List Books that are light/quick reads?

[Davin]

Since it's summer and all of those beach reads types of book lists are coming out, I thought it would be neat for us to have one too, completely comprised of list books.

What would you include on a "beach reads" reccommendation list from 1001 books?

[Sandi]

I'd recommend Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris, both quick and light! Also published as Flowers For Mrs Harris.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

What is a "beach read"? (I ask because many people choose to read long books in the summer because they have the time to do so, whereas winter time requires short reads because they are busier at that time.)

[Davin]

They're light, fluffy (often crappy) books that would be something you'd like to read at the beach. They're generally books you could pick up and put down without having to do a lot of backtracking to get back in the swing of reading them.

[Stephanie "Jedigal"]

Mmmmm, I usually think of beach-reads as the antithesis of the list titles.

But, that said...

Most of the ones I found from my READ list turned out to be mystery/adventure/action, but not all. Here are some. The rest of my read titles seemed either too long or even if short, too heavy.

Gogol's The Nose
Poe: The Pit and the Pendulum; The Purloined Letter
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Around the World in 80 Days
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The 39 Steps
Casino Royale
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

[Rachel W]

Personally, I think Perfume: The Story of a Murderer would fall in this category. It's a little grisly, but definitely gripping. And I just finished Wide Sargasso Sea which is set in the Caribbean, and is a really quick read.

[Joel]

For a small read - i just purchased of mice and men from a second hand book store - only about 100 pages. will finish it tonight.

[Alice]

Try Animal's People or Dom DeLillo's Falling Man

[Mikela]

One can't forget Cold Comfort Farm,Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day or Pippi Longstocking.

[Nola]

And I said, what about Breakfast at Tiffany's?

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

[CD]

For a classic with pirates try:

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

More modern titles include:

Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis

The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx

Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard

A Douglas Adams book or two!

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Then there are some erotica or erotica related books:
The Lover by Marguerite Duras

Fear of Flying by Erica Jong

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin

Also authors with various 'lighter' or very entertaining reads for summer, the beach, etc.:

John Updike
E.L. Doctorow
Tom Wolfe

If you need one to read to your kids or friends kids there is a classic that too many have missed that has made the 1001 list:

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

And to wrap up this eclectic list:

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

[Davin]

These are all so awesome. It's nice to have such great alternatives!

[Mette]

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink is an easy read, took me one afternoon back in the day.

[Dee]

Cain by José Saramago is a quick read. It's fun and quirky as well, though not what you would call a light read.

[Judith]

Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go" is a quick read, but not at all uplifting. Do beach reads have to have happy endings? Not living near a beach, I wouldn't know what is appropriate reading there!

Never Let Me Go

[Lisa]

The Good Earth I would add this one to the list. It's gripping, simply written so it's easy to read, & even though it's not always "happy", it is a very good story that reads like a fable.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

I would add The Summer Book and the Raymond Chandler entries. Probably Excellent Women too.

[Joy]

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a very short satire. It's only about 50 pages long, and it's free for the kindle at Amazon.

[Tasha]

Joy wrote: "A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift is a very short satire. It's only about 50 pages long, and it's free for the kindle at Amazon."

Wow thanks. Check off a list book in one day for free!

[Joy]

In glad I could help!! :D