The beach is back

So who else out there in cyberland is ready for summer? Summer means vacations, hotdog barbecues, beaches and pools and, best of all, summer reading! Last week I polled my fellow RH Library team members to find out what they recommend you bring with you on vacation this year…

Marcia:

Narrow Dog to Indian River by Terry Darlington
The sequel to Narrow Dog to Carcassonne in which a delightful English couple (Terry and Monica) decide to take their English narrow (canal) boat, the Phyllis May, across the English Channel and through the waters of France. The narrow dog is their Whippet, Jim, described as “cowardly, thieving, and disrespectful, and he hates boating.” The adventures continue down the east coast of the U.S. from the Chesapeake Bay to Florida and are utterly engaging, and absolutely hilarious. Once found, friends forever. After reading (NOT on public transportation, much more suitable on a beach or in a porch swing!) view photos on their website.

Jen:

Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michele Moran
For fans of the HBO series ROME, this book begins right where the show left off. Exotic, suspenseful, with a hint of romance. Perfect reading for the beach, but you’ll have to wait for September, when it is published. In the meantime, toss one of Moran’s previous titles into your beach bag—Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen!

Erica:

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
An enchanting ugly duckling tale, I was constantly delighted by this second novel from Sarah Addison Allen. I had to force myself to slow down near the end, to better savor how engagingly charming each of her characters was and the story she wove for them.

Dave:

The Last Days of the Lacuna Cabal by Sean Dixon
I think this pretty much says it all about this offbeat novel about a ladies’ book group at an epic crossroads: “”An intellectual, sexual, logorrheic, bibliophilic, cryptological, political, and archaeological rant of the first order. It’ll change your idea of what ‘written in stone’ means, and it’ll blow your mind too.”–Michael Redhill, author of Consolation

Marie:

Swimming by Nicola Keegan
Just the cover itself  makes me want to jump into the closest body of water on a hot summer day. Philomena (or Pip as she is often called, though she hates it) is an Olympic champion swimmer who gets through all the perils and heartaches of her upside down life one stroke at a time. This wonderfully character-driven novel follows her throughout her adolescence in Glenwood, Kansas into her early adulthood as she goes for gold. Nicola Keegan’s clear voice, fluid style and incredibly quotable narrative make this debut novel impossible to put down. Pip is a star. I loved it.

Also, find last year’s beach picks here.

-Marie