5 Great Summer Beach Reads 17

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When you go to the beach, you always need something to read, don’t you? But what should you bring?

For me, it’s something that I won’t worry may get destroyed, so generally a cheaper paperback. I also want something simply written so I don’t need to concentrate too much.

Of course it needs to keep me entertained with shorter chapters so I don’t need to worry about committing too much.

I have lots of favorite beach reads but here are my current Top 5 Great Summer Beach Reads!

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Digital Fortress by Dan Brown  

Honestly, any Dan Brown is the perfect novel for the beach. They’re all so fast paced and so entertaining. Check out my review here!

Summary

“National Security Agency. NSA. Never Say Anything. That is what David Becker thinks when he just comes off the phone with his boss who told him to collect this dead mans possessions, every single bit of it mind you, and get home. Do not forget one thing. But when he notices one thing is missing, the adventure starts for him. But back at HQ,  Susan Fletcher, the NSA’s head cryptographer who is brilliant, beautiful and an excellent mathematician is called in to work on a Saturday afternoon she knows something is wrong. David Becker, her fiancé, is not at home but is somewhere

where she does not know. Her boss, Strathmore has some bone chilling news for her. That TRANSLTR, the #1 email decoding device might be flawed. It has been trying to decode and email for over 15 hours and it never takes more than 3 to do the hardest one they have given it. They then realize something about the email. It is not email. It is a program. And TRANSLTR cannot decode it. The NSA is held hostage. Not with bombs or guns, but with a program that it cannot decode. And with the world’s security on the line, they have to work fast. But will it be fast enough?”

When You Lunch With the Emperor by Ludwig Bemelmans 

This book is so light and such an enjoyable read. It was the book I traveled to Japan with. Check out my review here.

Summary

“Ludwig Bemelmans–legendary bon vivant and raconteur, and author of the Madeline stories as well as the surprise success of last year, Hotel Bemelmans–lived life like a character in a novel. Wherever Ludwig went and whatever he did–letting Parisian criminals baby-sit his daughter, getting caught with his toenails painted red by the Gestapo, or discovering the only restaurant with toilets in the Amazon Jungle–his escapades are guaranteed entertainment.

When You Lunch with the Emperor collects Bemelman’s work under the headings of Childhood, Work, and Play. Readers will enjoy their lunch with the Bemelmans!”

Pink Slips by Beth Aldrich   

This was a light book. The story was fast paced and it didn’t require tons of concentration. Great for the beach. Check out my review here.

Summary

“This gripping and emotional debut novel, Pink Slips, tells a spine- tingling and harrowing story of survival, friendship, doggedness, and love. The inimitable power of the relationship between Betsy Ryan and her beloved dog, Barney, gives this suspense thriller soft spots to counter the uncertainty and intense action.

Betsy Ryan is pregnant with her third child, and receiving threatening notes from an anonymous person. During what should be a joyful time in her life, she’s forced to face a decade old memory, and relive one of the most devastating nights of her life. In order to uncover the mystery behind the threats, she enlists the help of an unlikely, but oddly reliable source, her dog Barney. As the menacing notes continue to arrive, her husband is called out of town for work, and she struggles to keep her composure while shielding her two young sons from danger. She trusts no one except her parents, best friend Misty, and her extraordinary dog—who has proven to literally understand everything she says. Is this person out to harm her? And how do they have so much personal information about Betsy? She can’t help but think it’s the same person who attacked her at the train station almost a decade ago, and changed the course of her life forever. To save herself and her unborn child—Betsy must face her fears and find her strength, to reveal who is after her and most importantly…why.”

The Headhunters by Peter Lovesey  

This was such a fun mystery novel. It was set in a little English town, so if you want something small, witty and full of intrigue, this is it! Check out my review here.

Summary

“Jo Stevens’s evening with Rick isn’t going too well, so when she spots her friend Gemma a few lanes down at the bowling alley, she seizes the opportunity for a double date. When Gemma says she’d like to kill her sleazy boss, the two couples joke about forming a club to execute perfect murders. But when Jo stumbles upon a corpse of a woman the next morning, she realizes that murder is no laughing matter. Jo describes her gruesome discovery to Inspector Henrietta “Hen” Mallin who has her work cut out for her as the bodies count continues to climb.”

 

Singing Fire by T.L. Martin  

This was such an adorable book. We had magic, romance and a tea shop! Doesn’t get much better. Check out my review here.

“Constant chills, panic attacks, and now paranoia – there’s a reason seventeen-year-old Charlie keeps to herself. Life is looking up when she gets a job at a whimsical tea shop and gains a few new friends, but little does Charlie know there are secrets lurking beyond its door. It only takes one night for her perspective on her small town to change forever. As if witches, vampires, and demons weren’t enough, she soon realizes she’s being hunted for a power she didn’t know she possessed. Singing Fire takes Charlie through an unexpected journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and forbidden love all while the clock is ticking for her to defeat the dark souls pursuing her – before anyone else dear to her has to die. Singing Fire is the first of a two-part series, and its sequel, Raining Fire, is due for release in 2017.”