Vacation Reads

So...Foodie February is going to be cut short because I'm taking a last minute girls beach vacation with my momma!

Despite FF being shortened, I promise when I get back I will host my Foodie Feb giveaway (I'm super excited for someone to win one of my fave foodie gems)!  In the meantime...these are the books I'm taking with me to the beach:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

On the Road by Jack Kerouac (the Btown Booksters pick this month!)

Winner! I Love My Followers Giveaway!

As chosen by random.org, the winner of their beach read of choice is:

Caroline Pinder!!

Congrats to Caroline, and thanks to everyone for participating!  Be sure to enter my upcoming giveaways (besides the 2 listed in the sidebar I plan on giving away some ARCs this summer) - stay tuned!

Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is: top ten perfect beach reads.  Here's my list:

1) Anything by Sarah Addison Allen...but if I'm just choosing one, I'll recommend Garden Spells. Southern fiction mixed with magical realism - just wonderful!

2) The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (and sequels) - fun Regency adventures with a dash of romance!

3) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See...one of my favorite books of all time!  A story about the bonds of female friendship set in historic China.

4) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  Witches, daemons, vampires, wine, and scholarly pursuits - so much fun! 

5) The Rossetti Letter by Christi Phillips - murder mystery/historical fiction with a dash of romance!

6)  For a YA pick...how about the new dystopian novel on the scene - Divergent by Veronica Roth

7) The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton - this book has it all: whimsy, betrayal, romance, and a mystery spanning generations.

8) If you haven't read the Stieg Larsson series yet, I highly suggest you pick these up and get to know spunky heroine Lisbeth Salander (although, the 2nd book can get a bit tedious when detailing specifics of Swedish governance).

9) Cottage by the Sea by C.J. Ware is some fun Cornish historical fiction!

10) For all you fantasy folks out there, I highly recommend taking the chunkster The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss out to the beach with you.  It'll blow your socks (er, your flip-flops) off!

Beach Reading: Lauren Willig

This is my third "Beach Reading" post and I just realized that people probably have different ideas as to the exact type of book they consider a beach read.  To clarify, in my opinion...beach reads are fun, compelling, light novels (i.e. books that do not require much higher-level thinking).  Is that what most people consider beach reads?  I wasn't sure.  Anyways, now that I've cleared that up...here's my latest recommendation of the beach variety:

The Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig!  I LOVE these Regency capers.  Some 1800s adventure, romance and a bit of swashbuckling - how fun!  These novels are the reason I didn't have a post yesterday...I just couldn't tear myself away.  Now that I've finally come up for air (I just finished The Seduction of the Crimson Rose) I had to immediately rave about this series.  If you like Christi Phillips' books - The Rossetti Letter and The Devlin Diary - you are sure to like Willig's carnation series (and vice versa).  Here is the author's recommended reading order for the series:

1. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
2. The Masque of the Black Tulip 
3. The Deception of the Emerald Ring 
4. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose 
5. The Mischief of the Mistletoe
6. Ivy and Intrigue
7. The Temptation of the Night Jasmine 
8. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
9. The Orchid Affair 
10. Pink IX (coming January 2012)

Happy reading!

Beach Reading - Kristan Higgins

Now that warm weather is fast approaching I thought I'd share some fun and breezy books - perfect for a day at the beach.  I've already mentioned that Sarah Addison Allen novels are a perfect choice for beach reading.  Another author that is a great pick is Kristan Higgins.  She has perfected charming chick-lit with endearing characters and slowly building romances (admittedly also obvious romances...but it doesn't detract from the entertainment value).  I suppose my favorite of hers is All I Ever Wanted (yes, it's a horrible title) but all are equally fun reads.

So there you have it, if you're in the mood for some fluff go grab a Higgins book from the library and have yourself a fun day in the sun this weekend!

Sarah Addison Allen Books

She's the queen of guilty pleasure books with a southern twist!  All of her books have a bit of whimsy or, um, magic.  Whether it be apple trees that tell your fortune, visits from ghosts, or mysteriously changing wallpaper...there's always a mystical element to Ms. Allen's novels.

This is not your typical chick-lit fare...she's wonderful at creating vibrant Southern landscapes with strong female characters and a bit of mysticism.  If I were to make a comparison it would be to the wonderful book (and movie) Practical Magic...SAA books are along the same lines.  My ultimate favorite is Garden Spells and from there it's a tie between The Sugar Queen and The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  I've read all of her books (great beach reads) and each are a delight!