What Are Beach or Pool Reads?

I'm not clear on just which titles qualify as a "beach read" or "pool read." My new Appalachian noir, Lake Charles has been called a "beach read" (see below). To me, a beach read is a book that grabs your attention from page one and keeps you entertained until the last page.

So, I got to thinking about which books I've taken along to the beach or swimming pool. One summer I read Richard Price's long but excellent Clockers about drug runners (that's what the clockers are called). For some reason, Sue Grafton's Alphabet Series appeal to me for leisurely hammock reading (a figure of speech since I don't really have a hammock).

Fiction isn't my exclusive fare for the beach or pool. I read Jim Bouton's Ball Four, a frank but controversial diary about his 1969 baseball season with the Seattle Pilots. To me, Ball Four was about a former star pitcher in rapid decline having his last hurrah.

At any rate, reading outdoors while lounging poolside or on the hot white sand leaves you with lasting memories of which books you read.

By Ed Lynskey
Twitter: @edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Nice addition to anyone’s summer beach reading schedule."
Florida Times-Union