I packed only the essentials for a recent family beach vacation: toothbrush, bathing suit, books.
Wait, where are my beach books?
I'm a yearlong reader, but there's something about the smell of suntan oil that takes me back to summers I spent immersed in the worlds of Judith Krantz and Danielle Steele.
I drank in those popular paperbacks like they were iced tea on a hot day. I looked forward to the thick, sexy novels even when my beach was a rooftop in Chicago or New York City.
They were a guilty pleasure, since I knew I should have been working through the reading list I received on the last day of school instead.
These beach books became a kind of liberation -- a way to rebel against teachers and their literary conventions, against the idea that there were books I should read and others less worthy of my time.
Now that I'm out of school, I don't force-feed myself a diet of nonfiction and classics nine months of the year and indulge in the hot fudge sundae of popular fiction only during the steamy months of summer.
What I've read this summer |
I read what I want when I want.
But still, when May rolls around I look for something special. Something I can't find much anymore.
No matter how hard I look I can't find a blockbuster summer book (unless you count Bill Clinton's "My Life," which I don't). All I can find are novels about 20- or 30-something single women with nasty bosses and too few dates.
Don't misunderstand, I love chick lit. I love most books, except science fiction. But I'm wondering what happened to summer reading.
I'm looking for a few good beach books and having to sift through a lot of sandy, empty shells before finding the pearls I seek.
Fortunately, I don't mind the hunt. I love bookstores and am forever browsing in them. I collect bookmarks, bookplates, anything book-related, so the search is almost as fun as the bounty at the end of it. In fact, some of my favorite books are about the process of finding and enjoying a good read.
"So Many Books, So Little Time" by Sara Nelson details a year in the life of one reader -- what she intends to read, what she actually reads or re-reads, and how her literary life and literal life intersect. She writes about some great books that could find a place in my beach bag, or yours.
I also really enjoyed "Used and Rare" by Nancy and Lawrence Goldstone. They write about book collecting, which begins as a birthday bet, then takes them on an unexpected journey, along with their young child.
Summer can be a magical time for reading with a child.
Because of my aversion to school-sponsored summer reading lists, I was surprised to discover my son eagerly awaiting them after kindergarten and first grade. In fact, he was disappointed when he didn't receive one this year to bridge the learning between second and third grade.
So, he's reading comic books and GameCube strategy guides instead. But at least he's reading.
"Like so many of the things we do as parents, raising readers happens in bursts of delight and desperation, in the push and pull of digging in and letting go, day in and day out, both because of and in spite of our efforts," says author Jennie Nash in "Raising a Reader."
I agree. In fact, my husband and I live by this reading rule: We let our son read whatever he wants (as long as it's PG-rated). It's the act of reading -- not the reading matter -- that makes a difference.
If you're looking for a few fun reads for pre-school and elementary school aged students, I recommend "Library Lil" and anything by the husband-wife team of Jon Buller and Susan Schade.
There are also lists of books for young readers, including this one from the International Reading Association and this one from the American Library Association.
There are similar lists for older readers, with "pages of pleasure" (as NPR's Susan Stamberg describes them). Two of the more interesting ones are by authors and by The Great Books Foundation.
I'm planning to use these lists to remind me of what I may have overlooked in the past, so that I'm less dependent on the new releases.
But I refuse to let them make me feel guilty.
What's true for kids is true for adults: It matters more that you read and less what you read about.
This LifeFiles column originally appeared on about 70 TV station websites managed by Internet Broadcasting Systems.
I just recently read "My Sister's Keeper," too! I really liked the book, more people should read it. Very thought provoking. I did'nt like the ending though. I thought it should have ended right after the court hearing, and left us wondering whatever happened to the two sisters.
Posted by: Karyn | June 28, 2004 at 04:52 PM
Thanks for this column. I've added a few more books to my miles-long books wish list. I'm currently reading Backlash by Susan Faludi and find it amazing how little things have changed since it was written in 1991.
Posted by: Lei | June 27, 2004 at 05:16 AM
Just (5 minutes ago) finished Lorna Landvik's Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. It's my bookclub's pick for the month and a light, easy read for summer.
Posted by: Shelly | June 27, 2004 at 02:36 AM
Great minds think alike! I have a half-finished blog post right now talking about books and reading.
Just finished Hillary Clinton's Living History and Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Ain't She Sweet. Currently reading Marshall Chapman's Goodbye Little Rock and Roller and BJ Mountford's Bloodines of Shackelford Banks, about the wild ponies on our Outer Banks.
Posted by: terrilynn | June 25, 2004 at 10:36 PM
My son reads anything and everything about sports--almanacs, Sports Illustrated, sports sections of newspapers, biographies--so I'm not too worried if he just reads those and cheats manuals until the next Harry Potter comes out. My daughter goes in spurts--reads a book a day for a week or so, then not much for the next week. I read anything I find interesting. I usually get British novels, but the exchange rate is making it a bit hard to justify Amazon.uk right now. I tend to historical novels. One recommendation--I DID NOT enjoy "I Don't Know How She Does It" about a working mother. I thought it was very cliched, and not realistic about the work demands. Most of the others I know who have read it feel the same, but I've yet to see a real review.
Posted by: TW | June 25, 2004 at 08:04 PM
There is a semi-trashy, but oh-so-fun series by Janet Evanovich (starting with One for the Money and proceding up to Ten Big Ones) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312990456/qid=1088187246/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/102-9443781-5872146?v=glance&s=books
You can pick up the paperbacks most anywhere and they are definitely beach worthy.
Posted by: Kris | June 25, 2004 at 02:15 PM
This afternoon I'm taking my 5-year-old to our favorite place, the bookstore, as soon as Wondergirl gets here to babysit the littler ones. We'll look for Jon & Susan's work. Thanks for such a great post.
Posted by: Philip | June 25, 2004 at 12:55 PM
This past week I just wrapped up two steller non-fiction titles:
Two Souls Indivisible:The Friendship That Saved Two POWs in Vietnam - Excellent! four stars
Hello, My Name is Mommy - Excellent also, espcially for first time moms.
Posted by: Helene | June 25, 2004 at 12:37 PM
Besides children's books to Tony, I'm reading A Woman's Walk with God and will probably also be reading up on breast cancer awareness, support and prevention. (See my homepage for more details on this.)
Posted by: VJ | June 25, 2004 at 09:34 AM