveaway
In conjunction with the Little Free Library installations, Little Free Library is hosting nationwide book giveaways in collaboration with Vrbo and Berkley. All Little Free Library fans in the U.S. and Canada are eligible to enter to win one of Vrbo’s beach read-themed Little Free Libraries for your neighborhood and local community. Additionally, Vrbo and Little Free Library are giving away nine additional sets of Berkley’s recommended beach reads. Enter here.
Learn more about starting your own Little Free Library, and donate today to help us place Little Free Libraries full of books where they’re needed most!