What to read when you’re at the beach

By Loukia Zigoumis

Ever since my mother gave me a copy of Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, I’ve had a book on the go.

I’m such an avid reader that I signed up for a book challenge — to read 50 books in 2015. Here are my summer picks.

 

 

The Girl On The Train, Paula Hawkins

This is hands down my No. 1 pick for summer. It’s suspenseful, a real page-turner and the characters are connected in ways you’d never imagine. The main character, Rachel, is searching for meaning in her life while trying to piece together clues that will help her solve a murder that has taken place.

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The Vacationers, Emma Straub

With a title like this how could you not pick it up? The story revolves around a family on a two-week vacation to Mallorca with friends, and the struggles they face with one another. Dark secrets, marriage woes, childhood rivalries and the dynamic of the parent-child relationship are dealt with in a beautiful way.

 

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Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty

This juicy read revolves around the lives of three women and takes you behind closed doors and schoolyard scandals. There’s Madeline, a passionate mother who is dealing with her oldest daughter choosing her ex-husband over her. Celeste, a gorgeous mother of twin boys, who holds a dark secret beneath her beautiful exterior. Both women befriend Jane, a young single mother, who has doubts and concerns about her son.

 

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Lost Found, Brooke Davis

This heartfelt debut novel by an Australian author is a real departure from other books I’ve read. It’s from the perspective of three very different people: Millie Bird, a seven-year-old girl who is abandoned in the lingerie department of a store; Agatha Pantha, an 82-year-old woman who has not left her home since she became a widow seven years ago; and Karl, an 87-year-old man still mourning the death of his wife. The three embark on a journey of self-discovery that is funny, sad and uplifting.

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Go Set A Watchman, Harper Lee
There is much fanfare about this novel, which comes out July 14. First submitted to a publisher in the mid-1950s, Harper Lee was encouraged to rewrite it. Instead, she put her manuscript aside and wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, which earned her a Pulitzer Prize. Go Set A Watchman follows an adult Scout Finch, who returns to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama, from New York City to visit her father, Atticus. Scout is keen to come to terms with events 20 years in the past, during the Civil Rights era that rocked America. I’m re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird and am reminded of its brilliance.

 

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The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho

First published in 1988, this book about finding one’s destiny has sold more than 65 million copies and is one of the best-selling books of all times. I connected with the story immediately and the deeper meaning of the book has stayed with me for years. The story revolves around a young shepherd named Santiago who journeys to Egypt after having dreams of finding treasure there. A quote that resonates with me is: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

Lifestyle blogger Loukia Zigoumis, who is also known as @MrsLoulou, can be found at loulousviews.com.

 

 

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Parliament being run like a “secret boys club”

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