Beach Bum Book List

I am heading off to a beach getaway later today, and as a self-proclaimed bookworm, I always bring almost as many books on vacation as I do bathing suits.  So sit down in the sand under the sun, grab a cold drink, and enjoy one of these timeless summer reads!  Click here for a list of 17 great books you won't be able to put down.

Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

The novel was originally written in French, and the title translates to "Hello Sadness."  It was published when the author was only 18 years old and was an overnight success.  Bonjour Tristesse is a sinfully glamorous story set on the French Riviera centered around the beautiful teenage Cécile as she struggles between the naivety of her youth to the difficulties and reality of adulthood.

"For what are we looking for if not to please?  I do not know if the desire to attract others comes from a superabundance of vitality, possessiveness, or the hidden, unspoken need to be reassured."

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

The God of Small Things was assigned during my senior year of high school, and although my literary taste did not usually line up with that of my school's English Department, I absolutely loved this one.  It's a novel about forbidden love, and the story delves into heavy topics such as child molestation, domestic abuse, and incest.  I prefer books that challenge the way I think, and The God of Small Things does just that.  

"Little events, ordinary things, smashed and reconstituted.  Suddenly, they became the bleached bones of a story."

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

Le Petit Prince, "The Little Prince," is truly a classic, and one of the most beautifully crafted stories I have read.  It is short and sweet, proving quality reigns over quantity.  I don't often cry during books, but this one is so poignant that even I shed a few tears.  The author drops golden nuggets of wisdom and worldly insight throughout the book - even though it might look like it is meant for kids from the cover, Le Petit Prince is tender and thought-provoking.

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart."

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous novel, but my favorite Fitzgerald literary feat is Tender is the Night.  Tender is the Night is set on the French Riviera (everyone's dream summer destination) and features a young Hollywood star who becomes involved with several complex adult characters.  This novel is very psychologically intense, and two versions of the novel are in print - the original with flashbacks, and the revised edition in chronological order prepared and published posthumously by Fitzgerald's close friend, Malcolm Crowley. 

"I don't ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember.  Somewhere inside of me there will always be the person I am tonight."