Saturday, June 9, 2018

Ten fantastic books to take to the beach

There is nothing better than being able to lie out on the hot sand and bask in the sun while reading a gripping book whose world you get lost in.  With summer almost upon us and the height of vacation time approaching, I love getting lost in fantasy worlds.  I created this list for those of you, like me, that love to delve into epic worlds and go on mighty quests at the peak of  your relaxation.


THE DARKEST MINDS BY ALEXANDRA BRACKEN

Follow the Black Betty Crew in this trilogy as they try to help free kids with specail powers from the camps they were thrown into.  With a little bit of romance and nail-biting suspense, this book is sure to have you hooked from the first page.


SNOW LIKE ASHES BY SARA RAASCH

While it may be the beginning of summer, you can travel to all four seasons in this book!  The evil king of the kingdom of Spring attacked and enslaved thousands of people from the kingdom of Winter in his search for a legendary mine filled with powerful gems.  A group of Winter refugees must train and round-up more people to fight against the evil ruler of Spring.  The twist near the end of this book had me squealing and absolutely freaking out.


A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS

High fae and faries and beasts oh my!  For lovers of Beauty and the Beast, this retelling is everything!  After unknowingly murdering a fairy, Feyre is taken from her home and forced to live in Velaris or die.  I loved getting to explore the Spring Court right along with Feyre.  Plus, who doesn't like reading about incredibly sexy High Fae lol.


LADY MIDNIGHT BY CASSANDRA CLARE

This book actually takes place near the beach!  In this epic new instalment in Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters world, Emma Carstairs is set on vengeance for her parents deaths.  While there are some scenes on the beach, Emma is actually afraid of the water, but you'll have to read this book to find out why.  This is one of Clare's best works to date!


THE FALCONER BY ELIZABETH MAY

Set in 1844 in a steampunk version of Scotland, Aileana is the picturesque lady that all the suitors are courting.  But things aren't always what they seem, for Aileana is a murderer.  A year prior she watched her mother be slaughtered by fae and has trained and tracked this faerie to unleash her vengeance.  She is also the last in the line of Falconers which grants her powers that she will need to use as the world is in danger from the fae.  With epic fight scenes and a slow burn romance, this book will have you scrambling for the rest of the trilogy.


SHADOW AND BONE BY LEIGH BARDUGO

In a world plagued by darkness and war, Alina and her army regiment travel into the Fold, a pitch-black rip in the world filled with unimaginable monsters.  When their little band is attacked, and Alina tries to save her best friend Mal, she unleashes a dormant power that she knew nothing about.  She is the long prophesied Sun Summoner .  Alina is ripped from everything she knows and thrust into training at The royal court of the Darkling to hone her powers.  She soon discovers a truth that could rip the world in two.


THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE BY HEIDI HEILIG

Where would you go if you could travel to any place or world if you only had a map of it?  Velaris? Narnia? Hogwarts?  Nix can do just this with her father and his ship.  They find so many crew mates and friends in their travels, but the end is drawing near.  For if Nix's father finds the map of 1868 Honolulu it will mean the end of Nix forever.  With the salty ocean breeze blowing through your hair you can almost imagine you are sailing right alone with Nix and her father.


THE WATERFALL TRAVELER BY S.J. LEM

Don't judge this book by it's cover!  I already made that mistake for you lol.  All Ri wants is to find a cure the Sickness and heal her adoptive father.  What she doesn't bargain for is getting swept away by a handsome fugitive through a waterfall and thrown into a dirty city ruled by an evil tyrant.  But that is the worst of Ri's problems for a dark force is lurking in the depths waiting for the right moment to strike.  With its extensive world building and vast cast of characters this book will keep you hooked until the last page.  You can read my whole review here.


AN EMBER IN THE ASHES BY SABAA TAHIR

One a slave, one a soldier.  When Laia's brother is arrested for treason, she goes undercover in the Empire's prestigious military academy to feed information back to the rebels.  She meets Elias, the school's best student, yet most unwilling.  He just wants to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce.  As their lives entwine Laia and Elias realize that their decisions will affect the fate of the Empire itself.  Based on Rome, this book has epic fighting and a touch of fantasy elements that will get you lost in this hard-edged world.


THE RAVEN BOYS BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Private school boys, psychics, a cursed kiss, and a quest to find a long-dead Welsh King.  What more could you want?  I may be a little biased as this book is by my ultimate favorite author, but it is one of the best to get sucked into while on vacation.  I just cannot get enough of this book and how fantastic the writing style is.  Set in the mountains of Virginia, we follow Blue and the Raven boys, better known as Gansey, Ronan, Adam, and Noah.  Gansey has this crazy obsession with finding a dead Welsh king with the promise of a wish when he is awoken.  The ending of this book blew my mind!



Now go ahead and gather your books.  You may need a bigger bag to carry them all lol.  And don't forget the sunscreen as you don't want to get a burn if you end up laying out for hours on end because you just couldn't put your book down!

What books do you like reading at the beach?
Let me know in the comments!