My Top 10 Beach Reads for the Summer

 
I hope I haven’t over-done it by giving myself 10 books to read by Labor Day weekend, but I’m so excited about My Top 10 Beach Reads! My reading choices don’t fall into one particular genre. I like all kinds of books from historical fiction to comedy, creative fiction, romance. drama…you name it, I’ve read it all. I just refuse to be put in a box when it comes to reading only one type of genre.

I could add so many more books to my list, but I’m going to stick with these…for now. I’d love to hear if you’ve read any and what you thought of them. Or feel free to recommend anything else you’ve found worthwhile.

Well, my beach/pool bag is packed and I can’t wait to get started on these awesome titles!

The Secret Wisdom of the Earth…….. a coming of age, gut-wrenching tale of a young boy who has witnessed a horrible tragedy in his deteriorating small, coal-mining town of Medgar, Kentucky. A richly-detailed story and supposedly hard-to-put-down novel.

The Girl on the Train….I’m halfway through this book and it’s completely addicting. Each page is full of dread, twists, turns and is at best a psychological thriller. So far, so good and hard to put down.

The Children’s Crusade….Four children, raised by the same negligent mother, in the same household, come back to tell their story five decades later. No blood and gore in this one, but likely more about the psychological damage portrayed in this nature vs. nurture tragedy of an American family.

Saint Mazie…Inspired by actual events, this feel good novel written in the form of diary entries about a theater owner, with a bawdy past, becomes hopeful inspiration to many in need during the Great Depression. Supposed to be humorous too.

In the Unlikely Event…as so many of us know, Judy Blume is unparalleled in her story telling. I grew up with her coming-of-age stories, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret“, being the most famous. I can’t wait to read another sure-to-be-page-turner, from one of my favorite author’s of all time!

At the Water’s Edge…part fairy tale and part historical fiction, American aristocrats during the World War II era find themselves in Scotland trying to capture footage of the Loch Ness monster. Written by another of my favorite authors, I know the journey of the characters will be captured in the most unique, detailed and unexpected way. I can’t wait to read how this story develops.

All the Light We Cannot See…I don’t even know where to begin to explain what you will find in this book. It takes place in France and Germany during World War II and slowly interweaves the lives of a young, blind girl and an orphaned boy, who come together in the end. It honestly sounds magical and took this author ten years to write.

A Spool of Blue Thread…I have always loved this author for the very special way she is able to tell the story of regular family life. She makes you feel like you know-them. Like they could be your neighbors and that they are indeed special, when in reality they are just like everyone else. I am looking forward to her depiction of the Whitshank family in their Baltimore home.

Eight Hundred Grapes….Set in Sonoma wine country and what is guaranteed to be a light, funny and enjoyable read about how a winemaker’s vineyard becomes a metaphor for life and complicated family dynamics. 

A Fine Romance…I loved Candice Bergen’s autobiography “Knock Wood“, it was brilliantly written. This is a follow-up to that bestselling novel, which supposedly delves deeper into her marriages, heartaches and child-rearing. I kind wait to read what else she has to say.

I hope I have inspired you to read something you might not have picked up at the bookstore. If you grab one, let me know what you think of it.

If you’re interested in what I read and loved last summer, this post (towards the bottom) will show you. All were wonderful.

Here are a couple other reading lists you might be interested in:
Best Beach Reads for a Summer Getaway ~ PopSugar
Best New Books to Read this Summer 2015 ~ Glamour Magazine
The 7 Books You Have to Read This Summer ~ Marie Claire
The 11 Best Beach Reads of the Summer ~ Health.com

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.