Ask any vacationer what their top must pack items are and along with charging cables, bathing suits and medications, you will likely hear books.
From beach reads to Oprah & Reese book club picks to NYT best sellers, most Cape Cod vacationers unwind with a good book. Or two.
Why not add a book about your favorite vacation spot? Our Cape Cod insiders are sharing their favorite Cape Cod reads from birds and trails, to gossipy fiction and ghosts. And, yes, Thoreau is on the list too. All will make a great addition to your home library.
“An Illustrated Guide to the Common Birds of Cape Cod” by Peter Trull – A must have for experienced birders and newbies. Return from your vacation with a new skill.
“Growing Up on Cape Cod: Four Brothers Learning to Stand Tall” by Donald B. Sparrow – A truly captivating tale of the Sparrow family of Eastham.
“Cape Cod” by Henry David Thoreau – This is the quintessential history of ye olde Cape Cod. Part walking guide, part natural history study, part who’s who, Thoreau turns over every Cape Cod stone.
“I Am of Cape Cod: People and Their Stories” by John Whelan – This fascinating book features 140 Cape Codders from all fifteen Cape Cod towns. Spoiler alert: None of us Cape Cod Insiders are in it.
“Sandwich” by Catherine Newman – Dive right in to one woman’s annual family vacation in Sandwich. This fictional tale is a delight.
“Provincetown Seafood Cookbook” by Howard Mitcham with a foreword by Anthony Bourdain – Awesome, authentic Cape Cod seafood recipes AND an intro by the unbelievable Anthony Bourdain? This one deserves a prominent place on your cookbook shelf.
“Cape Cod Modern” by Peter McMahon – While amazing, this isn’t a pop in your purse and pull out at the beach book. This one goes right on the coffee table! A great history of some of the Cape most beloved architecture.
“Hell Town” by Casey Sherman – True crime anyone? Pause your favorite murder podcast and pick up this deep dive into a notorious Outer Cape killer.
“Best Easy Day Hikes: Cape Cod and the Islands” by Cheryl Johnson Huban and Pamela Van Drimlen – Lace up your Merrells, this will be your go to for a tour of the Cape’s natural beauty.
“Cape Cod’s Secret Spaces & Mysterious Places: A Guide to Little Known Historical, Interesting and Sometimes Quirky Sites and Places” by Don E. Descy – Ghosts? Check! Haunted Places? Check! UFOs? Check! Truly enchanting history? Check!
You can, of course, find all of these online, but why not grab a book or two when you get to the Cape. We have a wonderful assortment of independent local book shops including the Brewster Bookstore in Brewster, Titcomb’s Bookshop in Sandwich, Where the Sidewalk Ends in Chatham and the Market Street Bookshop in Mashpee.
Cape Cod insider tip: one of the best Cape Cod book collections we’ve ever found is in an Outer Cape market. Wellfleet Marketplace has a top-notch collection of local books and summer reads.
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