The Beach Read Vol. 32

Por Claire Middlemistmayo 04, 2026

FROM AROUND THE WEB

The opposite of a trigger is a “glimmer”. The bathroom floor tile we all need. The Aussie dude who used AI to code an mRNA vaccine to cure his dog’s cancer. Why Malcolm Gladwell hates golf. Steam poaching is the easiest way to make a perfect poached egg. Homeowner stunned as hot air balloon carrying 13 makes emergency landing in backyard. Sync Music: the soundtrack of our lives you didn’t realize you were listening to. The ancient creature that made one writer rethink everything we know about home. A love letter to composting - yes, really. The Scrabble word that broke the internet. Scientists discover what happens when people quit Ozempic. ‘She’s opening the bees!’ US beekeeper jailed for trying to save friend from eviction. Hershey switching back to classic Reese’s recipe after backlash. Wisconsin recycling center posts 17.3 mph speed limit sign.

AS SEEN ON IG
This month had so many good Instagram moments it was hard to pick. The standout: Bask teammates Verity and Claire took a weekend trip to the West Coast (Best Coast?!) for Canva Create in LA (def watch the reel!). They had so much fun, lost their voices, and introduced Bask to a whole new crowd of fans in the process. Reports back: very sunny, very fun. Also new on the grid: a side-by-side breakdown of some of our favorite textures: Sheer moisturizing Lotion, Daily Invisible Gel, and Sun Stick. Check it out here if you're curious to learn more.

BEACH READS FROM NICOLE PEARCE

Welcome back to Baskforce member and resident #BookTok queen Nicole Pearce (IG, TikTok), for probably her most important Reading List section of the year: The Summer Reading List. A bunch of recs coming your way, click the category links to see the full list of recs on Nicole's Instagram:

Here are five books that I think deserve more hype on #booktok. I rarely if ever see them recommended but they are so, so good.

Lights All Night Long - It follows two brothers growing up in their home town in Russia, and then their lives go down very, very different paths.
The Great Believers - follows a group of friends in Chicago in the 80s during the AIDS epidemic. I finished this one a few weeks ago and have not been able to stop thinking about it.
The Heart's Invisible Furies - You'll feel all the feels in this one. You'll cry. You'll laugh. You will absolutely fall in love with the characters.
Long Bright River - This one is a thriller but with real depth. So it deals with topics like sister relationships and addiction. It's so good.
We Begin at the End - I'm almost positive I've recommended this one before. I absolutely loved this one. Something bad happens to a group of friends, and then it picks up with the same group about 30 years later. There's a thriller element to it, but it's so much more than that. You'll love the characters.

FOUNDER FAVES

Britt

These aren't winning any fashion awards (they look like a melting duck or something), but these OOFOS OOahh slides feel like a foot hug. Especially after a long day of chasing around a 5-year-old.
This Substack has me. She finds the best vintage, indie designers, and sales without it ever feeling try-hard. I've ended up with at least three favorite things in my closet because of her recommendations.
The Pinecrest Gardens Farmers' Market has officially become our family's Sunday ritual. Empanadas, stone fruit, coffee, flowers, and our kid running around like he owns the playground. 9am–2pm every Sunday — if you're in Miami, just go!
A slow morning, a coffee, and this book are the perfect combo. It's about how sorrow and longing can actually be a creative gift. Really shifted how I think about big feelings I used to want to fast-forward through.

Mikey

I loved Project Hail Mary. Gosling was fantastic; it was really entertaining, and it has all of the charm of The Martian (also by Andy Weir). But Rocky was the star for me. Note: saw it at the Coconut Grove Cinepolis, which is a great theater with reclining seats and on-demand food and drink!
1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin was my kind of read. A narrative nonfiction approach to an interesting topic I've never taken the time to dive into. I couldn't put it down — finished it over a weekend. I'd bookmark this as a solid Father's Day gift, too.
I hadn't been to Boia De in a few years, and had forgotten how amazing it is. It remains a perpetual top-3 dinner in Miami for me. Chefs Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer are doing something genuinely world-class (and they just earned a Michelin star for it). The setting is so unexpected (essentially in a strip mall next to a coin laundry), and the food is so good.
This is a very solid, moderately priced linen shirt option from Faherty. Airy, but sturdy. Soft enough to actually want to wear, sharp enough to wear out to dinner without changing. They look better the more you beat them up — perfect for summer.