Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books to Read on the Beach

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish. 

I've been out of the loop for a while but couldn't resist this week's topic.
Beach reads for me have to be something quick, something I can read with about half my mind, and something entertaining.  I'm on vacation!  I don't read books on the beach that require emotional investment, extra brainwork or a highlighter.  My list this week contains books that I have personally read on the beach as well as a few I haven't read yet but will put in my beachbag if I ever get to the beach this summer!

1.  Alex Cross series by James Patterson - creepy villains who stay with you (and sometimes Alex) even after the crime is solved, a tough detective who is also a family man living with his grandmother and daughter, and the constant battle between good and evil in the world all make this series an addiction.  Go ahead and read even if you've seen the movies because there are enough differences to keep you enthralled. Very short chapters in case you need to jump in the water or order your next pina colada :)

2.  Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris - FUN stuff here...some thought necessary later on in the series but vampires, werewolves, etc. are all living in present day Louisiana.  Spooky at times but lots of laughter too!  If you've watched the series True Blood, you owe it to yourself to go back to the original...definitely worth the time.

3.  Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton - vampires, werewolves and zombies! Much edgier than Sookie or Twilight...sex and graphic violence from time to time so these are not for the lighthearted or easily offended.  Be prepared to get swept away into Anita's world if you decide to read these on the beach.  Probably don't want to be the designated kid watcher once you start this series...just sayin' :)

4.  Sneaky Pie Brown series by Rita Mae Brown - Don't pass these up if you're a animal lover...but you probably have to be a cat lover to get as involved in these mysteries as I do.  The mysteries are well written all by themselves but the fact that the protagonist's cat Mrs. Murphy and the other animals help her solve them is priceless. 

5.  The Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Brown - I've read these on quiet weekends on the beach when I've been in need of a soft place to lay my head...another cat lover's mystery series with an old time feel to them. 

6.  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - I haven't reviewed this one yet because I read it on our recent trip to Baltimore.  I literally couldn't put this one down.  What a beautiful story! And, to be honest with you, I really wasn't interested in WfE based on the book synopsis; I really just read it because I like Rease Witherspoon and figured I would eventually get roped into seeing the movie.  Best love story I've read in a long time. 

 

7.  Wicked Lovely - paranormal YA with edge..the protagonists are old enough to have histories and some experience, bad and good.  I stumbled on this one and am so glad I did.

8.  Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - hilarious New Jersey girl Stephanie, amateur bounty hunter, hunks Joe and Ranger, hysterical (laugh out loud hysterical) Grandma Mazur and the rest of the crew will have you rolling in the sand. 

9.  Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? - By Steven Tyler - I haven't read this one yet but it sounds like the perfect addition to the beach list...subject matter that will draw me in and keep me there...Aerosmith fan anyone?

10.  A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield - a fellow blogger recommended this series a while back and I am almost finished with Book 1.  The protagonist reminds me a lot of Stephanie Plum except she's in her 50's and was a victim herself before she became a vigilante of sorts.  These are also pretty short novels and action packed.  Really good for a girls' weekend on the beach :)