Is Beach Read a Compliment? Ponderings from an Author and Reviewer

During the wonderfully glorious summer months, many book reviews (mine included) begin or end with something like, "This would make a great beach read." My own book, Caught Between Two Curses, has received a review or two with this statement, and I smiled because there's nothing greater than imagining a beach full of people reading my book.

When I write this in reviews, I always mean it as a compliment. I love sitting on the beach or by the pool or on the porch in my backyard, reading a book and sipping an iced tea or even a long island ice tea (depends on the day!). But is "beach read" a good thing? What do we mean when we say beach read? Would you be happy if your book was labeled as a beach read?

I started thinking about this and driving myself crazy. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about The Fault In Our Stars. I haven't done extensive research, but just going with a gut feeling here, I'm sure not many people labeled John Green's book about teens dying of cancer as a beach read. Why? Because it's well-written or because of the heavy subject matter? My feeling is the subject matter--a beach read is usually fun and ends happy, such as a lovely book by one of my favorite authors, Claire Cook , author of Must Love Dogs.

Let's look at the classics--would we call Catcher in the Rye a beach read? It's about a teenager, but again, the subject matter is pretty deep. What if all these beach goers in their swimming suits started having a huge literary discussion about Holden Caulfield right in the middle of the kids building sandcastles and teens playing beach volleyball?

So, I'm going to attempt to define "beach read" here. Now, I know I'm stepping way outside the box and putting my professional reputation as a reviewer on the line, but I'm going to take the chance anyway, and list the characteristics of a beach read. Ready?

• Funny or humorous 
• Happy ending
• Well-written
• Fast-paced
• Waterproof

So, how about you? What's your favorite beach read this summer? I have to say that I recommend Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire. I actually didn't read it at the beach, but stayed up all night when there was a terrible storm, and we lost our power. Hey, maybe I should come up with a new popular term that reviewers can use. Something like, "Try this book. It's a power outage read."

Until next time. . .

Margo L. Dill reviews books for her blog, for WOW!, and the News-Gazette. She also teaches novel writing classes and is a novelist herself. Find out more at http://margodill.com/blog/. 

Beach photo by anda :)  http://www.flickr.com

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3 comments beach reads, book reviews, humor, Margo L. Dill, summer

What Makes a Great "Beach Book"?

by LuAnn Schindler

War and Peace shows up on many "classics" book lists, but is it a great beach book?

NPR readers and listeners think so.

NPR will release their "100 Best Beach Books Ever" list on Wednesday, July 29. Sure, a lot of publications print a "best beach books" list as summer draws near. But what exactly constitutes a beach book?

It seems there's a difference of opinion. Reader's Digest offers a list and notes that the books "aren't the usual big-name suspects you'll see elsewhere." Oprah offers "sweet, salty reads for bathing and beyond." NPR reports that "while all books on the list should be enthralling enough to inoculate vacation-goers against the vagaries of missed flights and bad weather, many 'great books' aren't great 'beach books'." Heck, the information superhighway is loaded with sites and blogs offering their self-crafted definition of the term, ranging from romance to classics to graphic novels.

Does it need to be a fluffy, light read? According to the blogosphere, several bloggers believe a beach book isn't necessarily literature (note to self: literature, by definition, is a written work so a novel is a work of literature) but an entertaining, light read that can be consumed before sunscreen wears off.

And here I thought that a "beach book" was any book a reader selects to read while at the beach, or outdoors, or wherever you feel like reading. My summer "beach read" is Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It's not sexy; it's not light. But it is engrossing and that is what draws my attention to any novel.

NPR patrons presented 600 titles for consideration. Reviewers and editors narrowed the list to 200 and then readers voted for their top pick. To me, the list of 200 contenders is a conglomeration of classics and popular fiction. I've read 28 of the 200 novels, and 20 more titles are on my bookshelf waiting for a trip to the beach. Or my front porch.

What's your summer beach book and where's your summer reading spot?

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3 comments beach books, beach reads, LuAnn Schindler, NPR top 100 best beach books, summer reading