This is the only book I've ever read at the beach, so it's the only one I can recommend.

'Bones of the Master' tells the story of Zen Buddhist monk Tsung Tsai and his journey to find and honour the remains of his master in Inner Mongolia. It tells the horrifying story of how he fled from the Red Army after they destroyed his monastery, and his three-thousand mile journey on foot through war-ravaged China to freedom. It goes on to recount the journey he and his friend George Crane make, some forty years later, back to his birthplace. It's a story full of philosophy and poetry, of teachings and learnings, and of a seemingly mismatched but beautiful friendship.