School has probably started for most everyone by now (it was Charlie’s first day today), but I wanted to share these vacation book recommendations while they’re still fresh on my mind from our recent trip to the Philippines. I read everything on my iphone through the Kindle app and get through books much faster that way since I always have my phone on me. I like to read a little bit of everything — from thrillers to young adult, biographies, business, and nonfiction. I think most people tend to prefer lighter, fun fare when it comes to vacation books, so I’ve included plenty of those among these recommendations for your next vacation, or just for fun!
The Husband’s Secret – Several Bees recommended Liane Moriarty’s books which are smart, suspenseful, and perfect vacation reads. I read What Alice Forgot and The Husband’s Secret (which has been optioned for a movie) on this trip, and Big Little Lies is currently on my kindle!
The Girl on the Train – I read Gone Girl last summer and even though it was dark, it was so good I couldn’t put it down; I think the movie is just as great as the book. The Girl on the Train has perhaps gotten the most buzz as the next Gone Girl. It was a fun read (not in the same league as Gone Girl in my opinion), but the main character is so flawed that she often made me cringe at her decisions.
– I read Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resiliance, and Redemption last summer and loved it. Boys in the Boat is also a true story in the same vein that I’m currently working my way through. I love stories about underdogs!
Modern Romance – I accidentally purchased this book about dating in the modern age by Aziz Ansari. Even though I’m not really the target audience, the book was still really fun and interesting. You can’t go wrong with books by comedians like Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants and Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography – I downloaded this book on a whim a couple years ago because it got rave reviews, and it was surprisingly very good! Rob Lowe grew up in Hollywood and it’s interesting to hear about all the big name stars that grew up with him at the same time competing for the same roles.
Hyperbole and a Half – I’ve been a huge fan of Ally’s comics, especially this one about depression which is so on point. Similar to her blog, her book is comprised of comics and vignettes and it is so smart and laugh out loud hilarious!
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Everyone has been talking about this book and it did not disappoint. Marie Kondo suggests that it takes an average of 6 months to tidy up your home, and she really inspired me… so we’re getting rid of everything before we move to the Philippines! Maybe not exactly what you’d want to read on vacation, but it does leave you inspired to purge your things!
All the Light We Cannot See – I’m currently working my way through this 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Another favorite Pulitzer Prize winning novel of mine from years back is Middlesex, but it’s definitely not light vacation reading!
Wonder – If you like the young adult genre, last year I enjoyed Wonder, Eleanor and Park and The Fault in Our Stars.
Where’d You Go Bernadette? – This was one of the vacation reads last year and while it was a fun read, I didn’t love it as much as many others seemed to.
Wild – I love memoirs about adventures so Wild was right up my alley. My all time favorite adventure memoir is Into Thin Air by John Krakauer about a disastrous expedition up Mt. Everest
Crazy Rich Asians – So many people recommended this as a fun beach read about the wealthiest families in Singapore. I’m about a quarter through. Did you love it?
The Rosie Project – Several Hellobee members recommended this book to me and I absolutely loved it! It’s about a man with Aspergers that falls in love with someone who is his polar opposite. It’s funny and sweet and perfect for the romantic comedy that’s already been optioned!
Sycamore Row – I usually read crime thrillers by John Grisham, James Patterson, or Jonathan Kellerman because Mr. Bee’s dad has a bunch of them. They’re always fast and fun and perfect vacation books.
The Hunger Games – Every year I read a book series. 4 years ago my friend gifted me Twilight. The following year I read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy. Last year I read Divergent. This year I read The Hunger Games. They’re always a lot of fun and the young adult genre is a goldmine of these type of fun, fast-paced series.
Skinny Dip – I first read Carl Hiaasen’s book Skinny Dip many years ago, and before our trip this year, Olive found Strip Tease by him in our neighborhood (people often leave out boxes of books). His books are fun, frothy, thrillers that are the quintessential vacation read.
