10 great ‘beach reads’ for art and design lovers

It’s summer vacation season! Here’s a (hefty) list of the season’s best new design books you should take with you.

A “beach read” means different things to different people. There are those who simply shove a couple paperback thrillers or romance novels into their vacation bag and call it a day. And there are those who thrill at the nerd joy of a bit more substance—like, say, a no-holds-barred treatise on the ethics of their chosen profession (*heart flutters*). Or, a book seemingly containing every single piece of famous graphic design ever created. Sure, all that substance is often substantially more substantial—less “beach read” and more “tidepool tome.” But here’s to those who schlep hardbound books with 80-pound uncoated stock to the seaside respite of their choice.