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Beach Reads '06
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| Toss in these staff-recommended books when you're packing for the beach. |
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By Coastal Living staff
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The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The joy of The History of Love is in author Nicole Krauss’ voice. She paints such a vivid picture of the separate yet connected lives of an old Jewish man and a 14-year-old girl that after reading a few pages in bed, I almost woke up the next morning in Leo Gursky’s grungy New York City apartment. Ms. Krauss’ poetic account is alternately hilarious and full of sadness, but it is always true to her exquisitely drawn characters. Witness Leo’s description of his lifelong friend Bruno: “The soft down of your white hair lightly playing about your scalp like a half-blown dandelion. Many times, Bruno, I have been tempted to blow on your head and make a wish. Only a last scrap of decorum keeps me from it.” I savored this book like fine, dark chocolate—I’d nibble a few pages and then put it down to make it last longer. I’d stare at it on my bedside table, wanting to read more, wanting to be back with Leo, but knowing that if I did, it would end sooner. Eventually, I gave in to temptation and inhaled the last 100 pages in one sitting. Luckily, this is a novel that stays with you long after you’re finished. Enjoy. —Susan Cullen Anderson
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Sea Salt: Memories & Essays by Stan Waterman
At age 83, Stan Waterman still wanders the world as a scuba diver, underwater photographer (he worked on the 1977 film The Deep and the 1971 shark documentary Blue Water, White Death), and, most of all, adventurer. His book, Sea Salt: Memories & Essays, recounts the life of a man who, when presented with a wildly impractical opportunity, usually replies, “Why not?” In 1965, for example, he packed up his wife and three children and moved to French Polynesia for what he describes as “to this day, the finest and most meaningful year of my life.” Sea Salt reads as if Stan were relaxing on a boat in some exotic harbor one evening and saying, “Did I ever tell you about the time … ?” He proves that even in today’s corporate, risk-managed times, one can lead a swashbuckling life. —Steve Millburg
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Random House Endless Summer Crosswords edited by Stanley Newman
A day at the beach doesn’t have to be totally mindless thanks to Stanley Newman’s newest puzzle book, Endless Summer Crosswords. The puzzle maestro has compiled a collection of summer-theme puzzles that make a perfect beach companion. Try your hand at intermediate-level crosswords with a combination of classic and contemporary clues while digging your toes into the sand. Newman has even included puzzles to entertain you en route to your coastal paradise, with “Auto Suggestion” and “Wing It.” —Staci Coleman
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Buy it at Amazon.com |
Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
Girl Meets God follows the author’s religious conversion to Christianity and her reverence for her Jewish traditions. Honest and engaging, Winner writes about the pure power of faith. Her ability to examine Judaism and Christianity from an insider/outsider perspective shows both faiths irrevocably intertwined. A lifelong learner and lover of books, Winner presents not only the story of her spiritual transformation but an intellectual look at modern religion. —Kelly B. Tomas
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Buy it at Amazon.com |
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Malcolm Gladwell, author of the best-seller Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, presents social change from a new perspective in his entertaining look at the power of word of mouth. Using examples from business, media, medicine, fashion, and education, he shows that social trends depend on the particular gifts of people he calls Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen. Connectors know people, Mavens are information-driven, and Salesmen are persuaders. Without these three types of people, a fad, idea, or new product will likely die in its crib. The Tipping Point provides tools for anyone trying to effect change with few resources. —Gayle Christopher
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The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Known for her lovable, over-the-top characters and implausible scenarios, Sophie Kinsella promises yet another fantastically fun read with The Undomestic Goddess. On the brink of partnership with one of London’s top law firms, Samantha Sweeting has the career she’s always wanted. But when a huge mistake jeopardizes her future aspirations, she makes a dramatic career change. As Samantha’s complicated situation gets even more complex, she realizes that the things we want so desperately don’t always make us happy. Another laugh-out-loud tale as only Kinsella can weave, this book is so lighthearted it’ll have you floating on air. —Kelly B. Tomas
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Buy it at Amazon.com |
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The titles and whimsical cover art grab attention in the bookstore. Eventually, you just have to pick one up, and that’s how the addiction to Alexander McCall Smith’s series begins. Now at seven volumes, the tales open with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Others include Morality for Beautiful Girls and The Kalahari Typing School for Men. But it’s best to start your journey with the first. It welcomes you to the arid but intoxicating land of Botswana, where you’ll meet Precious Ramotswe, one of the most unlikely heroines in mystery literature. The author paints characters that emerge with striking dignity and perception. Thanks to an inheritance from her humble father, Precious hangs a shingle outside her little tin-roof storefront and becomes a detective. Soon, she is called upon to unravel shadowy thickets of mystery—from disappearing husbands, to many-fingered con artists, to the possibilities of witch-doctor evil. As you turn the pages, you’ll smile and laugh aloud. You’ll also probably shed a tear. That won’t be for unhappy endings, but for the gentle grace of Precious and the people worthy of her love. —Susan Haynes
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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Take a journey into rural South Carolina, circa 1964, with 14-year-old Lilly Owens as she flees a cruel father while looking for clues about the death of her mother. Her companion on this journey is her black nanny, Rosaleen, whose insult to the town’s racist bullies initiated their flight from the law toward an eclectic household of beekeeping women. Led only by a saved honey label with the words “Tiburon, South Carolina” written on the back by her mother, Lilly and Rosaleen find their way to August Boatwright, a wise friend who lends an anchoring presence to Lilly’s recovery. Lilly finds acceptance and love among her new family as she comes of age and realizes that her mother was not the icon she had imagined. Kidd, in her first novel, crafts a wonderful story in the voices of these true-to-life characters that will be enjoyed for generations. —Gayle Christopher
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Buy it at Amazon.com |
The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
A business book as beach reading? Sure, as long as it’s as deftly written and fascinating as The Wisdom of Crowds. The author, New Yorker magazine business columnist James Surowiecki, argues persuasively that diverse, even random, groups of people are collectively smarter than almost any individual. This applies to everything from how much to pay a hot-shot CEO (past performance often fails to predict future results) to which “lifeline” to use should you be a contestant on TV’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” (the audience is correct 91 percent of the time, the contestants’ hand-picked “experts” only 65 percent of the time). You might even want to get the whole family involved in planning your next coastal vacation. At least if they hate the destination, they’ll have only themselves to blame. —Steve Millburg
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