Beach Reads for Summer 2026 From Isaac Fitzgerald and Yasmine Cheyenne

Is it summer, or is it summer reading season? Both answers are correct. If you’re not sure where to start on the books front, Isaac Fitzgerald and Yasmine Cheyenne stopped by TODAY on June 29 to share a few of the books they’re loving this season.

Yasmine Cheyenne, who is also a wellness coach and a meditation expert, is the author of “The Comeback Era,” provided a few books that will transport you to a less stressful place (hopefully). One is the latest offering from a Read With Jenna author Jessica George.

Welcome to your comeback era.

Print length: 240 pages | Dimensions: 10-by-2-by-2.7 in | Publication date: May 12, 2026

Isaac Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is the author of memoirs and most recently the travelogue “American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed.”

A heartwarming novel that tells Fitzgerald’s story about following the steps of Johnny Appleseed.

Print length: 352 pages | Dimensions: 6.42-by-1.16-by-9.52 in | Publication date: May 12, 2026

Below, check out their picks.

Isaac’s Picks

A funny, warm story about a hopeless romantic determined to lose her virginity before her 30th birthday.

Print length: 304 pages | Dimensions: 6.36-by-1.06-by-9.54 in | Publication date: May 26, 2026

What Isaac said: “Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It’ is oh so warm and deeply charming — a novel about romance, friendship, anxiety, and the strange little deadlines we invent for becoming ourselves. In this case, well, losing one’s virginity before turning 30. Laugh-out-loud funny while still being tender and big-hearted, here is a love story in the truest sense, about learning to want honestly, messily, and entirely on your own terms.”

A love story of a pair whose paths unexpectedly cross throughout two decades, told from outside perspectives.

Print length: 416 pages | Dimensions: 6.35-by-1.38-by-9.55 in | Publication date: June 30, 2026

What Isaac said: “Main Characters’ is a brilliant book — a captivating love story told from the margins by the people who perhaps understand us before we understand ourselves. The book follows Clara and Seb across two decades as their lives brush up against one another’s, but is told from the perspective of everyone around them. A clever concept that totally works, here is a great summer read for anyone who has ever believed in the life-changing power of truly being seen.”

After years of research, this is an entertaining history of US history’s two famous explorers.

Print length: 544 pages | Dimensions: 6.13-by-1.3-by-9.25 in | Publication date: April 21, 2026

What Isaac said: “An incredible feat, Craig Fehrman’s ‘This Vast Enterprise’ is a wildly entertaining history of Lewis and Clark — the product of more than half a decade of rigorous and immensely impressive research — that never loses sight of the adventure at its center. Fehrman brings this legendary expedition thrillingly to life by turning our attention beyond Lewis and Clark themselves, revealing the oft-overlooked people and perspectives that made the journey possible. Expansive, compelling, and alive on every page, this is a perfect summer read for America’s 250th anniversary.”

Yasmine’s Picks

The sequel to Bishop’s “Only for the Week” of an intimate, spicy romance set during a bucket list road trip.

Print length: 432 pages | Dimensions: 5.44-by-1.25-by-8.25 in | Publication date: April 14, 2026 | Series: The Forever Falling Series

What Yasmine said: “Impossible to put down, this romance winds you through love, loss and the joy thats possible on the other side of change. If you love a plot that moves you as much as it inspires you, this is your pick!’

An honest story about the complications of adult friendships and new connections.

Print length: 336 pages | Dimensions: 6.65-by-1.15-by-9.55 in | Publication date: April 7, 2026

What Yasmine said: “A page-turner that puts words to what so many of us quietly feel about adult friendships — the growing pains, the unexpected shifts, and the beauty of who finds you in the in-between.”

Natalie Adler’s debut novel.

Print length: 288 pages | Dimensions: 6-by-1.02-by-8.52 in | Publication date: May 26, 2026

What Yasmine said: “A debut that somehow makes you feel more alive the deeper it pulls you into loss — an absolute love letter to a moment in history that still echoes today, with all the heart and humor to prove it.”