In just a few weeks, I am going on vacation. Ten working days, to be exact, not that I'm counting. I'm a pretty type-A kind of girl and I have a feeling I will be needing some beachy entertainment.
So, I'm looking for some suggestions for summer beach reading. I'm looking for something both frothy and literary, if you catch my drift. For instance, I love literary biographies, especially if they involve scandal, like the recent Edna St. Vincent Millay biography, Savage Beauty. Or summery poetry, like, well, I can't think of summery poetry.
So I'm asking for help. If anyone out there has encountered some good summer reading, please leave me some suggestions. I leave on July 1, and I'm planning a library trip for June 30. Any help would be much appreciated!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Fun, Sun, and ...Books?
Posted by Jessica at 4:37 PM
Labels: bibliophilia, Summer Reading
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4 Comments:
How about The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham? Or Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison? They aren't exactly frothy, but they are easy to read novels with some true literary merit.
For truly frothy, I go off the deep end and do Jasper Fforde or Douglas Adams. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
Here via the blogging chicks blogroll. Have a great vacation!
Hi Mary-Lue
Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your suggestions. I would agree that Douglas Adams is frothy -- I should pick up some of the newer hitchhiker's books that I have yet to read.
I've also never read any Maugham, so maybe I'll pick that up. Thanks! :)
Try 'The Bride Stripped Bare', not really enough literary merit to make your suitcase heavy, but also not complete chick lit trash. Lets remember you will be on a beach. On vacation. This book is easy to pick up and put down in between drinks and is also quite thought provoking and easy to read. It is by Australian author Nikki Gemmell.
I was going to suggest Water for Elephants, but...you're ahead of me on that count.
Here's a few enjoyable books I read in the last 2 years that, while they don't quite fit your request, are amazing:
The first two are linked in my sidebar:
Charles D'Ambrosio's The Dead Fish Museum. He's from around here and spoke at one of my writing classes. I love hislanguage and detail.
Chris Chester's Providence of a Sparrow. Another NW writer. I adored this book. It's the book I wish I could have written. He died recently; such a loss.
Julie Powell's Julie & Julia is fun, especially if you love food.
Jim the Boy by Tony Earley. Clearly written but charming story. Nothing pretentious about it.
Enjoy your vacation.
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