Short But Sweet Books for the Beach

This ghostly novella is chilling and suspenseful. A governess takes a new position and discovers that the spirits of past employees stalk the estate. Even more sinister, the ghosts seem to show special interest in the children she looks after, who in turn become secretive. What could they be hiding?

Told as an extended flashback, this story explores a scandal that unfolds in a small New England town. Ethan Frome gets caught in a love triangle between his sickly wife and her cousin, who arrives to help care for her. When his wife gets suspicious, Frome must suffer the consequences.

Linked vignettes tell the story of Esperanza, a Latina girl growing up in a poor neighborhood of Chicago. Esperanza must reconcile her desire to escape to a better life with her love for her family and culture. Lyrical prose, vivid imagery, and compelling characters come together in this timeless classic.

This 1960s novel follows two rival teenage gangs. Tension builds after a series of misunderstandings, and violence erupts. Written by a teenager, this edgy coming-of-age story has a palpable authenticity; the relatable characters seek to figure out their place in the world, sometimes with disastrous results.

A middle-aged man must reflect on his life and legacy after he receives a mysterious inheritance. Two long-lost friends from his past resurface—one from beyond the grave—disrupting his peaceful retirement. Carefully plotted, suspenseful, and surprising.

After a young bride is returned to her family for not being a virgin on her wedding day, the family vows to exact revenge on the man who disgraced her. The murder is examined from several angles and perspectives, told in Márquez’s distinctive magical realist style.