5 Spring Break Beach Reads

By Brittany Hawes on March 9, 2018

Hey, you! Spring Break is here. Have you already made your plans? Now, I know you may still be in a state of shock. Somehow, you’ve managed to survive the rigorous tests, late night study sessions, and seemingly endless midterm papers that have been thrust your way this spring semester. Maybe you don’t know how you did it, maybe you do, or maybe you’re still half-awake while reading this article.

In any case, take a moment to exhale! The hard part is behind us. Now, we’re at the glorious halfway point, the approach of which is always signaled by the antsy feet dancing beneath our desks and the longing glances stolen at the sun pouring through classroom windows. Can you smell it? The scent of salty ocean air is beckoning us from miles away, calling us all to abandon our textbooks and fancy coffee for one week, and cruise over to the smooth, white sands of the beach. Or maybe it’s the comfortable smell of your family’s house calling to you, where your loving family members are waiting to greet you and catch up on everything that’s happened since you’ve been away from one another. Do you have a cruise planned, a trip out of the state? Or maybe you haven’t made your plans just yet? All I know is that when the week of Spring Break finally rolls around, school is going to the be the last thing on my brain.

spring break beach reads

Image via Pixabay.com

And what better way to clear your mind of stress than to get lost in a really good book this Spring Break? And what better place to read it than at the most relaxing place in the world: on a beach?

That’s one of the things that I never have much time to do during the school semester. With so many projects to complete, papers to write, and homework to keep up on, finding time to read fiction and nonfiction for no reason other than personal enjoyment is extremely difficult. But Spring Break can be the perfect time to start on that book you’ve been meaning to read or even pick up a brand-new book that you’re interested in.

Don’t know where to start on your book hunt but Spring Break beach reads still sound like a blast to you? Look no further! I’ve compiled a list of ten books that will stoke those imaginative flames in you again and whisk your mind (and body) away on a well-deserved vacation from grueling formulas and the quotes of famous poets.

I give you five Spring Break beach reads that you can indulge in during your Spring Break week!

1. “Beloved” (1987) by Toni Morrison

From the dark, gnarled roots of our nation’s past rises an eerie and heartbreaking tale as tragic as it is beautiful. Sethe, a runaway slave haunted by memories of her past and the ghost of a baby that died, fights to live a life of normalcy with her daughter, Denver. The people of the town ostracize the strange women and do not dare to come near the haunted house they dwell in. When a young woman shows up one day at Sethe’s house, wearing brand-new shoes and dripping water, Sethe’s past comes back full-force and she must confront it or be swallowed alive.

Not a light read, but a read that is well, well worth it. Each line in “Beloved” is so well-written, each character so realistic, each event so startling that you’ll have trouble putting it down. If you can handle the intense themes and graphic scenes that seem to be in every chapter, you will enjoy this book and all of the historical references within it.

2. “Alex Cross” Series (1983-2017) by James Patterson

The “Alex Cross” book series is one of Patterson’s most successful book series (and he has a lot of them). Maybe you recall seeing the Detective Alex Cross movies starring a young Morgan Freeman as the brave and stalwart titular character of the series. Cross is a master detective, capable of thinking outside the box to catch the crooks and put them behind bars. He faces off against serial killers, kidnappers, and robbers so terrifying, many of the police don’t want anything to do with the cases. Fortunately for us, Alex Cross loves justice and will stop at nothing to bring a criminal down.

This is a series for fans of mystery, action, and suspense. There are over 20 books in the series, so you’ll be engrossed in the story well into Spring Break.

3. “Water for Elephants” (2007) by Sara Gruen

Jacob Jankowski, a seemingly grumpy old man at a nursing home, brings us on a journey through his turbulent, wistful, wonderful past where magic seems to exist in fast-moving train cars and the striped inside the striped surfaces of humongous circus tents. After a horrible accident, Jacob is left an orphan during the Great Depression. With the odds stacked against him and nowhere to go, he somehow stumbles into a job: caring for the animals that belonged to the Benzini Brothers’ “Most Spectacular Show on Earth.”

Jacob is quickly taken on the adventure of a lifetime in which he meets the strange and often hilarious members of the circus troupe, and falls in love with Marlena, a married equestrian acrobat with a big heart. He also meets Rosie, a beautiful elephant that has been marked as untrainable. As Jacob works hard to train Rosie and keep his growing feelings for Marlena a secret, August, Marlena’s cruel yet charming husband, keeps a watchful eye on all three.

I loved this novel. I fell in love with Rosie, the sassy elephant that Jacob has to care for, and wanted nothing more than a happy ending for Jacob, Marlena, and her. If you like romance and historical fiction, look no further than this for one of your Spring Break beach reads

4. “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960) by Harper Lee

If you haven’t read this amazing classic yet, you should consider giving it a try. It touches on issues with race in a way that will have you bristling with anger and indignation. Follow the adventures of young Scout and her family as she enjoys her childhood in a small Southern town and, like all children, causes a little mischief. Things take a sudden serious turn when her father, a brave lawyer, takes on a case that will forever change life as they know it.

This was a great read for me, one that I feel incredibly changed by. I hope you have the same experience.

5. “Pride and Prejudice” (1813) by Jane Austen

I’m going to end this list with another true classic, “Pride and Prejudice.” Experience the deceit and haughtiness that surrounds the relationship of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr.Darcy, two people with very different lifestyles and viewpoints. Elizabeth is headstrong, smart, and independent while Mr. Darcy is reserved, proper, and slightly rude. If there’s any hope of a friendship blossoming between these two, both will have to fight their prideful views and prejudices against class.

A classic romance, “Pride and Prejudice” makes for one of many excellent Spring Break beach reads.

There you have it; five novels that you should consider for your next Spring Break beach reads! Remember: you can have the most amazing Spring Break ever and it all can happen in the pages of the next book you pick up. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!

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