Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Beach Reads
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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Reading books at the beach is pretty much the ONLY way I do things down the Shore, guys. I can hang in the sun with the best of them, but I often find myself craving a little something to help the time pass, and for me–no matter where I am, to be honest–I ALWAYS look to a book to pass the hours. My only concern while I beach read is sunglass tan, y’all. Or sand in my book spine. These books are solid at the beach, guys, because they’re quick, exciting, and engrossing. Keep your attention off the old man in the Speedo, for sure.
She’s So Dead to Us: He’s So/She’s So #1 by Kieran Scott. This whole series is like CRACK, guys. Lots of drama, bitchy, highschool girls, hot boys, and a good, if a teensy bit melodramatic romance. You’d blow through these books at the beach. When I sat down to think of good beach books, this series was the first thing to pop into my head.
The Summer I Turned Pretty: Summer #1 by Jenny Han. Beach book at the beach, guys!! This series is STELLAR. It’s also got a major emo thing going on, and it’s not effusively happy, either. But the setting is a great, quiet beach town, and the characters are awesome. The ROMANCE is a big tangle of broodiness and friendship and unrequited (MAYBE) love. Really, really good. Really.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. For some reason, when I think of beach reads, I always think of contemporaries. Things are generally light and easy to follow/read in a distracting, sometimes uncomfortable environment (THE SAND. It is everywhere). And when I think of spectacular contemps, this book IMMEDIATELY comes to mind. No question.
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1 by Rick Riordan. OBVIOUSLY we can read middle grade at the beach, guys! Percy is perfect for the beach. PERFECT. And not only because he is the son of Poseidon. It’s because the action and the pace of these stories is great, and SO. MUCH. FUN.
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Debut, holla! I’m just finishing this one now, guys, and it would be a SUPER read for the beach. It’s got a great romance, really likable characters, good drama. Plus, the guy? Jase? He has a toolbag name, but yo–HE IS NOT. And the girl, Samantha, is one of those girl characters who I really love. She’s not irritating at all. This is a good one, friends.
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. Another one of my stand-by contemps, mostly because not only does it take place during the summer, but also ON A ROAD TRIP. Where, interestingly enough, there are no beaches to be found anywhere. I’m just realizing this now. BUT! There is Graceland. And a golf course in St. Louis. That’s kind of like the beach. Really, though, Amy and Roger are the reasons you would take this book to the shore and not want to get up until you’re finished, sand in your bathing suit be damned.
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. This list is turning into “Amy’s favorite contemps” list. Unintentional. But SERIOUSLY, THIS BOOK. When I’m at the beach, I’m feeling hot, right? So maybe I want to read a book that’s hot, too because like is attracted to like. Or in the case of Meg and John After, hottest cop ever, like is maybe NOT instantly attracted to like, but it IS hot. It’s possible that you’ll burn through this one in a couple of hours only, and then start reading it again right away.
The Luxe: Luxe #1 by Anna Godbersen. HISTORICAL FICTION CURVEBALL! I’m not such a huge fan of her newest series, but the Luxe series is solid, soapy, dramatic, and a breeze to read. It’s been described as a historical Gossip Girl, and that’s pretty much a legit comparison. Which makes these books FUN. I’m feeling the need to reread these, guys. VERY entertaining.
Legend: Legend #1 by Marie Lu. In addition to contemporaries, which are obviously making up the bulk of this list, I think dystopians could be great beach reads. There’s lots of action and great pacing. Something that you can really lose yourself in while you burn/freckle/tan. LEGEND is one of my FAVORITES. I can devour it in a single sitting while hardly looking up. It’s the perfect thing to make the time pass. You might need someone to remind you to flip over. I’m just saying. Day and June are FAB.
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler. Guys, I REALLY wanted to try and have my last book be something OTHER than a contemp, but I’m feeling my theme now. And this book is super for the beach. It follows in the footsteps of GOING TOO FAR with the “I’m hot so my book should be hot” theory. But this book is also a great summer story about these two broken kids figuring themselves out together. As we all know, sometimes the best way to do this is SANS CLOTHING. Obviously. Their mama’s didn’t raise no fools.
And lucky number 11 goes to…
The Name of the Star: Shades of London #1 by Maureen Johnson. I used to LOVE reading thrillers and mysteries at the beach. Man, those are some zippy, exciting, keep-my-brain-working-while-I-sit-on-my-ass books! This one–the first in a killer (ah! I had no intentions with that pun!) series–is just that. Nothing like a little Rippermania reborn to make the beach seem even more awesome!
HISTORICAL FICTION CURVEBALL IS CAUGHT and…I don’t know sport metaphors but I really like your choice! I have Luxe on Kindle and it needs to get read soon. Maybe next time I’m on a beach I’ll remember it x
hahah…baseball. The Luxe is great. It’s got all this scandalous behavior, and rakes and such. Good stuff. Also, thank you so much for always stopping by. I have nearly no time to comment during the week, but I’m going to spend some quality time at your blog first chance I get!! 🙂
The beach really does feel like a contemporary reads kind of place, doesn’t it? I think it’s something about the sunlight… All these beach reads make me want to go to the beach, or at least lay out in my backyard.
AMY! You. Me. Beach Trip! Today’s topic is making me crazy wanting to go to the beach instead of sitting in the office! Especially with all these great reads that I could be enjoying on the warm sand with a delicious fruity drink in my hand! Also, love that you call it “the shore.” I had a discussion with a friend who lives up your way about whether she says going “to the shore” or “to the beach” like we say down here. Oh, Yankees 😉
Your choices hit all the right notes for a perfect day at the beach. Isn’t My Life Next Door great? I just picked up Going Too Far at the library yesterday so I’m glad to see it on your list. Jennifer Echols and the beach go hand in hand. I have The Name of the Star on audio so I’ll have to add it to the mix this summer.
Hope you have some fun reading adventures this summer, Amy!
Some of my favorite books are on your list. I will definitely have to check out the ones on it that I haven’t read yet!
Oooh I really wanted to read The Name of the Star.. Now I just need a copy of it 🙂
YES He’s So/She’s So. They are like crack but in my opinion they’re severely underrated. I can’t wait to read the last one AHH! And Legend, Amy and Roger, and the Summer books are all spectacularly perfect for the beach. Awesome list!
Great list and you provided helpful commentary, too. Thanks.
Awesome list – loved Legend and quite a few of the others are books I want to read – like The Name of the Star.
I’ve only read The Luxe series, which I thought was great fun except for the end!
Damn, I need to read My Life Next Door already, and same with The Summer series. Actually, all of the books mentioned here that I haven’t read yet. Seriously I feel a little guilty and like a slacker for not having read some of these.
Also? THOSE LUXE BOOKS SOUND LIKE MY KINDA CRACK. I just love scandalous historical fiction.
A lot of your choices made me so very happy! I adore Stephanie Perkins, so Anna and the French Kiss is a great choice. I also just finished reading My Life Next Door, and I think it’s fab, so that’s a great choice too. And Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is what I would consider the PERFECT summer read. Great list!
I’ve yet to read Anna and the French Kiss, but hopefully this summer.