Strumpet from Strumpets life has had a cool idea for a meme! The These Books Were Made for Walking meme is designed to "blog about a book and travel in some way". This will be a monthly meme, held on the third Wednesday of every month. This month's theme is Beach reads.I must start with a confession. I don't do beach reads. The idea of tyring to get comfortable under the hot sun with a book doesn't really appeal to me that much. Neither does showing the body that I have NOT worked so hard to get on the beach actually. Part of the reason is that over the years Aussies have been inundated with so many messages about skin cancer, that for me, sun bathing is very much a thing that I stopped doing when I was a teenager. I don't know of any of my friends who do so regularly either. It was kind of amusing when I lived in the UK because if there was a nice sunny weekend, everyone else would come into work either brown or red from sunbaking, and I would be the whitest person there. It's not exactly the sun bronzed Aussie image that is portrayed so often in the media, but never mind!
That answer isn't really in the spirit of the meme though, so I thought I would talk about the kinds of books that make me think of the beach. If I did read at the beach or the pool it would most likely whichever book I was currently reading. I wouldn't make specific choices just because I was going to the beach or pool or whatever. The other thing is that if I wasn't going to go swimming, then I would most likely take my MP3 player and listen to a book as opposed to reading it, so that I could still supervise my son as he was swimming around.
Interestingly enough, it appears that there are some people who enjoy more high brow literature for on the beach. For me, if I was going to sit by the pool or on the beach, then I would want something that I didn't have to concentrate all the time on, so that rules out a lot of the classics, and more literature type reads. What I can see myself reading are some of the sprawling sagas that follow families through the years. Something nice and meaty, that will take a while to get through. For example, some of James Micheners books would do the trick, and there are a couple of his books that would give pretty good beach descriptions as well. I am thinking specifically of Hawaii and South Pacific for example. Actually, any chunksters that you can really get lost in would probably be suitable!
I hope that some of you feel inspired to join Strumpet's meme! I think it has a fun theme, and look forward to posting again next month! If you do respond to the meme let me know and I will come check it out!
Nice idea. I have to think about this as I don't change my reading and yet I read everywhere I go. Hawaii and South Pacific are fun reads. I'm off to look up the creator's site.
ReplyDeleteI have played along and posted tonight. What a unique idea! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete*smiles*
Kim
Oooo - I read Centennial on a holiday once!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in!
It is so cold here right now that the idea of sitting on a beach sounds like heaven. A good book, sitting on the beach, letting the heat soak in sounds like paradise.
ReplyDeleteI don't do beach reads, either. In fact, after living in Texas for four years, the last thing I want to do is sit in heat/humidity for fun. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteNow, put me on a beach in Iceland and now we're talking!
I'm not attracted to beach reading too. It'll be uncomfortable as there's no sofa to sink in, there'll only be the hot sand or even if I brought a mat, it wouldn't be as comfy as the sofa at home! Haha!
ReplyDeleteIf I were at the beach, I'd rather have fun in the water or watch other people. I'd be too distracted to read.
Great post! I do love to read on the beach. Must be a thing with living in the Northeast US as lots of people from south and west of where I am here disagree!
ReplyDeleteI have never sun bathed. Not even when I was a teenager! I am always the whitest person around. lol I use tonnes of sunscreen, always wear a hat, and provided they are not broken, always wear sunglasses! I wear more in the summer than I do in the winter. lol
ReplyDeleteKailana, given how cold your winter is, I am thinking you might need to rethink your wardrobe a little! LOL!
ReplyDeleteTrixie, there must be some other people who read on the beach, because at the beginning of summer you definitely hear all about beach reads!
Josette, I'm with you totally! I need a proper chair, or even better, the bed!
Michele, a beach in Iceland? At this time of year? Are you sure? ;-p
Krissi, we are at the opposite end of the season spectrum. When it is over 100F or close to it, it is far too hot to even contemplate letting the heat seep in any more than it already does!
Strumpet, thanks for coming up with a great idea! Looking forward to next month to see what you come up with.
Kim, glad you were inspired to join in.
Sandra, I never even thought to look up his website. I'm not even sure if he is alive or not!