By Jennie
Redbook has a feature on summer beach reads for 2010. Do any of these books look appealing to you? Or do you have your own summer reading list?
I am not much of a chick-lit reader, and to some degree I do associate summer beach reads with chick-lit. That said, there’s something about the summer months, with their longer days, lazy vacations, barbecues and warm weather that I associate with a lighter read (besides, sometimes you just need a light read, you know what I mean?). Not all of the books on the list look “light”, necessarily – Alice Hoffman, the only author on the list that I’ve read before, is not someone I associate with fluffy books. But all the books appear to be by female authors and seem to deal with subjects of interest to women.
Do you like to read at the beach? What’s your ideal beach read? Do any of the books on Redbook’s list look like your cup of tea? Is there any other book you’re particularly looking forward to this summer?
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12 Responses to Summer Beach Reads
In terms of lighter reading, I often gravitate to memoirs. Yes, I accept that people can’t really remember conversations they had when they were 11, but I like the window into other people’s experiences.
On that note, “Pretty in Plaid” and “Perfection” sound interesting. The novel about the college student returning to Pakistan sounds worth a try too (sorry, I forgot the title.)
I personally try and stay away from the beach. My Swedish-Irish ancestry means that I must be covered head to toe. I love summer reading though. I think I still have a pact to read another Russian novel with Jennie. I think we might try “Brothers Karamazov.”
I read that The Passage by Justin Cronin is likely to be one of the biggest summer blockbusters. It has something to do with a young girl saving the world from a virus that turns people into vampires. Not really my cup of tea.
One book I would like to read is a memoir called Welcome to Utopia by Karen Valby.
In 2006, Entertainment Weekly reporter Karen Valby was charged with finding a town with the smallest possible exposure to popular culture. Valby, a New York native, happened to have gone to Trinity University in San Antonio for college, so she threw the question out to some alumni. One responded that the small Texas town where she grew up had only one shelf of videotapes at the gas station when she was in high school. The town’s name? Utopia.
She first ventured there to write and article for EW and then eventually moved to the town for 5 months to write this book. I think I will purchase this on my IPad and read it this summer. I will let you all know how it was.
Pam, I just read about The Passage in People magazine this past week. I kind of like apocalyptic stories, but the review wasn’t that favorable.
That memoir sounds interesting.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress a memoir by Rhoda Janzen
Fatally Flaky a mystery by Diane Mott Davidson.
The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
The memoir sounds interesting, Pam.
I am heading to the beach in a few weeks. I haven’t even given thought to summer reads. I used to love reading…
I’ll tell you right now I read my last vampire book when I tried to take on the Twilight books. One and a half books in I had to stop. Boring.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress a memoir by Rhoda Janzen
I just googled this. I like this, too, Paula.
I’ve been curious about Mennonite for a while. May have to pick it up.
I just finished Mennonite and I really enjoyed it. After a turbulent marriage, Rhoda travels home to her Mennonite family. Written with a wry sense of humor she tells about her marriage breaking apart and about going home. She might poke some fun at her family and religion but she does so with much love. If you get a chance it is well worth reading.
What I’m reading now:
<a href=”http://jodipicoult.com/”>House Rules</a>by Jodi Picoult
What I’m reading next:
<a href=http://joshilynjackson.com/backseat.html”>Backseat Saints</a> by Joshilyn Jackson
Love both of these authors!
Oh darn…the links didn’t work! Sorry ladies…
I just finished reading Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. I love that series and each book just got better and better. Eclipse was a little slow but great. I know it’s supposed to be a teen series but I think that Stephanie’s writing has a certain resonance to it that speaks to adults as well. I remember feeling like you have the whole world in front of you and I also remember the weight that the decisions you make when you are young have. The vampire fights don’t hurt either! LOL I am a true supernatural fan through and through so when I find a book that makes me think and has a few vampire/werewolf fights in it….you’ve got me hooked.
CraftyMomof3, glad to hear you enjoyed the Meyer books. People seem to be snobs about them but I think anything that gets kids reading is great. They seem to resonate with people (not just kids), and I think there’s something to be said for that.
I just finished The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahri – I got it as a gift and it had been on my “to be read” shelf for a LONG time. It started out slow for me but by the end I really liked it.