It hasn't exactly been the hot 'beach read' summer of our dreams. Since 90% of Auckland’s inner-city beaches are currently or regularly riddled with wastewater and/or poo (Pt Chev is one of the only ones deemed safe enough to swim in at the moment), we’ve been looking for alternative settings to get stuck into a book.

Whether it's a grassy (un-swampy) spot in a park, a sidewalk bench with a great sea view, or a shady nook in a public garden, our shared urban spaces play an important role in bringing us together, even when we want to be alone in peace.

Going up to someone who looks like they're deep in a good story and asking, “what are you reading?” is annoying uncle behaviour, we know this. But we also know how much you love a personal book recommendation. Luckily, everyone Abigail Dell'Avo pestered around Tāmaki Makaurau with questions happily obliged. Below, 10 people share what they're reading, and their favourite spots to get lit(erary).

Name: Hayley

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Beach/Park: Pt Chev Beach

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

I’m currently reading Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. I bought it from Book Depository, great finds on there. I highly recommend!

It's a fiction book; the back of the book says ‘They live in a house, perhaps they always have, then messages begin to appear scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the house but who are they and what do they want. The beauty of the house is immeasurable, its kindness infinite’

So it's all about their journals that they write every single day, they don’t know who they're writing them for, or what they mean, and they’re making up time and what it means to them. Piranesi believes there is no such thing as humanity, or a beginning or an end, all they know is the kindness of the house. I’m a quarter of the way through and I’m enjoying it!

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

I was reading one at the beach not so long ago, it's a journal article called ‘Sharks in near-shore environments; models, importance and consequences’, because I love sharks.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

I really like Cox’s Bay Reserve. I’ve gone down there to sit by the wharf and eat olives.

Name: Jacob

Pronouns: He/They/She

Age: Wait… can I lie… my age is twenty… four

Beach/Park: Minnehaha Beach

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

The book I’m reading is Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry. I bought it because Stephen Fry is funny and gay, and this book is supposed to be lively and humorous.

I’m also really into classics, I love ancient Greek mythology, and I really wanted to brush up on my history and learn more about it. Also, it’s really gay - Greek Mythology is so queer and I love how queer it is, it’s so homoerotic.

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

I’ve never actually read on the beach before, this is a first for me. I feel like this book might be, or just any good book! Any good read, something that moves you.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

This one, hell yeah! It’s the best, it’s easy to find parking (laughs). It’s accessible, the water is beautiful, and it's really close, but feels like a slice of paradise. And it's more of a spot and not where everyone else goes, it's special.

Name: Mia-Rose

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Beach/Park: Cornwall Park

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey. I bought it from Mighty Ape - shout out to the Mighty Ape girls!

This is one of my favourite books for so many reasons. Lana Del Rey is an artist through and through. Ask the girls, there is no genre of art she can’t do. She has perfected dictating her emotions via poetry. To me, her self-reflections are so important to the feminine mindset and being. In this book, she creates raw expressionism by dictating her own perception of the world and her self-beliefs. Her writing resonates with me, as she creates a raw and honest sense of comfortability.

The world is so silly, goofy, and hard at times! I believe we can all empathise with this. This book is literally for everyone, whether you portray yourself as feminine, masculine, the sky, the earth, and everything in between, I can guarantee if you read this book you will walk away with a new found excitement for self-reflection, and may even add this into your practice.

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton is a really good one. It transcribes the architecture of buildings and how it is intertwined with psychology. Queue the DJ Khaled voice, “anutha one” is The Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. This is fantastic. It features myths and fairytales about women recorded from different cultures in history.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

Cornwall Park and Eden Gardens. The Eden Gardens are so pretty and magical, it is one of my favourite places in Auckland.

Name: Natalie Limb

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Beach/Park: Pt Chev Beach

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

Getting Off, Pornography and the End of Masculinity by Robert Jensen. I borrowed it from Auckland Libraries, and I’m not gonna lie, I mainly got it because of the name - I thought it sounded funny, but also it’s got a lot of interesting feminist ideas in it. I’m enjoying it a lot!

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumara. I really liked that book because it's about a woman that does random jobs and makes me think about how random my job is.

Name: Shivani

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 25

Beach/Park: Western Park

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

I’m reading Infinite Variety: A History of Desire in India by Madhavi Menon. I love how this book talks to the fluidity of gender in India particularly in ancient texts and how gender is regarded through energies of masculine and feminine. There are some interesting points on how open minded India was in terms of sexuality and gender pre colonisation.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

I love Grey Lynn Park! It’s quite nostalgic for me coming here as a kid. I have fond memories of my dad bringing me here when I was around five to play in the swimming pool in summer and getting excited for a Fruju afterwards. Also love strolling through today or meeting up with friends for a lil' picnic.

Name: Daljé

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 27

Beach/Park: Minnehaha

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

How To Loiter in a Turf War by Coco Solid. The book follows three friends living in Tāmaki Makaurau, and how they navigate gentrification, relationships and queerness. It features beautiful illustrations and poetry, not to mention, it is big LOLS! I’m half way through at the moment, and I would highly recommend.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

My favourite is Grey Lynn Park, it's close by and has a sick bike track.

Name: Mac

Pronouns: All of them

Age: Unknown (27)

Beach/Park: Grey Lynn Park

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

I’m reading a book called Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and it is a story about Achilles but from the perspective of his lover Patroclus.

I got gifted it from a friend because of my interest in Greek mythology and I would recommend it, I would give it a solid 4/5. It is a queer love story so I think it's really nice seeing that – even if it does end in tragedy.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

I love Maungawhau, Mount Eden and Minnehaha.

Name: Mitch

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: 24

Beach/Park: Brett Ave Beach

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. It is about the story between Nessa and Cassian and basically wraps up the whole series, but its from a different perspective of the main character who does all the four books.

I got into it because my friend said that I should read it, and it has a lot of smut in it, so I had a read and this books very smutty.

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

I really enjoy reading The Talented Mr Ripley, that's my favourite.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

My favourite park is Oak Park in Hobsonville, I love going at night time when the moon is out, it's really pretty! My favourite beach is Muriwai.

Name: Emma and Lunå

Pronouns: She/Her and I don't know about Lunå they have to figure that one out on their own!

Age: I am the young spritely age of 31 and Lunå is 1 year and 1 month

Beach/Park: Waterview Park Reserve

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

We’re reading quite a few actually, we’ve got Maisey’s Town, Skateboarding In The City and a Danish book called The Winter Town.

I would highly recommend all of them, especially if you want to raise your babies with a car free lifestyle, or if you want to get them into urban planning or urban design while they’re young.

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

There's a little beach between Pt Chev Beach and Point Area Reserve, and it doesn’t have a name (that I know of). It's really gorgeous and you have to walk along the track to get there, but it's really well-sheltered so it's really good for babies and children, and it got lots of beautiful pohutukawa. It's incredible, a really magical little beach.

Name: Alyssa

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 24

Beach/Park: The one in Ponsonby (Western Park)

Tell me about the book you’re reading.

This book is called The Moonflower Monologues, it is a poetry book by Tess Guinery. The author says it's okay if you forget how to read and write in your mother tongue, and states that you can always find your way back home… you just gotta keep going!

What would be your ultimate beach/park read?

Anything by Lang Leav! She's another poet, and anything she writes is a summer read for me

What’s your favourite inner city beach/park?

Mission Bay is a go-to.