17 July 2010

Even the Intelligentsia Go to the Beach

In summer, post after post comes out about beach reads, aka light, fluffy, easy reads or brain candy. But what about those who want cerebral, complex, makes-you-look-oh-so-smart beach reads? Well, Flavorwire has 10 Beach Books for Smarty Pants Readers, but I thought we could make our own list.

So tell me, what book(s) do you think should be on the Book Blogger Recommended Beach Reads for Smarty Pants Readers list?  Don't just pick a difficult read; think of a reason it's perfect for summers on the beach!

Our List
  1. The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek (Kathy)
  2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Clare)
  3. Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Amy)
  4. Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (Jill)
  5. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Jill)
  6. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin (Dawn)
  7. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields (Melissa)
  8. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (Trish)
  9. Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson (Mystica)
  10. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn (Jenna)
  11. Columbine by Dave Cullen (Jenners)

I'll compile the list here, and then Random.org will let me know who to give the prize too.  What is this prize, you might ask; well, it's *drumroll* a book!!! You will be able to choose one of the following:

Matched by Ally Condie
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Deogratias: A Tale of Rwanda by J.P. Stassen
Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Posted by Trisha at 5:06 AM
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11 comments:

  1. I'm going to say The Summer We Fell Apart by Robin Antalek because it takes place during the summer. I know that's a lame reason.
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  2. The Count of Monte Cristo- revenge, swordfights, revenge, girls in love, revenge, deceit, and revenge. Properly scandalous for the summer heat, no?
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  3. Oh man, litararyominvore stole my suggestion!

    How about Fahrenheit 451? Nothing says hot like burning books.
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  4. I'd say Dr. Zhivago or War and Peace - nothing like a cold Russian winter to cool you off!
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  5. In the vein of cooling off, how about THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD by David Laskin. It's narrative non-fiction about a terrible storm in the late 1800's. Not necessarily 'literary', but a good piece of history.
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  6. Can I just say ... I love this post and I LOVE that photo!

    As for a Smarty Pants beach read, I just spend most of this week on the beach with Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, by Charles J. Shields. My husband is even more of an anomoly with his reading material. (We always have a dead president or some statesman accompanying us. For instance, Winston Churchill came along on our honeymoon. This year, we had Henry Clay: The Essential American, which my husband would highly recommend to history buffs.)

    Another thought: maybe some Edgar Allan Poe? Guaranteed to give one the chills.
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  7. Les Miserables. I probably say that because I've been reading it for 5 months--BUT it could be used to hold down the towel during a particularly windy day. :)
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  8. I would like Petite Anglaise - light, romantic, love in Paris! what more does one want.And to top it all - a blogger who finds love on the blog!! Read my review!
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  9. I love the suggestions you guys! Keep them coming. :)
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  10. I'd have to say A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. It may seem a bit like a textbook, but it reads like a story and is actually really interesting! It's also got great reviews.

    PS: This post is great! I can't always handle the light, fluffy summer reads.
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  11. Does it count that I read "Columbine" by Dave Cullen while sitting at a crowded wet water park and was completely engrossed in it the entire time ... despite sitting on concrete about 2 feet from a water spray?
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