26 Books About Cape Cod to Add to Your Reading List

Cape Cod is synonymous with summer vacation. So is reading books. At least my vacations are full of reading. When you combine the two – Cape Cod + books – you’ve got some great reading ahead of you. Of course, that’s just my humble opinion.

So, whether you plan to sunbathe on the beach, lay by the pool (or a kettle pond!), or get overly bundled up in cozy socks, leggings, and a hoodie (it’s cold on Cape Cod right now, so that’s me!) to sit by the fireplace, here are my suggested books about Cape Cod.

Books About Cape Cod to Add to Your Reading List

Reading books about or set in the destinations you visit enriches your time spent there. These are all great options to learn about and get in the mood to visit Cape Cod.

Included on the list are memoirs and fiction or travel guides, and natural history books. Learn about the centuries-old history of this unique spit of land jutting out into the Atlantic. Read memoirs depicting the life-altering experience of living on the Cape.

There is a long list of novels set on Cape Cod and the islands, but I’ve included just a few of my favorites. I’m sure there is something for everyone on this list of books about Cape Cod.

When buying your books about Cape Cod, support local Cape Cod bookstores at every opportunity or shop online at Bookshop.org.

Classic Books About Cape Cod

These books are more like love letters to Cape Cod. The Cape enchanted Thoreau in the 1800s, centuries after the Pilgrims called it home. Many other notable artists and authors fell in love and found inspiration on the sandy shores, like Kurt Vonnegut, Sylvia Plath, and Helen Keller.

• Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau
• Cape Cod Stories: Tales From Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard by John Miller and Tim Smith

Fiction and Memoirs Featuring Cape Cod

For many authors, Cape Cod is the perfect setting for the characters in their books. Or for themselves, which produces touching memoirs of the impact this one-of-a-kind destination can have.

• That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
• A Year By the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson
• The Outermost House: A Year of Life On the Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston
• Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
• Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster
• The Second Home by Christina Clancy
• Dead And Buried: A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery by Crispin Haskins (a Martha’s Vineyard local)
• Wild Game: My Mother, Her Secret, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur

History and Natural History Books About Cape Cod

Cape Cod has a unique and rich history spanning centuries and cultures. Enticed by all that this land had to offer – fertile soil, forests, wildlife by land and sea – natives and Europeans chose this land to settle on and build a life. Over time, life and the landscape changed, and it became the seaside getaway it is today. These books offer some insight into that history.

• The Nature of Cape Cod by Beth Schwarzman
• Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890 by Nathaniel Philbrick
• In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
• Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
• Expedition Whydah: The Story of the World’s First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her by Barry Clifford
• A Short History of Cape Cod by Robert J. Allison

Cape Cod Travel Guides Worth Buying

If you’re the travel guide type, these are the ones to invest in. Each edition of An Explorer’s Guide is written by a single author, setting it apart from other guidebooks that write as a team. Who’s a better guide than Thoreau himself? “In the Footsteps of Thoreau” details trails and sites that he experienced over 150 years ago.

• An Explorer’s Guide Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket by Kim Grant
• In the Footsteps of Thoreau: 25 Historic & Nature Walks on Cape Cod by Adam Gamble
• Walking the Cape and Islands: A Comprehensive Guide to the Walking and Hiking Trails of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket by David Weintraub

Kids Books About Cape Cod

If you are getting ready for or reminiscing about a Cape Cod vacation with a little one, here are some great kids books about Cape Cod they will love.

• Goodnight Cape Cod by Adam Gamble and John Andert
• Hello, Cape Cod! by Martha Zschock
• Cape Cod Bear by Kathleen Dayan
• C is for Cape Cod by Christie Laurie
• Journey Around Cape Cod from A to Z by Martha Zschock

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