Do you have a personal best beach read? What requirements does an authors work of art need to meet to qualify under a great beach read? The definition of a great beach read for me, is a novel that is fast paced and sparks my interest from the first few pages. I have read so many authors works that would qualify under my definition, but I managed to shorten my list and share with you all my favorites.
Ayesha at Last, Usma Jalaluddin
I wasn’t prepared to love this novel as much as I did. Captured me from the first chapter, and I dived right in.
Readers will be introducted to two characteres who only share one trait in common: they both are muslim. One is headstrong, takes charge of her life, and her views on life are more modern and liberal. (I loved her from the start). The other appears to be kind of sexist, family oriented, and a true believer of his faith. (It took some time, but he eventually grew on me, and he will on you too). The author explored both views of a traditional perspective of Islam and a modern one, and allows the readers to see how they interact with one another.
A breath of fresh air, with so many humorous lines I found myself laughing out loud many times, making my sister look at me like I was a crazy person. A novel that delighted me from the start till the very end.
The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
An intoxicating read, centering around four siblings who greedily all need the inheritance left for them for their own purposes. The reason I loved this novel is because it unravels in a way that I never expected. It’s a fast paced read, that is witty with a realistic ending. The writing flows well, and readers should be prepared to meet extremely selfish and flawed characters.
If you love a novel written around family and all the drama within them, add this to your bookshelf!
The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion
Amusing and clever and shows that love doesn’t have a perfect mathematical answer. Love can be found anywhere, and your partner in life can sometimes be the most unexpected human. A quirky, light, romantic comedy novel. Read it, and go along the journey with Rosie and Don and their mission to discover Rosie’s biological father.
My only concern with this novel is that Don is clearly diagnosed with asperger’s disease, and not knowing much about the disease I am unaware if Simsion does an accurate depiction of the character Don. The story had quite a few twists and turns, and if you enjoy the genre of romantic comedies I believe you will thoroughly enjoy The Rosie Project.
Love Her Wild, Atticus
As an avit addicted user of Pinterest, and pinning so many of Atticus short poems in my “Seduce me with Words” board, I finally purchased his marvelous work of poems. I was not disappointed. My book is marked up with so many highlighted lines that I loved, so many sticky notes, and starred with my favorite poems. The book is separated into three parts: Love, her, and wild.
A poem for every one of your moods. Atticus has taken so many of our human emotions and has managed to put them into fully functional words. True brilliance. One of the many reasons I loved the poems, were because they didn’t need to be over analyzed; they were short, sweet, simple, and did not have hidden messages. Many of the poems feature pictures that are absolutely beautiful.
“Sometimes I want a quiet life
Other times I want to go a
little bit Fucking Gatsby.”
“We are never alone
We are wolves howling to the same moon”
“Depression is being color blind and constantly told how colorful the world is”
Took my book of poetry down to one of my favorite beaches and enjoyed nature with a marvelous book in my hand.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Addison Allen
I know they say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I am not going to lie to you. I bought this book solely on the title. A girl who chased the moon… it seemed magical and charming and enticed me before I even read the back of the book. An enjoyable read with the perfect dose of mystery, romance, and a hint of magic. The first novel I have read by Allen, and I know for certain that I will be adding the rest of her works to my to do book list. Her novel was a breath of fresh air, and was the perfect getaway from reality that I needed.
The novel focuses on two women. One teenage girl Emily whose life has been uprooted and packed away to spend her days in Mullaby, North Carolina with the grandfather she never knew. The other is Julia the baker, who can’t seem to move past an old lover and wonders if rekindling an old flame is worth the risk.
Both women stories were an engaging delightful read, and had the perfect dose of magic revolving around their stories.
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