(a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish)

Heading to the beach this summer? If you’re looking for something to read while you’re desperately trying to keep sand from sticking to your sunscreen or while you’e sneaking an extra five minutes of sunshine during your lunch break maybe my Top Eight Beach Reads can help.

Why not 10? You ask (considering it’s Top Ten Tuesday).

I had lots of trouble concocting this list – and I realized why.  I’ve spent the past several years reading classics, reading essays, reading literary theory, and devising all sorts of creative ways to deliver English curriculum in a captivating way to high school students.  Little time was left for reading things I wanted to read…even my summers were eaten up by reading for the school year.

Starting this blog was a way to get back in touch with the “Me-Who-Reads-for-Pleasure” (I really liked her).  I’m sad that I can’t offer more scintillating beach reads, but I realize that that might be where I want to go with my reading/blog: read more modern titles, and perhaps, lighter titles, too.

Well, here are some books that I think will keep you entertained this summer:

1.  The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson – a must-read for any true romantic.  Love that survives 700 years, masterful story telling, stories within a story, archetypal imagery…simply put, riveting, beautiful, will stay with you.  Hmmm, I think I really liked this book…

2. Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman – a story of two different time periods: post WWII Scotland and Australia; modern-day Australia and England.  A granddaughter discovering the secrets of her grandmother’s life as she combs through the old sheep station she inherited from her grandmother.  A moving story of love, family history, self-discovery and relationships.

3.  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – a wonderful story that will make you totally envious that your employer doesn’t give you a $30K advance on your next book so you can travel the world and find yourself.  Seriously though, if you can’t travel, this book will take you to three awesome countries with loads of laughs, moments of sadness, nostalgia, and hope.

4.  The Help by Kathryn Stockton – hilarious, sad, thought-provoking.  Oh what women do…

5.  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin – maybe this is your summer to do something wonderful for yourself…like become happy…or, happier.  The Happiness Project will offer many ideas to help you get there – without being overbearing or preachy.

6, 7, 8.  The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay (yes, I cheated by numbering each individually…but, unless you’d like to read some essays on King Lear, you’ll go with it).  Fun, fun, fun.

So, I hope there’s something there for everyone…my mission: come up with a better list for next year.

What are your summer favourites?