A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams – RHODE ISLAND
The Getaway Talking Location With … Rob Starr: SOUTH AFRICA
Ten Great Books to take on a Beach Holiday
19th November 2024
Ten great books to take on a beach holiday. Imagine sun-kissed skin, the gentle lapping of waves, and the salty breeze carrying the scent of coconut sunscreen. A beach holiday offers the ultimate escape, a chance to relax and unwind. Whether you prefer sunbathing on pristine white sands, exploring vibrant coral reefs, or simply strolling along the shoreline, a beach vacation promises tranquility and adventure
Here are ten favourite books we recommend you take to read on a Beach Holiday.
The Beach by Alex Garland – BANGKOK, KOH SAMUI, KOH PHI PHI
In our ever-shrinking world, where popular Western culture seems to have infected every nation on the planet, it is hard to find even a small niche of unspoiled land–forget searching for pristine islands or continents. This is the situation in Alex Garland’s debut novel, The Beach. Human progress has reduced Eden to a secret little beach near Thailand. In the tradition of grand adventure novels, Richard, a rootless traveller rambling around Thailand on his way somewhere else, is given a hand-drawn map by a madman who calls himself Daffy Duck. He and two French travellers set out on a journey to find this paradise.
LOCATION: the film of The Beach was set off Koh Phi Phi / the island in the novel is set off Koh Samui
Beach Babylon by Imogen Edwards Jones – THE MALDIVES
The TripFiction team conjectures from events in the book, that this book is set in The Maldives: however the book only acknowledges that is set somewhere exotic. The book alludes to it being a Muslim country, there is an incident whereby alcohol is confiscated from arriving passengers at the airport: Colombo, Singapore, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Dubai are all not far away….
How does it feel to live and work in the world’s most beautiful and luxurious tropical island resort, surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine seas? How does it feel to be in the lap of luxury when you’re thousands of miles from anywhere else? And when the guests are some of the richest and most demanding people in the world, where do you find the energy every day to smile, smile and smile again?
Beach Babylon takes you behind the scenes at a five-star tropical island resort. Do all the stories which take place behind the closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy endings? What do the world’s richest people expect from room service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours?
In the bestselling tradition of her previous Babylon books, Imogen Edwards-Jones investigates the rivalries and alliances between the staff at a resort where pandering to the guests’ most extravagant whims is de rigueur. With a cast of millionaires, celebrities, hangers-on and prostitutes, Beach Babylon takes you to a world where extreme luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn’t always enough…
A Family Holiday by Bella Osborne – ANTIGUA
She’ll do whatever it takes to keep this family together…
As the nanny to four quirky but loveable children, Charlie French has learnt that if there was ever a cement shortage Weetabix would be a viable substitute and that YouTube videos can go viral in seconds, much to her horror. But, most importantly, she’s learnt that whatever happens you stick together as a family.
When tragedy strikes Charlie is forced to decide whether it’s time to move on or fight to keep the children she loves. With the distraction of the children’s gorgeous Uncle Felix and the chance of a holiday in stunning Antigua, she’s left wondering if turquoise seas can wash away their present troubles. Is the pull of white sand beaches too tempting to resist or will paradise fail to keep them all together?
Sandwich by Catherine Newman – CAPE COD
One week in Cape Cod. The perfect family holiday. What could possibly go wrong…?
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their rustic beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, its quirky furniture and mismatched pots and pans greeted like old friends.
Now, sandwiched between her children who are adult enough to be fun but still young enough to need her, and her parents who are alive and healthy, Rocky wants to preserve this golden moment forever. This one precious week when everything is in balance; everything is in flux.
But every family has its secrets and hers is no exception.
With her body in open revolt and surprises invading her peaceful haven, the perfectly balanced seesaw of Rocky’s life is tipping towards change…
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams – RHODE ISLAND
The New York Times bestselling novel.
Rhode Island, 1938. A sweltering summer of secrets, passion and betrayal…
Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family have summered for generations. She’s hoping for an escape from the city and from her heartbreak, but when Budgie and Nick Greenwald – her now-married former best friend and former fiancé – show up, she soon finds herself sucked back in by Budgie’s glamorous and enticing influence.
As the summer progresses, Lily and Budgie renew their friendship against the looming spectre of war in Europe and the prospect of a cataclysmic hurricane. As uneasy secrets are revealed, an emotional storm threatens to destroy everything…
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – MALIBU
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud-because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her own-including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.
Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand – NANTUCKET
A full moon, a twenty-year old friendship- and a Nantucket night no one would ever forget…
For 20 years, Kayla, Antoinette, and Val have performed their own special summer ritual. Once a year, the old friends put aside their daily, separate lives to drink champagne, swap stories, and swim naked under the Nantucket stars. This time though, one of them swims out from the shore and doesn’t return. After the surviving friends emerge from their grief, they realize that the repercussions of their loss go far beyond their little circle, and they begin to uncover layers of secrets, and their connections to each other, that were never revealed on the beach. What has made their friendship strong now has the power to destroy their marriages, families-and even themselves.
The Vacationers by Emma Straub – MALLORCA
The Posts are going on their first family vacation in years, and it’s going to be a special one: Jim and Franny are taking their daughter Sylvia, son Bobby and his girlfriend, and Franny’s best friend Charles and his husband, all the way to Mallorca for two weeks of the sort of relaxation, culture and cuisine that only Europe can offer.
But there are problems. After a transgression with a twenty-three-year-old editorial assistant, Jim has been unceremoniously sacked from his job, and now his and Franny’s marriage is on the rocks. Charles and Lawrence are feeling divided over their future, Bobby is mired in debt problems and stuck in a relationship that’s pulling in opposite directions and his girlfriend Carmen, super-fit personal trainer and, at forty-something, far too old for Bobby, seems to have realized her mistake. As for Sylvia, she’s eighteen, about to go to college, and determined to lose her virginity before she gets there . . .
Beach Read by Emily Henry – MICHIGAN
January is a hopeless romantic who narrates her life like she’s the lead in a blockbuster movie.
Gus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale.
But January and Gus have more in common than you’d think:
They’re both broke.
They’ve got crippling writer’s block.
And they need to write bestsellers before summer ends.
The result? A bet to swap genres see who gets published first.
The risk? In telling each other’s stories, their worlds might be changed entirely…
Set over one sizzling summer, Beach Read is a witty love story that will make you laugh as much as cry, for fans of The Flat Share and Our Stop.
The Getaway by Ross Armstrong – THE AEGEAN
One private island. Seven guests. One killer…
The perfect holiday. The perfect murder. The perfect beach read…
Get away from your problems.
Multimillionaire Robert Rathwell and his entourage arrive at their private Greek island. White sand, turquoise water, the perfect place to relax. But this is no ordinary family, and this holiday will be their last.
Get away from your life.
The next morning, a scream shatters their peaceful world. Someone has been murdered, his body arranged to make it look like suicide. Everyone has a motive and, under the burning sun, secrets quickly simmer to the surface.
Get away with murder.
Soon the guests see a darker, more violent side to paradise. Because the Rathwells don’t just own the island; they own the people on it. And they can do whatever they like – maybe even commit murder…
We hope you enjoy our selection of books to take on a Beach Holiday!
Tony for the TripFiction Team
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