If you’re a fan of Shark Week and all things ocean, we’ve got a great selection of books here for you! This diverse list includes books that are romantic, true and terrifying. Our recommendation: While these books are exciting, they’re not exactly beach reads!

Girl Underwater by Claire Kells

Ocean drama is at its finest in this novel about a 19-year-old swimmer whose plane crashes in a lake in the Colorado Rockies. There are five survivors – Avery, three young boys and Colin, a fellow swimmer on Avery’s college team who has become her nemesis. But the two will have to work together to survive the dangers that are upon the group in Girl Underwater.

The Pisces by Melissa Broder

When Lucy agrees to watch her sister’s dog for the summer in Venice Beach, she never imagined she’d come face-to-face with a merman. Realism and fantasy blend to give readers a delightful story about love and lust, and what it means to live in the lives we are given.

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Experienced traveler Robie doesn’t think twice when she jumps on a cargo flight from Hawaii with her pilot friend and his new co-pilot Max. When they crash into the Pacific Ocean and it’s just Max, Robie, a raft and a bag of Skittles, terror sets in. With sharks circling, their only hope for survival is to make it to an island that’s off in the distance.

Below by Ryan Lockwood

As a professional diver, Will Sturman has seen the worst of the underwater world – ferocious great whites and piranhas. But now there is something more terrible lurking under the ocean waters, and it’s multiplying and killing everything in its wake. Will enlists the help of Valerie Martell, an oceanographer, to stop these voracious and horrible predators from the devastation they’re causing in the ocean.

Devil Sharks by Chris Jameson

When Alex Simmons is invited to join his college friend on his yacht, he is skeptical. The two had a falling out years ago and Alex wonders if Harry wants to make amends? However, as the crew arrives at a deserted Coast Guard station, Alex and those onboard realize they are about to encounter two types of evil – the human kind, and the kind with fins and teeth. There may be no way out for Alex.

The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor

When Maeve Donnelly is 16, she shares a kiss with her crush, Daniel, and then, she is bitten by a shark. Eighteen years later, Maeve is a marine biologist who travels the world trying to learn more about sharks. When she returns home, she reconnects with Daniel, her first love. But will she choose him or start a new romance with a work colleague? First love, new love and the love for all things ocean, The Shark Club is a story of a passionate woman trying to find her way.

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

When English teacher Anna and her student T.J. board a flight to meet up with family, disaster strikes. Their plane crashes into shark-infested waters and they must get to shore, only to discover that when they reach land, no one is coming to save them. As they survive through the first year, and with having no other companionship, the two begin to fall in love despite a big age difference.

Sharks Never Sleep: First-Hand Encounters with Killers of the Sea by Brendan McAloon

In Sharks Never Sleep, you’ll meet all types of people who encounter sharks – survivors, hunters and even hard-core fans of the great white. Not for the faint of heart, you’ll read about Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm from a shark attack during a surfing competition and Darren Rogers, who risked his life to try to save a surfer. Scientists and others share their stories in these tales of fascination and fear.

Jaws by Peter Benchley

A round-up of books for Shark Week wouldn’t be complete without this classic. When a great white preys on the swimmers of a cozy beach town, no one is safe. Jaws is most likely the first book and movie that people think about when they hear the word ‘shark,’ and it is a classic horror novel that keeps many people fearful of the ocean.