Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I ran across this article about the beach read on the Washington Post website:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

What do you think? How do you define a beach read?

For me, I'd probably define it as something I don't have to think too much about. Nothing that will interfere too much with relaxation. But I haven't actually had a beach holiday in about 22 years, so I'm not exactly the demographic.

I usually do not class books as summer or beach reads. Since hot sunny afternoons put me to sleep while reading I should probably reading something that does not require me to remember where I was in the text. Hmmm, maybe next time.
The article you linked does make a person think more about marketing and how we are susceptible to it.

Jody wrote: "For me, I'd probably define it as something I don't have to think too much about. Nothing that will interfere too much with relaxation. But I haven't actually had a beach holiday in about 22 years,..."

That's what I think too. I just figured it was something mindless and quick.

Chick lit. It is light, usually brainless, and feel-good. Only once have I read something darker when literally on the beach. I was travelling in Croatia with a friend the year the first of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson came out and oh my god. It was painful to do touristy stuff instead of read it. I still have it in my bookshelf, weird stains and salty-air remnants included. Plus it was a welcome escape from the heat. I hate heat like that.

Beach read now is something summery light, since I'm no beach person either.

I agree, I'd much prefer a mountain lake read...

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I agree, I'd much prefer a mountain lake read..."

Aren't those icy? So I hear :D

You don't have to go IN the lake!

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "You don't have to go IN the lake!"

Oh man, I'm too literal. Heh.

I was at the beach yesterday and was actually thinking about what makes a beach read. I just was busy worrying about getting sand all in a book.

I think it is a marketing thing as Anastasia said. For me, anything you read at a beach is a beach read. And that just happens to be whatever I am reading.

I agree that it's a marketing thing. I was reading Doctor Who: The Krillitane Storm at the beach a few weeks ago. That is MY idea of a beach read!

That article is very interesting and I actually agree with a lot of her points. I don't understand why some people in the comments on the article seem to have taken what she wrote so personally and seem so defensive about what she said.

For me, although I read a lot of genres and don't generally stick to any at certain times of the year, I would probably also view 'beach reads' as being light reads that are easily digestible. That does often mean books that are considered 'chick lit' (I really hate that term but it is what most people describe them as), although sometimes murder mysteries and crime books seem to be high on the beach reads lists so I think it can vary.

About 2 years ago, I spent my holiday reading A Clash of Kings.

Last year I spent my holiday reading Bridget Jones's Diary, Beauty Queens, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, All the Bright Places, and Girl, Interrupted.

I went down to the beach for one day last year as well where I spent the day reading Doll Face.

This year, I spent my holiday reading Why Not Me?, We Were Liars, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and Sour Candy.

So ultimately, I don't think there is a specific genre or type of book that classes as a 'beach read' and in terms of lists it's generally a marketing ploy.

Francesca wrote: "That article is very interesting and I actually agree with a lot of her points. I don't understand why some people in the comments on the article seem to have taken what she wrote so personally and..."

The genre definition here on GR goes:
"Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships."

I think I prefer chick lit over "modern womanhood" :D

Aglaea wrote: "The genre definition here on GR goes:
"Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships."

I think I prefer chick lit over "modern womanhood" :D "

I definitely prefer it to 'modern womanhood'! That sounds so weird!

To be fair, I think the only reason I have such an aversion to the term is for the same reason that I have an aversion to the term 'chick flick' and it's because I feel like books and movies seem to almost automatically get pushed into those categories just because they happen to feature a woman or mainly women and I feel like those terms come with almost a derogatory stigma attached to them (due to the amount of people that automatically dismiss them, men and women alike). I find it strange because if a comedy features mainly women it automatically gets filed under chick flick or chick lit yet when a comedy features mainly men it stays under just 'comedy', or if drama has mostly women in it then it instantly gets branded as a chick flick or chick lit but when a drama features mostly men it's still just a drama. Like, only women can enjoy things with lots of women in it but everyone can enjoy things that have lots of men in it. I know this is probably just me over analysing it but it's just always bugged me.

I so agree with you Francesca, you're not alone! I'm too tired to formulate a long answer, so I just wanted to say that ;)

I also agree with you Francesca. Because of those labels people end up missing some entertaining and enlightening reads/movies. It is really to bad. That is one of the reasons I enjoy this challenge. It gets me to stretch my boundaries, discovering new genres that I may have subconsciously labeled in a negative way.

I see. +3 now I think on your whole comment, Francesca! Totally agree. It's like a photo I saw on Pinterest of a sign in a grocery store, which said on upper row "Deodorant" and lower row "Women's deodorant". As ridiculous as "athlete" and "woman/female athlete".

So jealous of all you guys ON the beach!

I like to read a more complicated book on holiday, as it means I have plenty of time to concentrate on it , rather than having to think about the mundane stuff of everyday life.

I totally agree with all you said Francesca

I chose something with a summery plot although I guessed that the label meant something different. I like reading summer-themed books in summer and cold-weather-themed books in January or around Christmas.

I always thought of a "beach read" as something light and fluffy that people read while relaxing at the beach. I was really confused when I looked at lists of suggestions for the prompt about it, and saw books like War and Peace on it. I guess they assumed people have a lot of time to read at the beach, but it's not necessarily a book I'd imagine people reading on a vacation.

Reading you all it seems that there are two categories of people: the ones that prefer lighter reads and the ones that like to take the time to tackle big books. I'm more of the second type, though I don't think I'll ever be able to muster the courage to read War & Peace haha

I think I need to go on a beach holiday to research this further ...

A summer reading list from Radio Boston:

http://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2016/...

Or, you can look at President Obama's summer reading list:

http://www.politico.eu/article/barack...

Jody wrote: "I think I need to go on a beach holiday to research this further ..."

Now that is what I call an enlightened idea.

Some more thoughts for the summer reading list from the Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA).

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016...

After a bunch of beach visits the past few weeks, I would say a beach read is a book you don't mind getting wet or sandy.

I've been taking my book for the biography week- a book on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. It has pictures : )

If I went to the beach, I wouldn't take a book. I'd listen to an audiobook.