It's that time of year again....beach season! One of my favorite things about living in Philadelphia is being so close to the shore. When I was young, I lived in a small town that wasn't far from a beach in North Carolina but I was only 11 at the time and didn't realize how lucky I was. Now, I feel so appreciative to be able to pack up my beach towel and a good book and head to the shore for a few hours! Last year Derek and I realized how close we are to a few beaches in New Jersey and since then we have made regular trips to Cape May. One of my favorite activities to do on the beach is to relax and get lost in an easy but good book. Here are a few of my favorite beach reads!
I've heard a lot about Emily Griffin's books in the past but they've always seemed to fall into a category of books that I don't tend to reach for first. Last summer I was at my favorite used bookstore, The Book Trader, when I saw this one and decided to take it along to the beach. This is a story about a young woman who decided to stay in her hometown but when an unexpected tragic event happens she questions whether or not the life she has chosen is for her. Read this if you like fiction, romance and if you're able to stomach a little bit of "cheesiness." This was a easy book to lazily read at the shore.
This book takes place in one of my upcoming summer travel destinations - Mallorca! A family with too many secrets and resentments goes on a 2 week vacation to the Balearic Island of Mallorca where essentially everything comes out in the open. The book doesn't take time over a long course of time but it's a good book for the summer, especially if you're reading on the go or at the beach. Also, not going to lie - with how terrible the characters are I felt slightly better about myself afterwards.
This is the only book on my beach read list that's non-fiction, which is actually my favorite genre. I've noticed that I mostly only read fiction books during the summer and tend to stick the non-fiction most of the year. This is a great beach read though because it's a book of essays, so it's easy to pick up on if you're taking multiple breaks between getting through it. I flew through this book though, the essays are engaging and eerily relatable.
Did anybody else not know that Steve Martin was also an author!? I didn't realize that this was the same Steve Martin as the actor Steve Martin until after I finished the book. The book follows two decades of the career of a woman who is trying to break into the art world. The book also throws out a few art lessons here and there, which is something I really appreciated. Halfway through the book I had a hard time putting it down, eager to see who the main character would charm next.
This is one of my favorite fiction books. It's dark, witty, satirical and heartwarming all at the same time. It's a story about a 15-year old girl on the search for her mother after she goes missing. The mother, Bernadette, goes missing after promising her daughter a trip to Antarctica and her daughter, Bee, won't let her go that easily. I didn't read this one during the summer but it's a book that I think I will be taking with me to the beach this summer to re-read.
Thank you for these book recommendations! I haven't read any of them, but I have heard of some of them. // I didn't realise we were that close to the shore! Also I'll be sure to pop by The Book Trader before I leave Philly. I love secondhand bookstores so much! Surprisingly I haven't looked for any bookstores whilst in Philly; I usually get my books from the library or online -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
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