For book lovers, is it a vacation if there aren't books?
Passengers on the MSC Seascape won't have to look far for a good read. They'll find a display of 18 Read With Jenna books, sponsored by MSC Cruises, hand-selected for being "beach read-worthy."
"I’m so thrilled to bring Read With Jenna to MSC Seascape! Guests will be able to peruse 18 of my favorite page-turners, chosen from six years of my Read With Jenna book club," Jenna says.
"They’re all ready to be your next beach read! Younger readers can check out my Read With Jenna Jr. picks, with options from elementary to high school-age books. For me, reading is the ultimate vacation — so enjoy!"
Read on for the books and what Jenna has said about them.
‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ by Shelby Van Pelt
What Jenna said: “Not since ‘The Life of Pi’ have I found a book with such creativity and such a strong voice. This novel is filled with love, humor, joy and healing."
What it’s about: In a town in the Pacific Northwest, a sentient octopus forms a friendship with the elderly woman who cares for the aquarium at night.
When it was picked: May 2022
Read more about "Remarkably Bright Creatures"
‘Summer Sisters’ by Judy Blume
What Jenna said: “It is the perfect, perfect beach read but that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy read. It’s a beautiful read and it will make you think about growing up and that friend of yours who you adored, but maybe didn’t know if they were good for you.”
What it's about: Two teenage girls form a charged friendship that unfolds in Martha's Vineyard. The aftereffects of it linger for years.
When it was picked: August 2023
Read more about "Summer Sisters"
‘The Wedding People’ by Alison Espach
What Jenna said: “It’s about where we are when we’re in the middle of our life and expectations versus reality. It’s about love and friendship and finding that love when you least expect it.”
What it’s about: A lonely woman at a luxury hotel in Rhode Island is swept away by a wedding weekend.
When it was picked: August 2024
Read more about "The Wedding People"
‘All the Colors of the Dark’ by Chris Whitaker
What Jenna said: “I read it over a year ago, but it has stayed with me in such a beautiful way.”
What it's about: In this epic saga, two childhood friends are linked even as their lives diverge in wildly unexpected ways.
When it was picked: July 2024
Read more about "All the Colors of the Dark"
‘The Four Winds’ by Kristin Hannah
What Jenna said: “Kristin Hannah is a beautiful writer. I loved her 2015 book, ‘The Nightingale.’”
What it's about: A master of historical fiction chronicles one woman's experiences during the Dust Bowl.
When it was picked: February 2021
Read more about "The Four Winds"
‘Maame’ by Jessica George
What Jenna said: “I just couldn’t believe the author’s talent and the range of emotions I felt while reading it. On one page I was crying, yet on another page, I laughed hysterically.”
What it's about: A late-bloomer coming-of-age story about a woman who moves out of her parents' house and starts living for herself.
When it was picked: February 2023
‘The Cloisters’ by Katy Hays
What Jenna said: “It’s about as Gothic and mysterious as you can get.”
What it's about: A mystery and a love triangle unfold at the Cloisters, a museum of Medieval art in New York.
When it was picked: November 2022
Read more about "The Cloisters"
‘Nothing to See Here’ by Kevin Wilson
What Jenna said: “I don’t think any book has touched me about parenthood as much as ‘Nothing to See Here.”
What it's about: Two estranged, longtime friends come together to deal with one of their children's unique and fantastical condition: They catch on fire.
When it was picked: November 2019
Read more about "Nothing to See Here"
‘Heartwood’ by Amity Gaige
What Jenna said: “From the very first page, I was hooked.”
What it's about: When a nurse goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail, two women try to track her down — one, a state warden and one an armchair detective in a nursing home.
When it was picked: April 2025
‘Black Cake’ by Charmaine Wilkerson
What Jenna said: “There is something almost mysterious about it. I was on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what was going to happen and who these characters were."
What it's about: When she dies, Eleanor Bennett leaves her children with a recipe for black cake and a family mystery.
When it was picked: February 2022
‘The Great Divide’ by Cristina Henríquez
What Jenna said: “You will love these characters — it is epic and lovely. There are so many different storylines that all come together at the end, which is one of my favorite ways to read and fall in love with a story.”
What it’s about: Lives that intertwine during building of the Panama Canal.
When it was picked: March 2024
Read more about "The Great Divide"
‘Buckeye’ by Patrick Ryan
What Jenna said: “You read it once and then, even though it’s 500 pages, want to reread again.”
What it’s about: Two families in Ohio who are bound together by one decision, tracked over the course of decades, world wars and historical movements.
When it was picked: September 2025
'The Turnout' by Megan Abbott
What Jenna said: “I love how Megan Abbott looks at the darker sides of things that we all remember, such as ballet classes as children.”
What it’s about: Twin sisters who grow up under the domineering presence of their ballet instructor mother.
When it was picked: August 2021
‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite
What Jenna said: “It is very funny at moments and extremely poignant at others. It’ll have you getting a pen out to underline as I did."
What it’s about: A family of women in Lagos who believe they are cursed to never be able to hold onto a man.
When it was picked: November 2025
Read more about "Cursed Daughters"
‘All Adults Here’ by Emma Straub
What Jenna said: “One of the most beautiful books of motherhood and what we pass on to those that come after us and what we inherit. A book about strength and goodness.”
What it’s about: A mother and her three adult children adjusting to their changing family dynamics and the cycle of time, all while making big realizations about the past.
When it was picked: May 2020
Read more about "All Adults Here"
‘Real Americans’ by Rachel Khong
What Jenna said: “It’s a story of family and what we carry, what we pass down, secrets, and how they can divide us, and then bring us back together again. You will love, love, love this book.”
What it’s about: Three generations of a Chinese-American family intertwine, plus one slightly magical twist.
When it was picked: May 2024
Read more about "Real Americans"
'Malibu Rising' by Taylor Jenkins Reid
What Jenna said: “I felt like ‘Malibu Rising’ was a compulsively fun read that anybody would want to throw in their beach bag.”
What it’s about: Four famous siblings throw a summer party in 1983.
When it was picked: June 2021
Read more about "Malibu Rising"
'The Irish Goodbye' by Heather Aimee O'Neill
What Jenna said: “We find out about a tragedy that has left these sisters reeling, but it also is full of love and hope and humor.”
What it’s about: Three sisters return to their childhood home for the Thanksgiving holiday in the wake of a tragic loss.
When it was picked: October 2025