What is a Beach Read?

This time of year publishers, libraries, bookstores, and the media love to talk about "beach reads," but what does that term really mean?

Erin Collazo Miller, the moderator of About.Com's Guide to Bestsellers does an admirable job of trying to define the term. Here is an excerpt:

A good beach book is engaging and a quick enough read that you can finish most of it on the beach before your sunscreen wears off. A beach book isn't necessarily literature, but a beach book will entertain.

After this definition, Ms. Miller goes on to provide lists of beach reads based on appeal. You can use the previous link to access all of the lists, but my favorite are:

Beach Books With Likable Detectives
Modern Romance on the Beach
Reclaiming Your Childhood in the Sand
Smart Beach Reads
Beach Books to Make You Cry