Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Time For A Vacation! The Top Ten Beach Reads!

This week, the Broke and the Bookish want to know what are the Top Ten Books That Should Be In A Beach Bag (your perfect beach reads!). I think this list is going to be a bit different for everyone. My idea of a beach read and yours might be completely different. In no particular order, here is what I’d read if I had all day to lay outside.

1. The Southern Vampire Mysteries / Sookie Stackhouse series, by Charlaine Harris. – I love Sookie and all the characters in these books. I’d breeze through them, hoping the entire time that Sookie finds happiness.

2. The Undead series, by MaryJanice Davison. – I love Betsy! She’s irritatingly wonderful.

3. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. – I love Katniss and Peeta. The books are exciting and sure to make me feel like I’m doing more than lying around.

4. The Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella. – Plus anything else I’ve ever read by her. Kinsella’s books are quirky, funny and light. Just what I’d need after reading about all kinds of supernatural creatures and teenagers killing each other.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. – Whenever I think of this book, I can’t help but smile.

6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. – I’d also likely want the other two books in the series, I just haven’t read them yet.

7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith – What’s a vacation without some Zombie Mayhem?!

8. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood. – A little more serious, but an easier read than some of her other books. It can’t be all love affairs and bloody violence. I wouldn’t want my brain to go mushy.

9. The Gum Thief, by Douglas Coupland. – Again, another more serious choice, but it’s an easy read and I find the style of the book fun and interesting.

10. The Legend of Drizzt series, by R.A. Salvatore. – When I feel like a hero, Drizzt is there. He’ll fight for what’s right and save the day!

I almost included Buffy Season 8, but the problem I think I would have with graphic novels is that I would finish them too fast. I also nearly included the Twilight series, but they’re huge! I don’t mean it would take me long to read them, just that they’d be heavy. This is the only list that’s ever made me kind of want a Kobo or Kindle or some other kind of eReader. I like the idea of taking 40 books with me to the beach. I know I cheated a bit with this list. There are 5 different series on the list. Oh well. What books would end up in your beach bag?

11 comments:

  1. Great list! I loved The Hunger Games and I thought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was fun to read.

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  2. Love the Shopaholic series.

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  3. Fantastic list. So many of these would be great re-reads whilst on holiday. Especially the Southern Vampire series.

    Never thought of adding Penelopaid to my list. Should have as I did think about Atwood and it's a book I've been wanting to read for a while now.

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  4. Anne, have you read the sequel or prequel to PPZ? I have Dawn of the Dreadfuls and hope to get to it soon.

    Kati, the Shopaholic series rocks.

    Karen, I really liked The Penelopiad. Not everyone does, from what I've seen. I kind of think of it almost as a lighter Atwood, though it's still pretty serious.

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  5. Anonymous31/5/11 16:37

    I completely agree on the Southern Vampire mysteries, they're soooo good! I'm planning to finally read Hunger Games this summer too.

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  6. I like Atwood, but I've not read her latest. Thank you for the recommendation.

    Here's my list of books I plan to put in my beach bag this summer.

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  7. That Hunger Games trilogy seems to be perpetually popular!

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  8. Anonymous31/5/11 21:21

    Amazing list! I've read nearly everything on it and loved it and think it'd be a perfect choice...or I want to read it!

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  9. I almost put The Time Traveler's Wife on my list but then I didn't want poeple thinking it was just a beach read (because it's really so much more than that!) so I left it off. But it would work well on the beach - lot of places to stop and pick right back up.

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  10. booknympho, Excellent choices. I certainly enjoyed all the books in both series.

    Deb, I don't think I've read any Atwood I didn't like (though some is more difficult to get through than others).

    smellincoffee, I was resistant to read The Hunger Games because of all the hype, but then my co-worker plopped the books in my lap, so I had to read them. Then I loved them!

    1girl, Glad you enjoyed the list.

    Brenna, I agree that it's more than a "beach read" but it can be all fluff at the beach all the time.

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  11. I think the Penelopiad looks really interesting. Ix definitely want to check it out.

    Check out my Top Ten Tuesday

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