The Broke and the Bookish runs this business.
I don't think I know what beach reads are. I don't think I've ever owned a beach bag. Hell, I can't remember the last time I went to a beach. And reading at one sounds kind of horrible, because sunscreen and sand and water and oh god, the risk of ruining a book. Maybe I'll try it this summer just to say that I have. But here's my try at what I MIGHT want to read if I were on a beach to read. And then what I think YOU should bring to your beach where you'll be having so much fun without me.
Can you drink and read on the beach? That sounds fun. And possibly illegal.
Can you drink and read on the beach? That sounds fun. And possibly illegal.
Books In My Beach Bag
1. The Lobster Kings by Alexi Zentner. An atmospheric book about a lobster fishing family on an island in the North Atlantic that I've heard sucks you right into the location. I want that. I want to go to there. Sibling rivalry, meth dealers, love, death. What could be better?
2. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. What better than a book that actually starts at a summer camp? Seems pretty summery to me. I know I'm late on this boat, but I think I have to grab this when I'm at the library. Reminiscing about old friendships and how they've changed is a thing I always do around this time when I'm coming home from college.
3. Letters to Wendy's by Joe Wenderoth. Short form sounds like an easy to read thing on the beach. Something you can put down and pick up easily. This is a collection of sort of poetry, notes written on the comment cards from a Wendy's. Funny, tragic; I don't know how to describe it, because I haven't read the whole thing. But here's an excerpt!
4. Touch and Go by Thad Nodine. It's about a road trip! I'm nailing this so far. Kind of Little Miss Sunshine, kind of On The Road. And the main character is blind, so that's interesting. I've heard that it's a good book with quirky characters.
5. The Last Girlfriend on Earth by Simon Rich. I keep hearing about this book of short stories by an old SNL writer, so I had to list it. Hilarious and bizarre stories that cover relationships and how they can often be disappointing.
5. The Last Girlfriend on Earth by Simon Rich. I keep hearing about this book of short stories by an old SNL writer, so I had to list it. Hilarious and bizarre stories that cover relationships and how they can often be disappointing.
Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag
6. The Martian by Andy Weir. You've probably heard a lot about this book. It's a fast cinematic read about a dude abandoned on Mars. A lot of what he does to survive is technical, but it somehow wasn't dry. A great character, a story that could be melodramatic like Gravity but isn't, and high tension.
7. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. Yes, another chance for me to talk about this book. I'm calling it a beach read, because it's really small and quick to read. The first in a trilogy, this book will suck you in and leaving you needing the next book. It's set on a coast (in a place called Area X), so that's kind of summery. It's just not necessarily a coast I'd want to vacation on.
8. Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander. So funny. So so funny. Maybe the topic of finding Anne Frank alive in your attic isn't super typical for beach reading, but this book is just a delight if you like cynical Jewish humor. Even if you're not Jewish, read this book! Shalom Auslander is hilarious and great at dark humor.
9. Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa. Short stories! Again, I don't know if horror is what everyone would look for, but I feel like these are more just dark and surreal. The writing is clean and easy to read, and the stories are subtly chilling. My favorite part about this book is that all the stories connect to one another in strange ways. Lots of fun to read, even if it scares you sometimes.
10. Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck. More short stories! These are surreal again, but they're much more whimsical. Sometimes dark, but generally just whimsical. Maybe read this if you're on a coast in Europe. Scandinavia specifically. Often very short, always fun to read.
What's in your beach bag? Tell me all about how I did this exercise wrong.
What's in your beach bag? Tell me all about how I did this exercise wrong.
