Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish
Top Ten Memorable Beach Reads
Every summer my family rents a house at the beach for a week, and every year we follow the same routine. For at least 6 of those 7 days we plant ourselves on the sand at 9 am and stay there until after 4 pm. While we do spend time walking along the ocean or playing in the water, most of our days are filled with reading. On a blanket in the sun, under an umbrella, sitting by the water. It is the most relaxing week of my year...that was until I had children and now spend most of the time chasing them up and down the beach. Thankfully, I still manage to find some time to read. 
Not only do I read, but the beach I visit has an amazing little paperback bookstore in town, where you can trade in books to get discounts on used titles. I have many fond memories of perusing those shelves, and picking up titles to read.
I have very vivid memories of all the books I've read during my yearly week at the shore, and I'm going to share some of them with you here. As you can see, I've not really stuck to any type of genre. Just whatever my interests are at the time.
10 Memorable Beach Reads
1) Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers - One summer I went through a mystery kick and read a bunch of Lord Peter Whimsey murder mysteries at the beach. Written in the 1920s, these books are sophisticated, clever and a lot of fun. Think Agatha Christie but with a clever but bored member of the aristocracy and his butler who keeps him grounded. Plus the later books have a sweet romance. **I have also read several Christie titles at the beach over the years.**
2) The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain - This is the only Chamberlain book I've read, but I really enjoyed it. One of the best parts of going to the beach and reading with family is passing novels around. This is one that my mom, sisters and I all read one year. It's about an unsolved murder, a missing child and the woman at the center of it all. This book sucked us all in.
3) Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - Wicked was a beach reading FAIL. The summer I chose this book, I had the clever plan to read it quickly and then tackle a bunch of other books I'd brought. Nope. It took me. All. Week. Long. to finish this one story. While I enjoy alternate histories, this one dragged out and got way too political for my tastes. However, I do LOVE this musical. You should definitely see that.
4) Sophie Kinsella - One summer I read all of Sophie Kinsella's books. Including all the Shopaholics, though I'm still not sure how I managed them, because they stress me out. However, all of her others are so much fun. As I've mentioned before, my favorite is Can You Keep A Secret. I remember staying up late at the beach and laughing so hard while reading it.
5) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - I finished this unexpectedly good love triangle series this year, but it all began for me at the beach a few years ago when I decided to read the first book in the series. Will, Tessa and Jem stole my heart from the beginning.
6) Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness - Last year's beach read was the sequel to A Discovery of Witches. I loved the historical time travel in this story, and I think the series has become more and more addicting as I go along. I read this one along with Carrie @OneBookishMom and readalongs are always more fun!
7) Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols - I also read Such a Rush last year at the beach, which was PERFECT, because it's about a girl who is a pilot for an aerial banner-advertising business, and while reading, I watch planes and banners go past all day long:
8) Any Harry Potter - I LOVE HP as a beach read, especially when it's in audio format. I have many fond memories of listening to the books on our drives to the shore.
9) Persuasion by Jane Austen - I even love to read classics on the beach. I picked up a copy of Persuasion one summer at the used bookstore. Besides Pride and Prejudice, this is my favorite Austen.
10) I'm still trying to decide what to read this year! Because I'm also participating in the Summer Series Challenge, I'd like to read a series from start to finish at the beach, but I'm not sure which one I'll pick. Maybe Kate Daniels or Jessica Darling. Or I could choose something totally different. Thoughts?
What are your favorite books to read on the beach?
Oh yeah I totally read Harry Potter and Sophie Kinsella on the beach!! Great memories! I love your little book store photo! Used book stores are the best!
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I <3 Shadow of Night (can't wait for the third book!) and Persuasion. I'd definitely choose it if I had included a classics section for my list this week :)
ReplyDeleteThat bookstore btw sounds awesome! :)
My TTT
Your time on the beach sounds like bliss Lauren! Can You Keep a A Secret also made it to my list too, there's so many books on your list that I still need to read! So thanks for the great recommendations! :)
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read any Sophie Kinsella I think I need to fix that!
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I agree with you on Wicked! Such a fail! Love the musical though! :)
ReplyDeleteSophie Kinsella is a great beach read author. I've read the Diane Chamberlain book but it was under a different title- The Lost Daughter. I agree, it's fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any other Jennifer Echols book apart from Endless Summer, but Such A Rush seems pretty interesting! I love The Infernal Devices too :) Love this post :D
ReplyDeleteGreat list! HP is on mine too:)
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http://evelinesbooks.blogspot.nl/2013/06/top-ten-tuesday-3.html
Sophie Kinsella, HP, and Persuasion are all perfect beach reads! You'd hit the jackpot reading either JD or KD this summer - both are hilarious and don't have too much smut in them, so it's really up to you. :)
ReplyDeleteYes to both readalongs & Shadow of Night. So glad we read it together. Enjoy whatever you choose this year.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what I love more - your list or your lovely beach reading story!
ReplyDeleteYES! You're a girl after my own heart, Lauren! No list is every complete for me without Harry Potter (any of them)...Plus, you have Wicked on your list, and I've been dying to read that forever. Great selections this week :)
ReplyDeleteI chose Harry Potter as one of my ten as well! More specifically the first one since it's on the lighter side of things and I don't want to be crying over someones death while sitting on the beach haha. Clockwork Angel is also a good one! I love all of Cassandra Clare's books.
ReplyDeleteClockwork Angel was a good pick! And, used bookstores are the best places in the world. How cool would it be if there was one on the boardwalk?
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I don't think there's every a time of day, time of year, or place where reading Harry Potter wouldn't work for me. That series is just awesome:) I adore Cassandra Clare's books as well even though I've fallen behind on both series. I fail. Fabulous list Lauren!
ReplyDeleteHP YES! Cassie Clare? Yes as well! I've yet to read a book by JEnnifer Echols, but I'll definitely make that at least one read during this summer:) Hopefully I'll pick Such a Rush;) Hehe. Lovely list, sweetie!
ReplyDeleteI'm like you where my beach reads aren't really concentrated in any one particular genre. So long as they're light, fun or full of action, I'm totally down (because my concentration at the beach seriously dwindles to near zero). I LOVE LOVE LOVED the HP series but I've never heard the audio versions. And I like the idea of listening to audiobooks on the beach so perhaps I'll give these ones a go!
ReplyDeleteI also spend a couple weeks reading on the beach every summer and it's the best.
ReplyDeleteLove some of your choices -- Such a Rush especially! Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics
Personally, I love your uncertainty. Haha, I love your little messages that go along each book, very entertaining, I must say!
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- Nova @ Musings of a Blogder
I listed HP, too! I mean seriously, it's never a wrong time to read HP! P&P is my favorite book, too, but I still need to read Persuasion. I've heard so many good things about it. Great list!
ReplyDeleteAw, I love how personal this is, Lauren! And I love how instead of simply choosing fluff titles, you chose ones that meant something to you while you were actually at the beach! It was so interesting to read this list.
ReplyDeleteI think we can both agree that the book Wicked wasn't the greatest (although I just saw the musical 2 weeks ago and LOVE. Just so good). Also love all Sophie Kinsella's works. And Persuasion and HP of course. And you need to read Jessica Darling stat! I think you'd really enjoy it. It's just fluffy per se, but definitely a page-turner and could be a fun series to get through while sunbathing!