10 Best Poolside Reads for 2020

March 2nd, 2020

2 min. read

By Amy Rushia

Is there anything better than a lazy poolside day in Arizona with a great new book? The Shasta Pools team is more than just your favorite Phoenix pool builder—we’re also connoisseurs of the perfect relaxing read!

We scoured the “best of” lists for the past year for this collection of the 10 best books to read by the pool in 2020. So whether you’re going to stretch out on a chaise, park yourself in a pool float or enjoy a little gazebo shade, we invite you to grab a glass of lemonade and settle in for a good story

  1. Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

Written by a wildlife scientist, this novel made waves when it was released in 2018 and continues to be a leisure-time favorite. It’s a painfully beautiful story that blends murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.

  1. With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo

The National Book Award winner is back with a new story about a teenage mom who is struggling balance parenthood, schoolwork, and her desire to become a professional chef.

  1. Waiting for Tom Hands, by Kerry Winfrey

If you love romantic comedies, you’ll enjoy this delicious story about a woman obsessed with finding her very own Mr. Right. Can she give up the fantasy of Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle for very real man she just met?

  1. Disappearing Earth, by Julia Phillips

In this novel, two girls disappear from a Russian village. As the months go by, clues emerge about their disappearance. And while the mystery is solved in the end, more questions are raised than answered.

  1. Mostly Dead Things, by Kristen Arnett

This debut novel is set in Florida and involves taxidermy, so you know it’s going to be…interesting.

  1. I Like To Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution, by Emily Nussbaum

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author writes about all your favorite TV shows. It’s like a watercooler in a book, only much smarter.

  1. The Kiss Quotient, by Helen Hoang

This gender-swapped twist on a Pretty Woman-like love story won the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards. (BONUS: if you love it, pick up the next two books in the series!)

  1. Daisy Jones & the Six, by Hallie Rubenhold

Fame, fortune, and good old rock-n-roll—this story has it all! Follow the fictional rise (and fall) of a 70’s rock band and find out why Reese Witherspoon picked this novel for her book club.

  1. We Wish You Luck, by Caroline Zancan

Three brilliant MFA students decide to present one of their professors as a plagiarist in this clever novel about creativity, revenge and envy.

  1. Anna K, by Jenny Lee

A modern retelling of the classic Anna Karenina, this book was just optioned by HBO. Read it now so you can impress your friends when the show launches!