Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme from The Broke and the Bookish. I just don't post on Tuesdays. ;)
As this is my second installment of the Beach Reads theme (sanctified bovine, has it already been a year!?), I don't want to go repeating myself. Last year, bonafide definition of 'beach read' in hand, I scoured my past reads for any title that matched with the description. This year, I'm throwing the definition out of the window. I'm not much of a trend follower any way. So here, in no particular order, are ten books that I wouldn't mind reading on a beach. Not that I'll be reading on a beach any time soon. [sad face]
1. Pop Sonnets: Shakespeare Spins on Your Favorite Songs by Erik Didriksen
Oh my freaking heck. This book is brilliant. Didriksen has rewritten everything from Living on a Prayer to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as SHAKESPEARE STYLE SONNETS. They're hysterical, clever, and none of them is even a page long, so perfect for light beach reading.
Plus, SHAKESPEARIAN POP SONGS.
2. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Not exactly a 'light' read, but it's so strange and ridiculously funny it would make a good beach read all the same. The first book in Fforde's series featuring literary detective, Thursday Next, it takes place in an alternate reality where the Crimean War is still being fought and people take literature very seriously. Like incite gang wars over the true identity of Shakespeare seriously. And yes, you read that right: in the midst of such a world, Thursday is a literary detective. Each book in the series, er, involves a literary classic, and the classic for this one is Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.
I have read this; I loved it. To my shame, I haven't read any more of the series. I was young enough the first time I read it, that most of the political and historical changes in the alternate reality went completely over my head. I think I'd understand much more of it now. And since this would be a reread, it wouldn't suffer tremendously at the distractions one might find at a beach.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This is on a lot of my lists. Great story, beautiful and dark magic, and such a colorful world. It is a love story, but it's not just a love story. There's so much more unfolding here than that alone. In fact, the pair of lovers aren't even my favorite characters. Another thing that's fascinating about this book -aside from the skillfully crafted story- is the non-linear timeline in which its told. This book is candy to me. I've read it once a year since I discovered it and I'm due for another taste.
4. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
I have read this book on a beach. It's a fond memory. And it's a book I need to reread anyway. Especially if there's a chance for the Wheel of Time series to come to television. Seriously, I am so excited about this prospect.
5. Doctor Who: Time Lord Fairy Tales
Fairy tales. For time lords. This is both a retelling of classic fairy tales with a specific brand of science fiction twist, AND an extension of the Time Lord universe, as the tales within are actually touted as the fairy tales of the Time Lords. Can't you just picture the Doctor as a child, listening to these fairy tales?
6. Artemis Fowl/Supernaturalist/The Wish List/Airman/Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
These are my all-time go-to books. Bored? Need something to cheer me up? Need a laugh? Just need to inspire myself with a fantastic book? No problem. I grab one of these off my Colfer shelf. Yes. I HAVE AN EOIN COLFER SHELF.
7. The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
It seems appropriate to read these outdoors and there is never a bad time to take these up for a re-read.
8. William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher
Why not? They're short, perfect for reading aloud in a gentle murmur, and you won't mind (too much) being interrupted because you already know the story. You better know the story already.
9. A book of fairy tales and/or mythology
I love fairy tales and mythologies from all over the world. They're not only interesting and -many of them- unheard of for me in the wake of 'popular' fairy tales, but they also make excellent fodder for a fantasy writer, especially when she's in the middle of fairy tale-centric project. ;)
Fairy tales, for the most part, are short stories, so it's easily broken down into bite-sized pieces for the moments in-between all the beach fun.
10. TBD
Going on vacation is the perfect time to grab that book you've been 'meaning' to read for ages. Or that book you bought last year that you haven't gotten around to yet. Make that book your beach read. Check it off your TBR list!
What's on your Beach Reads list?
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