Survey: What Makes a Good Beach Read?

For the second year in a row, I'm writing a beach reads round up for the Philadelphia Inquirer (check out last year's article here).

These are always fun but tough to write. You've only got a sliver of space to cover the gamut of what will be available this summer to accompany you and your beach chair. I just sent an email out to my book PR contacts. Last year when I did this, I found about 40 books on my doorstep within two days. I feel like I should tip my UPS man now instead of at the holidays.

So here's my question for you: What makes a good beach book? And what have been your absolute favorite summertime reads?

And if you're looking for suggestions right now, most of the books I put in last year's article are in paperback now, or soon will be:

The Department of Lost & Found: A Novelby Allison Winn Scotch
Black Hats: A Novel of Wyatt Earp and Al Caponeby Patrick Culhane
Mr. Dixon Disappears: A Mobile Library Mystery (Mobile Library)by Ian Sansom
French By Heart: An American Family's Adventures in La Belle Franceby Rebecca S. Ramsey
The Clarks of Cooperstownby Nicholas Fox Weber
Rules for Saying Goodbye: A Novelby Katherine Taylor

Comments

Trish Ryan said…

Laura Dave has a new book coming out in May called THE DIVORCE PARTY that I'll be buying in advance for my summer beach reading.

March 27, 2008 at 6:51 AM

Champion of My Heart said…

Karen Quinn's newest book "Holly Would Dream" comes out in June 2008. Her stuff cracks me up. I love a good laugh in the summer. Plus, there's just enough driving plot, just enough (ahem) sex, and just enough underlying smart stuff. It may seem like chick-lit, but she does some really clever things with plot that pay homage to classic novels, movies, etc.

And, well, she's a really nice gal from CO (where I live), so I've got to love her.

March 27, 2008 at 11:03 AM

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