Books to fill your beach bag

With beach season just weeks away, it’s time to stock your summer book supply for those relaxing days on the sand.

A great post-finals read would be The Quality of Life Report by Meghan Daum. The book reveals the life of an unmarried New York television producer whose anxiety from the busy city forces her to relocate to the quaint Midwest.

While on her journey, she not only finds humility, but happiness from the wide-open spaces of the land and the unique people she encounters while traveling west.

The author’s true-life story will inspire you to relax and enjoy yourself after the stress of finals week.

Best-selling writer Caroline Knapp’s book Appetites: Why Women Want is a story every woman should read this summer, according to Glamour magazine.

The novel examines the writer’s personal battle with anorexia and the root of our world’s obsession with the female body.

Weaving together ideas from feminist thought, advertisements, our diet-obsessed culture and her friends and family, Knapp examines the “airless, empty, mind-numbing sameness” of her illness and the grueling journey to her recovery

This story will open your eyes to the dangers of eating disorders, but more importantly, it will inspire you to live a healthy life that will provide much happiness and joy, the pure essence of the summer season.

A light read for both pleasure and an appetite is Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie, by Rebecca Charles. This book is a memoir and cookbook in one.

Charles is a chef that vacationed the beautiful seashores of Maine each summer with her family. Her sentimental stories combined with delicious northeastern recipes will leave you hungry for more of this charming read.

Leap of Faith, by Queen Noor Al-Hussein, recounts the author’s historical romance with the king of Jordan. Born Lisa Halaby of New Jersey, the queen has witnessed some of the world’s most dramatic political events and recollects them in her memoir. This unbelievable story of love and politics makes for a gripping, real-life fairytale.

For girls waiting for the next season of “Sex in the City” to start, try the best-selling novel Four Blondes. This read is sure to make up for Candice Bushnell withdrawals. Although the book splashed onto the scene three years ago, it’s is a classic summer book.

This socialite handbook will have you dreaming of summer days in Southampton with the perfect sun-kissed highlights.

Elle magazine recommends Oonya Kempadoo’s Tide Running on its top list of summer books. This story follows the twists and turns of intimacy, class, race and mayhem that ensue when a young native of Tobago enters the lives of a wealthy foreign couple vacationing on the island.

This non-fiction tale is poetically enhanced by the Caribbean writer’s lyrical style. This book includes political insight and can serve as a great topic for conversation at a beach bonfire or a picnic in the park with friends.

So, with finals almost here and gone, replenish your summer story stash to ensure for an enjoyable summer vacation.

Books to fill your beach bag

Books to fill your beach bag