Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. There's a new topic each week, and bloggers post their top ten books in that category. For those of you who aren't aware, I absolutely LOVE making lists, especially top ten lists, so I'm excited to start participating in this.
This week's topic is The Top Ten Books I'd Recommend As Good Beach Reads.


10. Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide 
By Peter Allison

I took this book with me on vacation last year, and it turned out to be a fantastic beach read. It's funny, lighthearted, and interesting, and was great to read while relaxing on the beach.





9. The Old Man and the Sea
By Ernest Hemmingway

I love this story. It's wonderfully written; I could picture every scene, setting, and emotion described. I also love the plot, which is incredible because of its simplicity - even though it's not very complicated, there's so much meaning.



8. The Count of Monte Cristo
By Alexandre Dumas

Don't be intimidated by the book's huge size - it's fantastic and incredibly addictive. It's one of my favorite books of all time. And even better? If you can find room for it in your bag, it's long enough to last for your entire vacation.




7. The Lace Reader
By Brunonia Barry

This book definitely surprised me: the plot was different than I had anticipated, but more than that, I didn't expect it to be so good. It was fascinating, and I loved the way the story was told.




6. Witch and Wizard
By James Patterson

These books are short, fast-paced, and action packed, especially the first one, which I found impossible to put down. If you haven't read them yet, make sure to throw the first one in your suitcase - you won't be disappointed.




5. Along for the Ride
By Sarah Dessen

All of Sarah Dessen's books are amazing and could easily fill this list on their own, but this is by far one of her best. She creates some of her most memorable characters ever, I love the setting, and putting the book over the top is the fantastic cover.


4. Sand Dollar Summer
By Kimberly K. Jones

It's been awhile since I read this book, but I still remember that although it was short and sweet, it created great characters, described all the emotion in the plot really well, and perfectly captured the beachy, summer atmosphere of the setting.



3. The Penderwicks at Point Mouette
By Jeanne Birdsall

In fact, all three stories about the Penderwick sisters are fantastic. This is the third in the series and probably the one best suited to the beach, but if you've never read these books before, I highly recommend picking up all three. Even though they're for slightly younger readers, these are the type of books you're never too old for and will never outgrow.


2. The Empire of Ice Cream
By Jeffrey Ford

My cousin sent me this book for my birthday last year, describing it as a great summer book. It turned out to be exactly that and much more - strange, wonderful, imaginative, and the perfect beach read. It's full of some of the most unique and creative short stories I've ever read - and it even starts out with one set on the beach. This is an absolute must read.




1. My One Hundred Adventures
By Polly Horvath

To me, this book is summer - full of excitement, adventure, and wonder - and as soon as the weather starts getting warmer, I think of this book. It's one of those stories that will stick with me forever.

2 comments:

  1. Wow,you've got some great books here. I thought I visited everyone on the link list this week and left a comment but somehow I must have missed you. So sorry.

    The Safari guidebook sounds terrific. I'm wondering what surprised you about the Lace Reader, the title sounds intriguing, and I don't think I've heard of My One Hundred Adventures. Great list.

    I like that you're doing a short story challenge. I'll have to check it out. I don't think short stories get enough attention.

    Great to find your blog. I'm tweeting this and bookmarking you. Found you through the Top Ten Tuesday meme for beach reads this week. I'm at Down the Writer's Path.

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  2. Thanks so much! I appreciate your taking the time to read and comment, and I'm glad you like the blog.

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