What to Read on the Subway This Week: 8/6

by Molly Donovan , August 6, 2012 — 1 Comment

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In this first week of August, you can glimpse the shadow of fall lurking in the distance—back to school, back to sweaters, back to regular office hours. But for now, it’s still all about 90-degree days, iced coffees, and trips to the beach—complete with lighthearted, fun beach reading. Check out these suggestions for your end-of-summer seashore sojourns.

On your kindle

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

While its title pretty much screams “chick flick,” and boys seem particularly hard-pressed to understand it (“it’s a book about a magic pair of pants?”), the opening novel of Ann Brashares’ trilogy is a fast-paced, well-crafted story about growing up—sometimes against your will—and sticking with the people who grow up alongside (and not always along with) you.

The four rotating narrators in Brashares’ uniquely motifed novel (seriously, it’s about a seemingly magical pair of pants) are charming and funny in their own ways, and the author does a wonderful job creating individual characters and voices. Four teenaged girls—Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby—share letters, stories, and a pair of jeans that perfectly fits four different body types as they spend their first summer apart. The ensuing pages will likely remind you of your own childhood, filled with friends, family, and first heartbreaks.

On your smartphone

Beach Reads for Smart People, by Hannah Miet

If you’re tired of skimming “beach read” selections that refer you to tried-and-true novels about brides and babies, friends and fallouts, or perhaps a mysterious man named Christian Grey, then look no further than this Atlantic Wire roundup of “beach reads for smart people.” A collection of readers and writers—from New Yorker staff writers to novelists and bloggers—recommend several slightly obscure titles to tote along to your beachy destination. Check out the list and select a few for your next beach trip.

On a podcast

A 150+ Song Summer Playlist, by Stephanie Georgopulos

Summer is a time for rolled-down windows, radio blasting, and sticky walks to work and play, fueled by summer music streaming through your headphones. If you’re anxious to hang onto the last few weeks of summer, download this 150+ song playlist on Spotify. The accompanying article offers hilariously-penned suggestions for songs to listen to at certain occasions (for example: When you’re just like, “It’s 98 degrees outside but I’m a bad bitch, so whatever”: “Trick Me” by Kelis).

Old school

Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown

If you’re the beach-reader who enjoys a thriller so captivating you’ll rarely find yourself looking up at the sand or the sea, then check out Dan Brown’s slightly lesser-known prequel to The DavVinci Code. This book, too, trails symbologist Robert Langdon as he attempts to circumvent the Illuminati, a secret sect of the Catholic Church, who have revealed plans to destroy Vatican City. The book provides glimpses of art and religious history, as well as its fair share of theology and murder mystery. Pick it up before a long beach day, because you won’t be able to put it down.

Photo courtesy of Ray_from_LA.

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About the Author

Molly is The Daily Muse’s resident bookworm. She currently works in communications and is begrudgingly learning to be a grownup. She likes coffee shops and (the bakery aisle of) grocery stores, reading about other places but not necessarily traveling to them, keeping things clean, and stalking the Harvard Opportunes, her beloved college a cappella group. Please help her be a better Tweeter @MHDonovan.

1 comments

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eve marx

Hey Molly,

I'd like to suggest another great beach/subway read for you. ’m sending you this email to introduce myself to you and tell you a bit about my new novel, “Beddington Place.” The book is a romp through the bedrooms and backyards of a fictional community called Beddington Place, a place that is a state of mind; it could be East Hampton or Beverly Hills – anywhere where the rich and famous get together for a good time.

The book draws from my experiences of the horse world in Bedford, NY, where some of the most illustrious come to ride, including London 2012 equestrian Olympians McClain Ward and Reed Kessler! Luckily they’ll be across the pond this summer, because when horses, powerful egos, and large bank accounts collide, there’s almost always drama to follow!

Beddington Place is a classic summer read for the beach, pool, or hanging out on the porch; it’s bright, fast, funny, sexy, and features horses! I feel like it’s the kind of book I always hope to read while on vacation or taking it easy at home. I’ve been writing about fashion, beauty, and style for over 30 years, and am a multi-published “sexpert” with recent books including "101 Things You Didn’t Know About Sex," "Read My Hips: The Sexy Art of Flirtation," and "Flirtspeak." I also write about sex and online dating for ThirdAge.com. “Beddington Place” is my first novel, and it was so much fun to write that I can’t wait to share it with everyone!

I’d greatly appreciate if you could share this information about my book with your readers – based on your other posts I think they’d really like it! You can find the book for Amazon Kindle here (check it out for free if you have a Prime membership!) or Lulu.com for the e-pub format. The print version will be available this fall.

Please feel free to contact me at evemarx@hotmail.com if you’d like to feature an excerpt from the book on your blog or have any other questions about the book – I’d love to talk about it!

eve

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