Whenever the girls act like I'm torturing them, I tell them about the days of 1985. My family of six drove 1,650 miles to Key West, FL in a station wagon. There were no portable DVD players. There was no AC. Our only form of entertainment came from the CB radio. Kids these days - they just don't get it!
And I showed them this one with my pointed foot. A dancer's foot. "Okay." Clearly, they are not impressed.
I love how we look super annoyed here at Epcot. This was either in 1986 or 1987. I'm guessing it's the whole photo taking thing. My dad was a photographer. I get it now. As a photographer.
So we are FINALLY experiencing some warmer weather here. A hint of summer. When the girls were really little, I used to wonder if I would ever be able to sit at the beach (as a family) and read a book like I used to. It didn't seem possible at the time, but now it is. The girls even bring books to the beach too.
I know a "beach read" is commonly defined as a light, easy to follow book suitable for reading at the beach or by the pool. Really, though, a beach read could be any type of book you want it to be. I brought Stephen King's 11/22/63, which is 800+ pages long, to Turks and Caicos. That was a kid-free vacation and I love long, detailed books I can really dive into.
Below are some of my picks for beach/pool reads. You'll notice right away that chick-lit is missing. Believe me when I tell you I read my fair share of Danielle Steel way back when. I think I'm too cynical (or something) now for those kind of books. I would recommend Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid though. That was a perfect "beach read" and leans toward chick-lit.
If you're looking for a thriller:
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks OR The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
For books with a bit more substance:
The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston
Memoirs:
When We Were the Kennedys by Monica Wood
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A long book you can really sink your teeth into:
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
If you enjoy books in the apocalyptic genre, check out this trilogy:
The Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood
For more, check out my list of 6 Great Books You Might Have Missed.
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1 comment:
have you read Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid yet? It’s perfect for summer. I kept imagining being in the back of a car headed to The Cape hearing the music of the fictional band. I think you’ll it if you liked her precious books. I just wish there was a soundtrack to go with. A friend told me that the audibook does have a song performed on it.
Next Year in Havana was my favorite beach read last year. Totally transported me to Cuba - in 1950s and today.To me a beach read is one you can be engrossed in right away. But when you put it down often for other distractions, it is easy to slip back into that world a few minutes or hours later.
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