Tell Me What to Read: Beach Reading Edition
I am ridiculously excited for summer to be here this year.
I’ve dubbed this the summer of the homemade popsicle (we made our first on Tuesday), we’ve broken out the sunscreen and swim diapers, and with both of Ella’s preschools finished up, we are keeping things pretty calm and lazy around here. I’m loving it.
And summer calls for summer reading. Here’s where you come in – a beach version of Tell Me What to Read. This is not the time to suggest War and Peace (sorry, Sherry).
Suggest something fun (although that doesn’t have to mean chick-lit – I’m up for fascinating non-fiction, memoirs, YA, middle grade, AND chick-lit), and I’ll pick three from the comments to read over the next three months of summer.
This summer, for the first time in many moons, we actually are making a trip to the beach. I think your book would like to come along too.
In review:
- Comment with the title of one fun book you think I should read. One title only, please, lest my brain explode.
- I’ll choose three from the list and announce them next week.
- I’ll read one a month – June, July, and August. Feel free to read along.
- I’ll write a review of each one here. Even if I hate the book, I will not hate you.
And. . .go!
Daughter of Smoke and Bone…then you'll have to run out and get the sequel too. Amazing world building. : )
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen – it's Robin Hood re-told via a female POV. There's love, fighting, and intrigue. I think I read it on 4 consecutive hours. If you've already read that, I'd suggest The Vampire Academy books (first one is called Vampire Academy) by Richelle Mead. Also female POV, also love, fighting, and intrigue – this is no Twilight. Both books I suggested are all about girls who kick trash while falling in love. In other words, awesome.
Just finished reading Scarlet. I am a sucker for re-tellings of Fairy Tales.
Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived- Ralph Helfer is simply wonderful. The story is so unbelievably true and I cried mighty chicklit tears over my new love of an elephant. Try it out on the beach, I read mine there!
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I'm generally not a fan of his stuff but Odd Thomas is sweet and creepy at the same time.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevallier. It was my beach read on a get away with my husband this spring.
For YA, The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.
Life on the Line by Grant Achatz. I could not put it down!
Fun Book : The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Good Book : Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
(sorry… I know you said 1 but I can never resist suggesting this book to people)
Elephant Run, by Roland Smith
Ooh, wait…thought of another:
Use What You've Got: and Other Business Lessons I Learned from My Mom, by Barbara Corcoran
I've read through all these comments and the only books I even RECOGNIZE are Moonwalking with Einstein, Ya Ya Sisterhood, and War and Peace.
….
I seem to recall you reading a biography on Charles and Emma Darwin, so based on that I'd recommend Angels and Ages: A Short Book on Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life which parallels Darwin and Lincoln (who share a birthday, same year and everything). I loved it.
xox
Prince of Foxes
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.
R is a young man with an existential crisis–he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
This is fairy tale with a modern sense of humor. The book is much more enchanting than the movie.
Adult pick: "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
YA pick: "Wonder" by RJ Palacio
You have good taste – I've read and liked them both!
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall – I know you weren't completely taken with the first Penderwick book, but give this one a try (you can skip the second one…I definitely liked this one best out of the three)! I thought this was the perfect summer read.
I honestly have yet to find any book better than the Harry Potter series.
I really enjoyed the Muirwood Trilogy by Jeff Wheeler.
Wonder by RJ Palachio. A wonderfully, uplifting book. And it would be an easy beach read 🙂