8 Caribbean Beach Books For Your Bahamas Vacation

Vacation is a time for rest and relaxation – and what better way to unwind than poolside or on the beach with your favorite reading material? Whether you’re in the mood for romance, adventure or a true-life tale, there’s absolutely nothing better than putting your feet up, sipping a cocktail, and getting lost in a good book! With miles upon miles of beautiful beaches in Nassau Paradise Island, there’s plenty of room to stretch out on the powder-white sand and dive into your next read.

Grab your sunscreen, your sunglasses, and one of these eight beach books. Since each one has a Caribbean twist, they’re perfect for bringing on your Bahamas vacation.

Don’t Stop the Carnival, by Herman Wouk

Who doesn’t dream about leaving behind the everyday working world to start life over again amidst palm trees and warm ocean breezes in Paradise? Don’t Stop the Carnival is a hilarious tale about a New York City press agent who heads to the Caribbean to become a hotelkeeper. While the island in the book is fictional, it’s believed to be based on The Bahamas, and with a Pulitzer-winning author penning the semiautobiographical novel, it’s guaranteed to be a good read. 

Caribbean, by James A. Michener

This historical fiction sweeps readers off to the Caribbean, packing 700 years into a tale of romance, revolution, superstition and slavery. While this critically acclaimed classic isn’t your typical light beach book, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s definitely worth a read.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by Ann C. Crispin

Nassau Paradise Island’s long stretches of white sand and warm waters have appeared as the backdrop of the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean films, which inspired this complimentary adventure fiction. Take a journey back in time and find out how Jack Sparrow became the pirate captain we know and love today. A light read, this book is perfect for a day of lounging on the beach.

An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof

If you dream of sailing off into the sunset, this is the book for you. You’ll lose yourself in a story of two driven professionals who leave their type-A lifestyles behind for the seductive secrets of life in the Caribbean. Warning: After this read, you may never want to leave Paradise!

A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean by Melinda and Robert Blanchard

Fall into the immersive memoir of Bob and Melinda Blanchard, a couple who sell their successful Vermont food business to build a small restaurant on an island paradise. Along the way they face the maddening, exhausting, and outlandish complications of finding their way in a new home – and the joy that comes with life in the Caribbean.

Out From Nassau by Fia B. Scheyer

Set in the Bahamas in the 1920s, this novel depicts life in Nassau during the US Prohibition when illegal booze was commonly being smuggled into the United States from the Bahamas. Fact and fiction are woven into an engaging and provocative story that takes the reader back in time to one of the most notorious periods in Bahamian history. This is a page-turner that you won’t want to put down!

Bahamas Blue by David Poyer

This thrilling tale looks at the exciting world of diving in The Caribbean. It takes the world’s most daring diver to recover the most dangerous cargo at the bottom of the sea. Bahamas Blue is the sequel to Hatteras Blue, and provides a fascinating inside look at a salvage dive. If you love action, intrigue, and mystery, make sure to pack Bahamas Blue in your beach bag.

The James Bond Series by Ian Fleming

A Caribbean book list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. This 12-part collection follows British Secret Service Agent, 007, as he is faced with deadly assassins, femmes fatales, and non-stop action. Get a taste of the Bahamas in Quantum of Solace, Thunderball, and High Time To Kill.

With your book list complete, all that’s left to do is kick back, relax, and get lost in another world on your Nassau Paradise Island vacation. Happy reading!