Super Summer Beach Reads

It’s hard to believe, but Memorial Day is Monday which means it’s time for another edition of

Amy Mac Stacks!

It’s time to prepare your stack of books to entertain you as you loll about (we LOVE to loll about in the South) at the beach and pool this summer! So, grab a glass of sweet iced tea and a giant, yet cute, hat to block the blinding sun and pack these books in your darling beach bag:

Non-fiction:

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I have just started reading this book, and already my husband is growing annoyed because I burst into laughter (and I laugh kinda loud) after he’s fallen asleep. Seriously, this book is why the acronym LOL was invented. Enjoy. (A caveat: if the occasional naughty word is difficult for you to read past, you may want to skip this one. But I gotta say, try hard to read past — this is one of those times the language enhances the funny.)

Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe

Oh, Sodapop. I love you so. I usually reserve non-fiction books, particularly biographies, for right before I go to bed so I don’t attempt to stay awake to find out what’s going to happen. Thanks a lot Rob Lowe for keeping me up way after my bedtime (and I mean this in the most non-risque way possible.) Rob (we are on a first-name basis because I am his friend because he told me all his stories) is a fantastic storyteller, and he has some stories to TELL. He apparently wrote this his-own-self, which is impressive … it’s well-written and a great read.

The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric

Don’t overlook this book as only applicable to graduates. It’s a great gift, but y’all should read it, too. It’s full of great stories, great advice by surprising sources. Case in point: one of my favorite entries is by Matthew McConaughey.

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

I am a firm believer that you should challenge your brain only once and quite briefly when you are sunning yourself. This book is perfect. It’s short and full of good information by marketing guru Seth Godin  gives you a push to Go – Make Something Happen.

Fiction:

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain

This book landed on my list because my daughter’s name is Hadley, just like the protagonist in this fictional account of Ernest & Hadley Hemingway’s years in Paris. It’s an interesting stroll through the mind of a prolific writer who had an indelible impact on fiction writing, but it’s also an interesting viewpoint of a woman who puts up with an awful lot for a man she loves.

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson

A fun, easy read by the author of "I Don’t Know How She Does It" about a teenager’s obsession with David Cassidy (in the 1970s, not currently – whew.) and what impact it has on her as a 40-year-old woman.

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

In my never-ending attempt to land firmly in the Young Adult age group, I plan to read these books this summer. I’ve heard good things — what about y’all?

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Of course I have read this before, y’all hush. It’s the best book ever. When I asked my mother some 10 years back if she’d ever read the book (not just seen the movie) she replied “Oh, yes! I read that book at least once every couple of years!” If you have never read this book, I am going to try hard not to judge you, but please go get it today and get to reading. It may be the finest piece of fiction ever written.

A quick side note: people ask me all the time if I like my Kindle. I LOVE my Kindle.

 L-O-V-E love it. No, I do not miss turning pages. I do not miss holding a book in my hands (if you are concerned about this, I recommend one of these cute covers which makes you feel like you are holding a book.) I also don’t miss carrying around bulky, heavy books in my bag. Nor do I miss books tearing up because they’ve gotten splashed when I’ve gotten caught in the crossfire of unsupervised children conducting a poolside re-enactment of the Civil War except with water guns with the strength to knock fillings out of your teeth. I also don’t miss the fear that my bedside table is going to collapse under the weight of the thirty books I am planning to read.

Now, what books are you planning to read this summer? What have you recently read that you loved? What are your favorite books of all time? Let’s build us a big, fancy book list for this summer.