Jenna Bush Hager's Must-Have Books For 2021 Vacations

Summer may be over, but many are still planning vacations (or at least dreaming of them). And no trip is complete with the perfect book to read. Whether you are into lighthearted love stories or complex crimes, these suggestions from Jenna Bush Hager cover it all and more. 

For some fun beach-type reads, there are "Summer Sisters," a coming-of-age novel by Judy Blume, "Malibu Rising" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and "Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding. "I felt like 'Malibu Rising' was a compulsively fun read that anybody would want to throw in their beach bag," Hager, who is the co-host of NBC's "Today with Hoda & Jenna," shared. 

Those who enjoy thrilling books may want to check out "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt, and "The Secret Place" by Tana French, which both deal with murder. A one-of-a-kind love story is told through Casey McQuiston's "One Last Stop," and, as an added bonus, it involves time travel, too.

When it comes to must-have books for traveling in 2021, Jenna Bush Hager also suggested some relationship-centered tales, such as "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara, with its story that spans three decades and focuses on four friends, and "All Adults Here" by Emma Straub. "It's about how families can be messy and complicated and at the same time, centered on love," she stated.

Several of the reads on Hager's list deal with deep, real, and important topics like education, slavery, and the challenges of growing up. Those books would be "The Girl With the Louding Voice" by Abi Dare, "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith, "How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America" by Clint Smith, "Somebody's Daughter" by Ashley C. Ford, and "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner.

Finally, there is "Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance" by Jessamyn Stanley, proving that this list really does have something for everyone.