Beach reads for women, men and children. There are plenty of books to last you the summer but here are a few that have been rated some of the best.
For the ladies:
1.) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman:
A man returns to Sussex, England, where he grew up as a child. 40 years earlier, on a farm at the end of a long road, a young girl promised that she would protect him no matter what from the darkness that was unleashed by a man’s suicide. The little girl, Lettie Hempstock, was wise beyond her years and there was something magical about her. This book shows what makes us all human and the power of the darkness.
2.) Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld:
At an early age Kate and her twin sister, Violet, knew they were different and completely unlike everyone else. They were born with senses and psychic abilities that show them the future and other people’s secrets. Violet embraced her senses and Kate did the best she could to ignore them and hide them. Years later, they end up back in St. Louis where Violet pursued her career as a psychic medium and Kate lived in the suburbs to raise her two children. They both see an earthquake that will soon hit St. Louis…Will they join together in fear or will Kate run with her family?
For the kids:
1.) Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper:
Melody is not like everyone else. She can’t walk or talk. But one thing that she does have is a photographic memory. She can remember every detail from every experience she has ever had. She is smarter than many adults who continuously try and diagnose her, and even smarter than the children in her integrated classrooms. Readers will come to know and love a brilliant mind and brave spirit. This book will change the life of young kids all over, especially anyone with a disability.
2.) Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool:
Jack Baker, a Kansas boy, was taken away from his family after his mother’s death and placed in a boarding home in Maine. There, Jack met Early Auden, who was very strange and clipped out every article about sightings of the great black bear in the nearby mountains. When the boys find themselves alone at the school, they embark on an adventure on the Appalachian Trail to search for the great black bear. While searching, they find something completely different. Make sure to read and discover what they find.
For the Men:
1.) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill:
A spine tingling novel about supernatural suspense, this book will keep you interested and entertained. Victoria McQueen could find anything lost – a bracelet or missing picture – and she can also answer questions that are unanswerable. Charles Talent Manx drives a Rolls-Royce with a vanity plate that says, NOS3A2. With this car he can drive and go where he wishes. One road in particular leads to the terrifying playground called “Christmasland.” Victoria was the only kid to escape him and now he has something that is most important to her, her son.
2.) Red Moon by Benjamin Pearcy:
Red moon isn’t a horror story about crazy wolves; it is a socially conscious thriller about two protagonists on a mission. Claire Forrester’s family has been slaughtered by the government’s soldiers and the other, Patrick Gamble, is a sole survivor of the Lycan rampage. Chase Williams promised to protect the people of the United States but as the red moon arrives, an unrecognizable world will appear and the battle for humanity will begin.
By Brittany Cassidy