7th June 2015

Summer Holiday Beach Reads

Life - By Alexandra Stedman
Tove Jansson’s ‘The Summer Book’. 30 SPF suncream: £11.05, Vichy
I’m not as good at reading books as I used to be. All that social media, instagramming and emails seems to have gotten in the way. And I spent far too long reading long, boring books through my English degree to ever persevere with a book I don’t enjoy (3 courses of ‘Paradise Lost’! It killed me).
I’m going to be honest now, I don’t read much at all anymore, I carried the Goldfinch around in my bag for entire YEAR before getting to the end. But that’s not to say I didn’t love it, I just rarely catch moments to read where I’m not working, replying to someone, writing letters, planning blogposts, compiling moodboards for clients etc etc.
But I have been told by a few people that my book recommendations are good – I think a holiday book is also different to a life book. I’m currently reading ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ – it’s brilliant but I wouldn’t recommend to take it on holiday.
Re-reading Harper Lee’s wonderful ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, looking forward to the release of the new title  ‘Go Set A Watchman’
A holiday book needs to be a good length, so you don’t need to take 5 in your Easyjet 23kg luggage. It also needs to transport you to another world, transport you to a far off place (but not too distant to detract from your holiday), so you can immerse yourself and truly relax. A great holiday book is one you want to talk about over lunch, and can’t wait to dive back into after a relaxing swim (pun completely intended).
Some of my all-time favourite reads – a book well-read is a book enjoyed

They’re probably not mind-blowing and most of you have probably read them (and this is obviously edited – I could go on but that would make far too lengthy a post). Please also note that none of them are particularly recent (I’m not good at being very current with my reading). But these are books that made memorable holidays, I remember exactly what I was doing when I read them and if I could re-read just 5 books, it would probably be these.

Here are my TOP 5 holiday reads:

‘The Woman In White’ by Wilkie Collins – NERJA, SPAIN 2001
Oh, this was a glorious holiday, and what an amazing book. I honestly couldn’t put it down – the first mystery novel of its time and the first book to use different people’s perspectives, the fascinating story of a mysterious woman in white, seen by the protagonist Walter Hartright, whose story is unravelled throughout the book. It is just a must read, everyone who I have ever recommended this to has adored it – and it has, in my opinion the best villain ever – Count Fosco (whose accomplices are his pet mice).

‘The Summer Book’, Tove Jansson – BARCELONA, SPAIN 2013
You might want to take another book with you as well, as you will finish this in a day. A friend bought this for me after I fell in love with Finland – it’s written by Tove Jansson, the creator of The Moomins and is about a girl and her grandmother, set in the Finnish Archipelago. It’s almost a book of fables – little stories. But is endearing and wonderful – quite childlike – and totally calming.

 



‘Valley of The Dolls’, Jacqueline Susann – KORCULA, CROATIA 2011
This book may go into my all-time favourite reads ever. I love the social scenes it depicts of New York in the 1960s, hanging out at El Marocco, the views towards women in the 60s – plus the characters and sensational storylines are as addictive as those ‘dolls’ they take – every woman should read this book. Tip: I have the Barbara Hulanicki special edition cover, as it looks chicer (the other covers, I think, make it look trashier than it actually is).


‘The Beach’, Alex Garland – LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 1998
I remember reading this before finishing my A-Levels and it really made me rethink my travels. Such an interesting perspective on the dark side of travelling – and needless to say, so much better than the film.


‘The Robber Bride’, Margaret Atwood – PENANG, MALAYSIA 2000
I am huge Margaret Atwood fan, anyway, she is the only writer whose novels I have read in their entirety. The way she depicts women, and their awkward relationships, and the way she threads a story together, is compelling. The story starts at the funeral of Zenia, who was a compulsive boyfriend stealer – and what happens next just has to be read to be believed.


What are your all-time favourite holiday reads?

By Alexandra Stedman

Fashion Editor, Blogger, Realist

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Comments

  1. Lovely list! I have a pile of books waiting for my holiday, but I think the one I am looking forward to reading most is In Tearing Haste – letters between Deborah Mitford and Patrick Leigh Fermor. I'd also highly recommend anything by Laurie Graham – especially Gone With The Windsors and My Humble Companion. The covers really do not sell them at all but they are funny and fantastic reads.

  2. Don't reread The Beach. I made that mistake a few years ago thinking it was SO GOOD in the 90s when I read it. It's not. It's kind of bad and has not aged well. I adore Valley of the Dolls. I would also add Scruples by Judith Krantz for that special kind of holiday trash that is actually stonkingly good. And of course, Jilly Copper's Riders!

  3. Too many to mention! I read the Goldfinch on holiday and loved it. My guilty pleasure is Jo Nesbo. Kindles are a godsend on holiday – I can get through half a dozen books on a beach holiday! Plus you can download whatever you're in the mood for.

  4. How fabulous, I really enjoyed some Nancy Mitford last summer – and will check our Laurie Graham (and I know what you mean about bad covers – has sadly put me off so many books x

  5. Really? My husband read it last summer and enjoyed…maybe it's the impression of the film has had on it…
    I have also never read Jilly Cooper – maybe I should?!

  6. I've seen so many people reading Jo Nesbo, will have to investigate. I know Kindles are amazing, but I love books. They're heavy and expensive but I think, for me, buying a kindle it's like admitting that the publishing industry I've been working in for 10 years is extinct – I'm too proud!

  8. Apart from they're just publishing on another platform. The content still needs to be edited etc! Plus we have no more room in the house for books…

  9. Thanks for the recommendations, valley of the dolls has been on my must read list for years. Will remedy that now!

  10. Great post Alex – I read English in Uni too and had a good few years off ( and blogs started to fill the void). Recently bought a kindle (sorry!) and it's helped get me back into the swing…
    Partner LOVES Jo Nesbo, I read Girl On A Train on holidays, really easy to read and addictive. Plus lots of references to South London which makes it feel more real for me!

  11. LOVE all of Margaret Atwood & also Valley of the Dolls. Enjoyed The Goldfinch too – all great reads. If you like those, I'd recommend everything Donna Tartt has written, Lolita (it's more amusing then you may think) and The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen – a story about an elderly American couple. Its not a light read, but an 'epic' about a family, their relationship and their foibles. One for a long plane journey.
    Ooh and the old classic 'I capture the castle' – back to childhood!

  12. I just bought Valley of the Dolls – thank you for the recommendation! Can't wait to get started – planning it as in Ibiza holiday read. Laura x

  14. 'Secret History' is one of my faves as I actually studied English and Classics at university – and have got I Captured The Castle but just never got round to it -next holiday!