With summer now in full swing, finding the perfect beach read can feel like just another thing on the to-do list. It should be lighthearted, readable, and, ideally, make you look good on social media. Rather than reaching for the latest Colleen Hoover or that biography you keep meaning to read, consider one of the following books, which are just as good of an escape from the daily doldrums.

The list features fiction with a dash of detection and athletic prowess, essays that are as insightful as they are humorous (and short enough to read between naps), and only one book that leans academic in nature. Each selection helped me to think a little more deeply about what it means to be human without feeling like a chore.