So, I’m totally not a beach person. Beaches in summer are usually hot
and crowded. I am more of a mountain forest girl. Also, the term “Beach read” makes me cringe. It brings to mind
fluffy, pointless books that I forget immediately after finishing. But, I do plan
on reading this summer, so here are 10 books I’ll have in my un-beach bag.
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*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
What’s In My Un-Beach Bag?
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A voyage for buried treasure spells trouble for cabin boy Jim Hawkins, who finds himself in the middle of a mutiny with some of the nastiest pirates to ever sail the seven seas.
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.
Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Weird Things Customers Say In
Bookstores by Jen Campbell
Filled with fun and quirky illustrations by the award-winning Brothers McLeod and featuring contributions from booksellers across the United States and Canada, as well as the author's native UK, Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores is a celebration of bookstores, large and small, and of the brilliant booksellers who toil in those literary fields, as well as the myriad of colorful characters that walk through the doors every day. This irresistible collection is proof positive that booksellers everywhere are heroes.
Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn
With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed up crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback. So when he’s promised exclusive access to notorious cult leader and death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the opportunity is too good to pass up. Lucas leaves New York for the scene of the crime—a split-level farmhouse on the gray-sanded beach of Washington State—a house whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb’s diviners; runaways who, thirty years prior, were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. Lucas wants to tell the real story of Halcomb’s faithful departed, but when Halcomb goes back on his promise of granting Lucas exclusive information on the case, he’s left to put the story together on his own. Except he is not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life . . . and within these walls, they’re far from dead.
The Bombs That Brought Us Together by Brian Conaghan
Fourteen-year-old Charlie Law has lived in Little Town, on the border with Old Country, all his life. He knows the rules: no going out after dark; no drinking; no litter; no fighting. You don't want to get on the wrong side of the people who run Little Town. When he meets Pavel Duda, a refugee from Old Country, the rules start to get broken. Then the bombs come, and the soldiers from Old Country. Little Town changes forever.
Sometimes, to keep the people you love safe, you have to do bad things. As Little Town's rules crumble, Charlie is sucked into a dangerous game. There's a gun, and a bad man, and his closest friend, and his dearest enemy.
Charlie Law wants to keep everyone happy, even if it kills him. And maybe it will . . . But he's got to kill someone else first.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Fifteen-year-old Kambili’s world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home.
When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili’s father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father’s authority. The visit will lift the silence from their world and, in time, give rise to devotion and defiance that reveal themselves in profound and unexpected ways.
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.
Company Of Liars by Karen Maitland
The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them.
Each member of this motley company has a story to tell. From Camelot, the relic-seller who will become the group's leader, to Cygnus, the one-armed storyteller . . . from the strange, silent child called Narigorm to a painter and his pregnant wife, each has a secret. None is what they seem. And one among them conceals the darkest secret of all—propelling these liars to a destiny they never saw coming.
The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
Ann Rule was a writer working on the biggest story of her life, tracking down a brutal mass-murderer. Little did she know that Ted Bundy, her close friend, was the savage slayer she was hunting.
Have you read any of these? What did you
think?
I've read Treasure Island and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes--both great books.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I live close to the beach, I have no beach bag but do have a "boat bag" that I can stow in my kayak or sailboat and have the things I need like rain gear, sunblock, bug spray, water bottles, a vhf radio, waterproof camera, watch (only time I wear a watch is when racing sailboats), etc...
Great summer reading list! Within These Walls sounds really good, I'll have to add to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteA few of us are rebelling against beach reads! I have a nice winter theme going this week! Looks like a good mixture of genres on your list. Hope it's a good summer reading time for you!
ReplyDeleteCount me in as one rebelling against beach reads! I did a summer horror list instead - that's my kind of summer read. I really want to read Within These Walls and know I have a copy on my Kindle. I've heard great things about the Jen Campbell books as well. Great list!
ReplyDeleteShadow and Bone has been on my TBR forever. I actually own not only the whole Grisha series, but also the Six of Crows duology (and haven't read a single one). I'm putting a lot of faith in Bardugo, lol.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy all these!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/top-ten-tuesday-108/
I should finish Treasure Island, I started it a while back and got sidetracked or whatever. Seems like a good summer choice. :)
ReplyDeleteWeird Things Customers Say looks fun too.
Shadow and Bone is a great read, and definitely not light and fluffy! I love Treasure Island too, but it has been a long time since I read it. And Purple Hibiscus is on my TBR too. Interesting choices, hope you enjoy them all!
ReplyDeleteYes! Non-beach-lovers unite. I have had The Bombs That Brought Us Together on my radar for a while. I cannot lie, every time I see this book, I get The Smiths song stuck in my head. =)
ReplyDeleteI hope you read and love every book on your summer TBR.
Sam @ WLABB
THANK YOU! People think I'm nuts when I say I don't care for the beach. But then, I've spent most of my life in the landlocked desert so... Weird Things Customers Say in a Bookstore looks great - adding that to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteHere is my Top Ten Tuesday
I like the beach but hate getting in the water. It is gross. The beach is nice to sit and enjoy the scenery though. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is an awesome read and I hope to read more Ania Ahlborn soon as well.
ReplyDeleteAhh I LOVE Shadow & Bone!! Although I think Leigh Bardugo's secondary series, Six of Crows, is even better.😍 I hope you have fun with this lovely collection of books!
ReplyDelete