Good in Bed – I’m not really into chick lit, but one of my favorite chick lit authors is Jennifer Weiner. Good in Bed is my favorite, but you’ve probably heard of In Her Shoes which was made into a movie with Cameron Diaz.
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Some other books I’m working my way through include So You’ve been Publicly Shamed by Jo Ronson, Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow, Poking a Dead Frog: Conversations With Today’s Top Comedy Writers by Mike Sacks, The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand, and The Vacationers by Emma Straub.
Please share some of your favorite vacation beach books, authors, or any books you’ve been loving lately!
kiwi / 511 posts
The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society was a very good book, I wasn’t sure I would like it as it is not my usual thing but it was a very happy surprise.
Two books that it seems like every one raves about Wild (Cheryl Strayed) and Yes Please (Amy Poehler) were very underwhelming and I never did finish Yes Please because I just thought it wasn’t very good and life is too short to read books you don’t like when it is reading for yourself and not work. Gone Girl it was very dark and kept me hooked but the main characters were just so unlikable that in the end I just don’t like it and hesitate to read something else by the author.
Prodigal Son by Danielle Steele was excellent and griping.
grape / 89 posts
If you like YA books, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is great. Reconstructing Amelia is another favorite YA. I loved The Glass Castle (memoir). The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was a book my husband got me for mother’s day. I thought I’d hate it, but ended up loving it.
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
I couldn’t get into Crazy Rich Asians at all, and like @Mrs. Maven, I refuse to spend time on books I don’t like so I gave up. I slogged through All The Light You Cannot See – it felt like it took forever to read – but I did love it in the end. I do want to read Girl on The Train but people either love it or hate it so I haven’t gotten into it yet. I’m pretty active on Goodreads and a little neurotic about keeping track of my books. Maybe we should start an adding thread for Goodreads?
A few other recent favorites:
Jennifer Weiner’s new one, Who Do You Love. I loved Good in Bed but a few of hers didn’t resonate with me until this newest one.
You by Caroline Kepnes. Creepy creepy book but very engaging read.
Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaum. I’m about to start her new one; Language of Flowers came out a while ago but I adore it.
Anything by Sarah Jio. Her stuff intertwines history with modern day and very easy reads.
On the YA front, Mosquitoland by David Arnold was phenomenal, and Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan is geared toward the 10-12 age range but it’s a huge book and I absolutely adore it.
pineapple / 12053 posts
@Mrs. Carrot: oh my gosh. i LISTENED to all the light you cannot see and it took me 13 (!!) hours to get into it and then i loved the last 4. ha. the next day i found out it was a pulitzer winner. i wondered if i read it if i would have liked it faster. it was hard to keep up with all the characters while listening.
guest
I agree with Mrs. Carrot…You by Caroline Kepnes is a page-turner even though it’s creepy and a bit frustrating!
I also enjoyed…
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
If you’re a dog person, I highly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
I’m currently reading Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan. It’s a thriller and I’m a bit obsessed with it. Like reading it at stoplights obsessed.
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts
@Kim, now I’m off to buy Finding Claire Fletcher! And definitely second Art of Racing In the Rain. Few books make me cry – that one I outright bawled at.
blogger / persimmon / 1220 posts
I really love Cheryl Strayed’ other book – Tiny Beautiful Things. It’s a quick read, and they’re all snippets from her Dear Sugar column.
guest
I loved Crazy Rich Asians and I bought and read Rich China Girlfriend the week it came out. It did take me a bit to get started with Crazy Rich Asians but once I did I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the hilarity of the insanely rich lifestyle and taking a fun look into a culture that wasn’t my own.
guest
*china rich girlfriend
nectarine / 2210 posts
Of the ones on your list I’ve read, and loved, Good in Bed, The Hunger Games, and Where’d You Go Bernadette. I actually own Boys on the Boat though, but till now hadn’t really heard of anyone else reading it. Knowing you liked it though does get me excited for when I do actually pick it up!
grapefruit / 4235 posts
I really hated the Vacationers.
I read The Royal We on vacation and it was a great beach read.