Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday (27) - Beach Reads


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish.  This week's topic is your best beach reads.

So I'm really not a beach person.  I'm more of a pool person.  I like to go swimming somewhere where I can see the bottom, and I don't have to worry about getting eaten by a shark, stung by a jellyfish, or caught in an undertow.  But when I do go to the pool or the beach or, as we say in NJ, down the shore, I always like to bring a book with me.  Something on the lighter side, usually a romance or containing romance, that's not going to leave me an emotional wreck, blubbering on my towel.  For this week's Top Ten, I'm going to share which books I'd like to read down the shore/next to a pool this summer.

My Top Ten Picks for This Summer's Beach/Shore/Poolside Reads



  • Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson  -  I love to collect journals, with the intention of using them... someday.  And I also love to write, so this book was a great gift.  It's full of beautiful passages from other people's journals, writing exercises, and tips for creating a memorable story.
  • Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson  -  I got this book after seeing the movie, and it's awesome.  I love following Miss Pettigrew, this straight-laced vicar's daughter, experience life and adventure and romance for the first time.
  • Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden  -  This romance is a great Beauty & the Beast retelling.  The writing isn't spectacular, but it's perfect for a sweet story about a marriage of convenience that becomes something more.
  • Ink by Amanda Sun  -  I cannot wait to read this book!  The cover caught my eye originally, but when I saw that the story was about Japanese mythology, I was hooked.
  • Awaken by Meg Cabot  -  The final book of Cabot's Hades/Persephone trilogy is one I'm both excited for and dreading.  I wasn't thrilled with the first book, but really liked the second.  I'm hoping this book will be a satisfying ending, and I think it would make a great romantic, quick read for the beach. 
  • Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker  -  So I know in the picture, the next book is Ever After by Vicki Courtney, but that's because it was sitting next to Always the Baker, and I accidentally grabbed it when I was trying to put this pile together before work.  Always the Baker is such a cute, fluffy romance, and it includes some yummy-sounding recipes, which I cannot wait to try.
  • Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson  -  Someone told me this was a book geared towards Austen fans, so I snatched it up.  I think all historical romances, Austen novels, or Austenesque novels are perfect for the beach, because they're often on the lighter side with witty dialogue.
  • Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel by Melody Carlson  -  This book sounded great for me.  It's about a woman who lands her dream job at The New York Times, but then discovers that her life isn't going in the direction she wants.  Then her "eccentric" aunt leaves her an estate, and she starts discovering just how secretive and quirky her aunt really was.  It looks like it will be a fun read.
  • Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas  -  I love to read travel/food memoirs when down the shore.  This one sounds delicious!  It's all about Paris (a place I want to visit) and the yumminess the author experiences there (cupcakes, cheesecake, chocolate).  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Now I just want to find a pool chair, and read this book with a plate of cheesecake at my side.
  • September Girls by Bennett Madison  -  And what better way to finish off a list of beach/pool reads than a book that takes place in a beach town?  I know this book has been getting a lot of negative reviews, but I got a copy at BEA, and I'm going to give it a try.

Now how about you?  Do you agree with anything here?  Disagree?  Did you try September Girls and hate it?  What are your picks for best beach reads?

3 comments:

  1. These are all new to me, which is great since I plan on being at the beach a lot this summer.

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    1. Sounds like fun. Thanks for stopping by, and have an awesome time at the beach! :)

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  2. I'm excited for Ink and Awaken, too. I'm not totally crazy for this series either (although I liked the first more than the second), but I definitely want to see how it ends. Great list!
    Natflix&Books' TTT

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