Why Southerners Prefer Porch Reads Over Beach Reads

Beach reads are notorious for being able to whisk us away into a seemingly idyllic world, with whirlwind romances, unrealistic scenarios, and quirky beach town settings we’d give anything to visit in real life. However, in the South, we’re known for our storytellers, which means we expect great things from our books. While we enjoy a toes-in-the-sand, stress-free book as much as anyone else, there's something special about a breezy afternoon spent on the porch with a captivating novel.  

The difference between porch reads and beach reads goes beyond where you’re sitting, and if you’re a Southerner, you might just prefer being whisked away by a cozy porch read.

What Is a Porch Read?

Porch reads aren’t just about the location, but also mindset and book type. “Porch reads” are often described as both comforting and thought-provoking, mindless and mindful. They can be many different genres, including glamorous historical fiction stories or romance novels with more depth and dimension than your average low-conflict beach read. They can be a tale pertaining to place in a way that makes us nostalgic, like so many of our beloved Southern stories; or they can dive into multigenerational tales about family, which reminds us of tattered recipe cards passed down from grandmothers. (It also definitely helps that many Southern novels are set on a porch.) 

Porch reads, in short, should make you feel a bit wistful, which just happens to pair well after summertime is over and our beach reads are fading blissfully into the bookshelf. With a cool breeze in the air, leaves changing color in the background, and perhaps a Hot Toddy on the side table, it’s easy to dive into a well-written novel. It doesn't matter if you dwell in a small town, on the coast, in the mountains, or any other corner of the South.

If you’re struggling to find a book that inspires such a feeling, luckily we’ve got plenty of recommendations. To start, kick off the cooler months with 20 New Books To Put On Your Fall Reading List. Those looking for a thoughtful read can peruse our list of 50 Books From The Past 50 Years Everyone Should Read At Least Once. However, if you’re more into intricate storytelling, perhaps begin with Books To Read Before They’re Made Into Movies And TV Shows. 

Of course, you can never go wrong with any novel by a Southern storyteller. We do have a way with words.