Advertisement
Books

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

Elin Hilderbrand, the author of The Island, A Summer Affair and Beautiful Day, which came out this spring, is something of an expert on summer books and shares her fave vacation reads.
Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

Author Elin Hlderbrand; Photo by Laurie Richards

Elin Hilderbrand beach reads

Top five books

Elin Hilderbrand is the perfect person to pick summer reads: The author of 12 books, all of which are set during the summer months, she also lives on Nantucket, a popular island getaway off the coast of Massachusetts. Her latest book, Beautiful Day, tells the story of two families who have gathered together on Nantucket for a summer weekend wedding. Jenna Carmichael’s late mother left behind a notebook with detailed instructions for her youngest daughter’s nuptials — but somehow things aren’t going quite according to plan.

Here, Hilderbrand fills us in on what she like to read during the summer and her top picks of books when she heads to the beach.

Despite what people might think, when I look for a summer read, I don’t need sand to fall out from between the pages.  All I need is a riveting story that keeps me turning pages. I have had a particularly good “run” of books this summer, and I want to share some of my favorites with you.

Author Elin Hlderbrand; Photo by Laurie RichardsAuthor Elin Hlderbrand; Photo by Laurie Richards

Where?d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

This is my number one recommendation for summer 2013, and the book is out in paperback, perfect for toting along in the beach bag. This novel is utterly original, about a teenage girl, Bee, and her parents living in the world of Microsoft Seattle, and dealing with a rather strenuous private school environment. Much of the narrative is told through traded emails, most of which will make you laugh out loud. The novel really gets going when Bee’s mother, Bernadette Fox, disappears to parts unknown after her secret past is revealed, and Bee goes in search of her. This novel is both heartwrenching and incredibly funny, a real page turner, 100 percent money-back guarantee, you will love and overlove it!Get the book: Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple, $17

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

Advertisement

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

This is not in paperback and will be very heavy to lug around …but worth it! This novel, set in the early 1900s, is about a woman named Ursula Todd who is born on a snowy night in 1911… she dies shortly after being born… and is reborn over and over again… until she gets it right. The fascinating premise is only secondary to the exquisite writing of this novel. It also contains glorious descriptions of English pastoral life, riveting historical details, and some of the most memorable supporting cast I can recall in years.Get the book: Life After Life, Kate Atkinson, $30

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

Clockers by Richard Price

Now for something completely different! This novel, published in 1993, was the basis for the cult hit TV show, The Wire. I don’t watch The Wire, but I have loved Richard Price since reading his novel, Lush Life in 2007.  I decided this summer to go back and read the masterpiece. It’s impossible to put down; a chronicle of the life of two brothers, one of whom is a drug dealer, in the projects in the Bronx. It’s gritty, yes, but it sweeps you into this other world and captivates from start to finish with its humanizing characterizations. Richard Price is an urban bard, and a living genius.Get the book: Clockers, Richard Price, $20

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

<b>The Sunshine When She?s Gone by Thea Goodman

Guilty pleasure! This novel is about a couple with a small baby living in downtown Manhattan. One wintry day, while the mother, Veronica, is at work, the father decides to take the baby on a spontaneous vacation to Barbados without telling his wife, and chaos ensues. This is a complete jaw-dropping romp that ends up being a thought-provoking statement on marriage, intimacy, and trust.Get the book: The Sunshine When She’s Gone, Thea Goodman, $28

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

Advertisement

<b>This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

Maybe you read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Diaz’s novel that won the Pulitzer Prize, or maybe you always meant to but didn’t (you should, in fact, you must!) That is a full-blown feast of a book, whereas the connected stories of  This is How You Lose Her are tapas – delicious, carefully constructed small plates for your devouring. These stories focus primarily on a character named Yunior – and the women he has known, loved, and lost. Yunior and his family are Dominican immigrants newly located to New Jersey, and the richness of the details and the charming cadence of the voice are hypnotizing. I feel it is worth the price of the book alone just to read the poignant epigraph by Sandra Cisneros.Get the book: This is How You Lose Her, Junot Diaz, $17

Summer romance novelist shares her top five beach reads

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement