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.
THAT IS HOW MUCH I LOVE THE WORK OF THIS MAN.
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?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme from the wonderful blog, The Broke and the Bookish, and I don't blog on Tuesdays. So no, you aren't time traveling.
Okay, I did have to look up the definition of a beach read. It's either something light and fluffy, something you don't have to read intensely, or something that you can be interrupted while reading. I don't know that the potential of being interrupted while reading is a good requirement for choosing a book, but let's go with it!
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Confession: This is probably the only chick-lit I've actually read.
I love pretty much everything about this -the story, the conflict, the characters, but most of all the voice of the narrative. Hilarious. Excellent first POV story-telling, just excellent story-telling in general.
(As an aside, if anyone has chick-lit suggestions, I'm totally open.)
by Shannon Hale
Confession: I totally lied. I just remembered Hale's fantastic Austenland novels. Personally, I loved both of these equally, for different reasons. Austenland is more on the 'light and fluffy' side, a fun and quirky love story, while Midnight focuses on recently divorced Charlotte reevaluating her life while trying to decide whether a murder has been committed on her vacation. They're very different stories, but they're both funny, they're both wonderful, they're both clean, and they're both perfect for Jane Austen fans.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Schaffer & Annie Barrows
Taking place directly after WWII, this book is told entirely through letters and telegrams. A writer, searching for her next idea, stumbles onto the story of an island occupied by the Nazis and how the inhabitants coped with it. It has its moments of sadness, but it's primarily a light-hearted love story, and the epistle format make for short segments and plenty of great stopping places for when those sneaker waves, er, sneak up on you.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
This isn't your normal beach read -it's not a chick lit or a love story, this is about a mysterious bookstore and the employee determined to discover its secret. There's a secret society, an insanely expensive font type (seriously, if you want to make some money, design a popular font!), cryptography, an activist blogger, and Google. This is a really fun story, with low-key espionage, computer nerds, and the most amazing bookstore in the universe. *sigh* If only it were real...
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Let's just face the fact that this should be a re-read for anyone looking through this list. This would be a great book to take to the beach; you can revisit all your favorite scenes, you're always looking for the time to read it again, and you know what's going to happen so you won't be *too* annoyed if you're interrupted.
As You Wish by Cary Elwes
Speaking of The Princess Bride, if you haven't read this yet, you're insane. Sorry to break it to you, sweetheart. If you at least have it on your TBR, we can put away the straightjacket. For now. In this memoir, Cary Elwes (aka, the onscreen Wesley, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts) has compiled all kinds of memory, trivia, fun facts, and tidbits about the filming of The Princess Bride, and not just his own, either. In one of the most wonderful book surprises ever, the pages are loaded with sidebars and asides by the majority of the cast, the director, the producers, and William Goldman himself, all recalling their own memorable events during the creation of one of my favorite movies of all time.
Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
Steampunk goes to Bollywood in a tale of brewing war, political intrigue, espionage and -yes- love. A YA novel, first in a trilogy, great for you ladies who already read everything in the YA section. ;)
Spelled by Betsy Schow
(Release date June 2)
A delightful, fun romp taking a (huge) twist on The Wizard of Oz story you thought you knew. Hilarious. I loved Schow's clever and plentiful tweaks to give familiar things -like UPS and designer clothing- a proper fairy tale feel. And each chapter starts out with excerpts from helpful books like the Definitive Fairy Tale Survival Guide and Thomason's Tips to Ruthless Ruling. And the first chapter is called Dragon Slaying for Dummies. I mentioned it's hilarious, right?
Geek Girl by Holly Smale
This is for the young at heart or anyone who felt like they were an awkward teen in high school. Hilarious narrative, heart-warming story, a female character who is genuinely strong (not the Hollywood sexy, must-be-super-ninja-spy-assassin-to-be-strong variety), and great character development. It's a quick read, but the compelling voice does make it hard to put down.
Always Neverland by Zoe Barton
So this one is middle grade, but if you loved Peter Pan at any point in your life, put this one in your beach bag. Especially if you wish you'd been Wendy. Especially, especially if you wish you'd been Wendy, but you didn't actually want to be Wendy in that she played mother and house while the Lost Boys fought pirates and had adventures with Indians.
And there you have it, eleven great beach reads. (Two Austenlands, remember?)
I'd love to hear your beach read suggestions!
