Five Chilled Out Beach Reads to Take On Your Summer Holidays
Hi, I’m Dane from SocialBookshelves.com, and today I’m going to tell you about my five top beach reads! Ain’t life a beach?
I was lucky enough to be invited by Sam to write for The Book Corner as part of her summer celebrations, and so I leapt at the chance to talk to you about something that I love. In return, Sam was kind enough to write a guest post over on my site about a week in the life of a book blogger – you can check that over here.
So now it’s time for you to don your bathing suit, cover yourself with sunscreen and get your reading glasses on – without further ado, here are my top five chilled out beach reads:
1 – Sarah Henshaw – The Bookshop That Floated Away
The Bookshop That Floated Away tells the true story of Sarah Henshaw and her book barge, as she travels up and down the waterways in mainland Britain selling books from a houseboat and trading them for showers, haircuts and even dental work. Sarah’s writing is beautiful and humorous, and her book is made even better if you can hear the gentle lapping of the shore while you’re reading it.
Buy The Bookshop That Floated Away.
2 – Terry Pratchett – Guards, Guards!
Terry Pratchett has a knack for entertainment, and while each and every one of his Discworld novels makes for a great holiday read, this one stands out in particular as the first book in the series to introduce the Ankh Morpork city watch. It’s a hilarious read and a fantastic book for escapism, so prepare to follow Sam Vimes and his fellow watchmen as they try to tackle a secret society and stop a dragon from wreaking havoc on the city.
2 – Terry Pratchett – Guards, Guards!
Terry Pratchett has a knack for entertainment, and while each and every one of his Discworld novels makes for a great holiday read, this one stands out in particular as the first book in the series to introduce the Ankh Morpork city watch. It’s a hilarious read and a fantastic book for escapism, so prepare to follow Sam Vimes and his fellow watchmen as they try to tackle a secret society and stop a dragon from wreaking havoc on the city.
Buy Guards, Guards!
3 – Philip Pullman – The Ruby in the Smoke
Philip Pullman is loved by millions for his His Dark Materials trilogy, but his Sally Lockhart series is, in many ways, superior. The Ruby in the Smoke is the first book in the series, and it follows the young Sally Lockhart as she investigates the mystery behind her father’s death in Victorian London. It’s easy to read and even easier to fall in love with, so think about packing the whole series if you’re going to be gone for a while.
3 – Philip Pullman – The Ruby in the Smoke
Philip Pullman is loved by millions for his His Dark Materials trilogy, but his Sally Lockhart series is, in many ways, superior. The Ruby in the Smoke is the first book in the series, and it follows the young Sally Lockhart as she investigates the mystery behind her father’s death in Victorian London. It’s easy to read and even easier to fall in love with, so think about packing the whole series if you’re going to be gone for a while.
4 – Agatha Christie – And Then There Were None
The Queen of Crime wrote literally scores of novels which make for great reading in any situation, but And Then There Were None is her masterpiece, a suspense-filled novel that will keep you reading from start to finish. It’s the sort of book that you can start and finish in a single day as you relax in the sun, which is good because by the end of it, you’ll be itching to know who the killer is!
5 – John Biggs – Mytro
Biggs is arguably more well-known as a journalist for TechCrunch than he is as a writer, but his debut novel makes for a thrilling read for ages eight to eighty. Mytro tells the story of a teenage boy who discovers a mysterious underground rail network which can transport you from one side of the world to another in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, some devious and unsavoury characters have plans of their own…
Buy Mytro.
Now that you’ve got your beach reads sorted out, you just need to worry about the rest of your packing – if you’re taking an e-reader then don’t forget your charger, and remember to stay safe in the sun, too. It’s all too easy to get absorbed in a good book and end up burning all over – trust me, I know!
What summer reads are your favourites? And where are you off to this summer? Let us know with a comment, and have a fantastic time – we’ll see you at the seaside!
Now that you’ve got your beach reads sorted out, you just need to worry about the rest of your packing – if you’re taking an e-reader then don’t forget your charger, and remember to stay safe in the sun, too. It’s all too easy to get absorbed in a good book and end up burning all over – trust me, I know!
What summer reads are your favourites? And where are you off to this summer? Let us know with a comment, and have a fantastic time – we’ll see you at the seaside!
I would like to thank Dane for wanting to participate in The Summer Feature, and thank you for some of your suggestions; there are a few I have not heard of but they sound really great! (Hosting the Summer Feature was bad on my part - TBR is just growing and growing now!) As Dane said you can check out my guest post on his blog SocialBookshelves.com, thanks once again and don't forget to follow him on twitter here
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