Guest Post: MKA’s Favorite Beach Reads

Wow, two guest posts in just a few days! It feels like I am getting back on track, and it definitely feels good. Let’s just hope I don’t get too far ahead of myself.

Summer just wouldn’t be the same without a new MKA book, and Mary’s latest Beach Town is available now. I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Beach Town later this week, and trust me when I say that it is one to definitely pack in your beach bag this year!

And if you are looking for some beach reads…Mary Kay Andrews is here with a list of her favorites.

MY FAVORITE ALL-TIME BEACH READS

By Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of BEACH TOWN

My idea of the perfect beach book? Sometimes I want an aperitif—something light and sparkly—a romantic comedy that will have me giggling and turning pages during a morning spent at the neighborhood pool. Another day, I might want to be drawn into a sprawling epic that will take me far away from the world as I know it—maybe it’s Susan Isaac’s war-torn Germany, or the intrigues of the 17th century English court milieu of Forever Amber or even the aspirational world of armchair travel. A good mystery is always a good idea, and for me, Michael Connelly never disappoints. And I love a big, juicy Hollywood biography that gives a glimpse into the lives of silver screen legends. Here are ten of my favorite beach reads—more than enough to get you through the summer.

1. CRAZY FOR YOU, Jennifer Cruisie. This is my gold standard for a romantic comedy romp. If you’ve already read it, try TELL ME LIES.

2. THE FAMILY MAN, Elinor Lipman. After Henry Archer is reunited with his long-lost stepdaughter Thalia, he finds himself the least likely family man of all, a just-outed gay man juggling a new love, his awful ex-wife, and the complications of Thalia and her own love life. Elinor Lipman’s books are always a delight, but this is an especially endearing look at the comic possibilities of love and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption.

3. BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY, Helen Fielding—The first real entry in the chick-lit world, published in 1996. Everything that came after paled in imitation.

4. FOREVER AMBER, Kathleen Windsor—huge, sprawling historical romance with lots of spicy bits.

5. LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, Pat Conroy. I know, everybody else prefers BEACH MUSIC or PRINCE OF TIDES. But I love this semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel set at Charleston’s The Citadel.

6. SHINING THROUGH, Susan Isaacs. It’s the dawning of World War II, and legal secretary Linda Voss, a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn, finds herself drawn into the conflict through a love triangle. Spies, lies, treachery and skullduggery. Waaay better than the movie with a seriously miscast Melanie Griffith.

7. VOID MOON, Michael Connelly. The master of the modern mystery takes a break from writing his Harry Bosch series with this riveting suspense novel about a female cat burglar in Vegas.

8. A YEAR IN PROVENCE—I adore armchair travel books, and Peter Mayles’ droll descriptions of making a home in the South of France make me long for a nice cold glass of rose—and a winery to go along with it.

9. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, Frances Mayes—What Mayles did for Provence, Frances Mayes did for Tuscany, plus there was a bit of a love story too.

10. JOHN WAYNE; THE LIFE AND LEGEND, Scott Eyman. Eyman’s unerring eye for detail and meticulous research into the Duke gives new insights into the the not-so quiet Quiet Man, and the movies he made.

About the Author

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of SAVE THE DATE, LADIES’ NIGHT, CHRISTMAS BLISS, SPRING FEVER, SUMMER RENTAL, THE FIXER UPPER, DEEP DISH, BLUE CHRISTMAS, SAVANNAH BREEZE, HISSY FIT, LITTLE BITTY LIES and SAVANNAH BLUES. A former journalist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Jacksonville and raised in St. Pete, Andrews describes the Florida gulf coast as only a true native could.

Connect with Mary Kay Andrews: Website / Facebook / Twitter

 

 

Giveaway Time

Thanks to Tandem Literary, I have one copy of Beach Town to giveaway to one lucky reader (US only). All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below before the deadline of May 27th. Winner will be contacted by email within 24hours of the giveaway ending.

a Rafflecopter giveaway