For those who have high standards for their beach reads, here's a list of four books to read before the summer is through.
I am not of the mind that book recommendations need to be limited to new books and have selected four oldies for your reading pleasure. In this case,"high standards" are defined as books that don't wallow in darkness.
'Beautiful Ruins' by Jess Walter
I read this book shortly after it was published in 2012. Even now, when I think of a book that made me happy while reading and I thoroughly enjoyed, this book almost always is the first one that comes to mind. It's a lovely read about an almost love affair, set on the incredible Amalfi Coast.
'Hawaii' by James Michener
Do not let the facts that this book was published way back in 1959 (the year that Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state) or that it's 937 pages deter you from giving it a go.
After the geology lesson-like first chapter, the chapters that follow are more like small novels, each chronicling the progressive arrivals of different groups to the islands.
If you love a book that's rich enough in characters and setting that it makes you feel like you're there, bring this one to the top of your list. A lovely read.
'The Shipping News' by E. Annie Proulx
Published in 1993, don't worry if you start reading this one and think, "She said none of these books wallow in darkness." Yes, there is some darkness in "The Shipping News," but hope and recovery are also there.
The structure of this book is a thing of beauty. Proulx says that Clifford W. Ashley's book "The Ashley Book of Knots" (published 1944) was the inspiration for her award-winning piece of fiction. By the way, in her acknowledgments, Proulx shares with readers that she bought Ashley's book for 25 cents at a garage sale.
'The Summer Before the War' by Helen Simonson
This thought-provoking read is so rich and captures so much about the essence of love and war that extends way beyond East Sussex, 1914.
Poignant and bittersweet, the book, published in 2016, is beautifully written and captured a part of my heart.
— Jan Risher