August 2026: Beach Reads

Aug 4, 2026 | Announcements, Library

By Research Librarian Jessica Zaricki

It’s summertime and our thoughts have turned to the beach and, of course, light, distracting summer reads. Please enjoy this selection from our circulating collection featuring mystery, romance, and New Hampshire’s local beaches

Members, find the listed titles on display in the Sawtelle Reading Room through the month of August.

The Book Swap: A Novel
LITERATURE

This charming debut novel follows two characters who connect through anonymous book exchanges and the growth of their relationship through marginalia in books they collect from a little free library and from their shared stories. It references several works of classic literature and should delight readers and romantics alike.

Bickers, Tessa. The Book Swap: A Novel. PR6102 .I25 B66 2024

Dead on Deadline: A Piper Greene Exeter Mystery
LITERATURE

Set in Exeter, NH, this cozy mystery follows Piper, a reporter who has recently returned to her hometown, who finds herself in the middle of a murder. The victim is the news editor of the local paper and her body is discovered during the middle of the American Independence Festival. Featuring a local setting, small-town secrets, and local history, this provides an ideal summer diversion.

Bricker, Lara. Dead on Deadline: A Piper Greene Exeter Mystery. PS3602 .B73 2021

Buried Dreams: A Lewis Cole Mystery
LITERATURE

This is the 5th installment of the Lewis Cole series from local author Brendan DuBois. This time, Cole investigates the murder of his friend, local historian Jon Ericson. Prior to his death, Ericson was convinced that their town, which bears a strong resemblance to Hampton and Hampton Beach, was the site of an early Viking settlement. Adventure abounds in this familiar setting.

DuBois, Brendan. Buried Dreams: A Lewis Cole Mystery. PS3554 .U2564 B87 2004

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections: A Novel
LITERATURE

“Let me introduce you to the bibliophilic mystery of your dreams.” — CrimeReads: Best Traditional Mysteries of 2022
This debut mystery involves a rare books librarian stepping into the department head’s role, a missing manuscript, and the disappearance of a colleague. While this selection isn’t as light as some of our other selections, who can pass up a story focusing on the secret dark side of librarianship?

Jurczyk, Eva. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections: A Novel. PR9199.4 .J86 D47 2022

Shore Road to Ogunquit
LITERATURE

Including photographs by Ernst Halberstadt, this volume of poems by New England industrialist Harold Plotkin center on coastal experiences, love of nature, and a sea swept vision of the area.

Plotkin, Harold. Shore Road to Ogunquit. PS3566 .L6 S5 1969

The Queens of Hampton Beach New Hampshire: The History of the Carnival Queens & Miss Hampton Beach Beauty Pageant 1915-2015
BIOGRAPHY

Lassiter and Raynes offer us a 100-year overview of the Carnival Queen contest, and later, the Miss Hampton Beach beauty pageant. They provide portraits of each winner and share the development of the pageants and Hampton Beach itself.

Lassiter, Cheryl and Karen Raynes. The Queens of Hampton Beach New Hampshire: The History of the Carnival Queens & Miss Hampton Beach Beauty Pageant 1915-2015. F44 .H3 L2 2016

Hampton Beach: Summer of ’83
NON-FICTION

This collection of photographs taken by Proprietor Peter Randall during the summer of 1983 offers a personal view of New Hampshire’s largest tourist community and the people it hosted.

Randall, Peter E. Hampton Beach: Summer of ’83. F44 .H35 2019

Summer by the Seaside: The Architecture of New England Coastal Resort Hotels, 1820-1950
NON-FICTION

This beautifully illustrated volume explores the resort hotel phenomenon as it was experienced on the New England Coastline. It examines the architectural history, social, cultural, and economic aspects defined by these hospitality enterprises between 1820 and 1950.

Tolles, Bryant F., Jr. Summer by the Seaside: The Architecture of New England Coastal Resort Hotels, 1820-1950. TX909 .T616 2008

Summer By-the-Sea: The Golden Era of Victorian Beach Resorts
NON-FICTION

Varrell explores the stories of Victorian beach resorts from Salisbury to Old Orchard Beach. Instead of focusing on the stories of the immensely wealthy, this book explores seaside vacation opportunities available to ordinary Americans. Particular focus is given to New Hampshire resorts at the Isles of Shoals, Hampton Beach, and Rye.

Varrell, William M. Summer By-the-Sea: The Golden Era of Victorian Beach Resorts. F4 .V–

Fast Company: With the Two Jacks of Hampton Beach
NON-FICTION

The story of Hampton Beach’s Playland Arcade is told largely through a curated collection of photographs. It includes information about it’s founders, Jack Walsh and Jack Hines, their longstanding friendship, entrepreneurial drive, and resilience.

Waller, Dave. Fast Company: With the Two Jacks of Hampton Beach. F44 .H3 2007

IMAGE: Deva Pirini MacDonald at the beach, possibly in Rye, NH, circa 1940.

Deva grew up on Russell Street and later raised her family at 187 Union Street. She married Francis Dennis MacDonald on Nov. 14, 1942, in Portsmouth.

Deva’s parents, Giuseppe (George) Pirini and Theresa Brighi, were born in Cesenatico, Italy, in 1890. Census records indicate that Guiseppe immigrated in 1912, and his wife and daughter, Santa, 8, immigrated in 1920. The Pirinis had four more children in America. For many years, Giuseppe was a watchman at the nearby shoe factory, and the family lived at 83 Russell Street in the old North End.

Courtesy of the Pirini / Belmessieri Family, North End Neighborhood Collection, P0045_382.