A Sea of Adventures!
Written
by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
Summertime is adventure time! And,
some of the best adventures of all are just a page away in the perfect summer
beach book.
Mysteries, thrillers, surfing
exploits, a solo ocean voyage and more, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and
Patti Kishel have it all here for you.
Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of
Awakening, by Liz Clark, is filled with
adventure as she recounts a journey most people only dream about – sailing from
Santa Barbara to the South Pacific on a solo voyage. Looking to get off the
beaten path, it's a nine-year quest she is still on, following her love of
surfing and sailing wherever it takes her. Dealing with everything from
loneliness and the crashing power of monster waves to the joy of finding
idyllic surf spots and self-awareness, her story will inspire and motivate you
to stretch your limits.
The Woman in the Window, by A.J. Finn, lives up to the description
"page-turner." In a nod to Alfred Hitchcock's movie Rear Window
about a housebound apartment dweller who sees a murder, the woman in Finn's #1
bestselling novel may have seen a murder, too. But, she's mentally unstable and
suffering from agoraphobia – the fear of open places. So that complicates
things and will keep you guessing. Did she see it or didn't she? SurfWriter
Girl Patti loved this book and can't wait for the movie starring Amy Adams to
come out.
Surface, by Ben Thouard, an acclaimed French photographer, takes
you under the surface of the ocean to the place he loves most – where the waves
break. "Moving with the wave and going with the flow, you feel very humble
in front of all that power," says Thouard, who captured the kinetic energy
of the waves in this beautiful book of photographs taken over a ten-year period
in Tahiti. Ever on the look for new perspectives, Thouard's underwater world is
fascinating.
Skyjack, by K.J. Howe, is the perfect action novel with savvy
international kidnap expert Thea Paris having to outwit a ruthless criminal in
the Libyan desert. "It starts at 600 mph and never slows down," says
Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series. Publishers Weekly calls it
"rip roaring," an "enthralling plot that moves across Europe
with lightning speed." Add in a missing cache of nuclear bomb-making
materials from WWII and this is a novel with a fuse that's ready to ignite. So,
stake out a comfy spot on the beach and settle in for a thrill-ride.
Kanga, by Wayne Patrick Murphy and Ian Cairns, is a biography,
surf history and extreme adventure book rolled into one – centered on legendary
Australian surfer Ian "Kanga" Cairns. From his Aussie roots to
conquering Hawaii's North Shore in the 70s, Cairns helped build surfing into
the worldwide sport it is today, challenging every wave. Filled with quotes and
stories from his surfing contemporaries, the book is as brash as its
subject. SurfWriter Girls friend surf artist Dave Reynolds says, “You
gotta read this book! Eye-opening and almost scandalous.”
The Death of Mrs. Westaway, by Ruth Ware, has an intriguing premise: What if you
received a letter telling you that you were the heir to a "substantial
inheritance," but you knew that the letter had been sent to the wrong
person? Desperately in need of money, would you try to collect this unexpected
fortune? Describing this as "a perfectly executed suspense tale very much
in the mode of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca,” The Washington Post
loved the "brooding atmosphere and labyrinthine mistaken-identity
plot." So did SurfWriter Girl Patti's sister Eileen Ferris, who tipped us
off to this summer beach bag treasure.
The Flight Attendant, by Chris Bohjalian, packs a real punch from the opening
scene: a flight attendant wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a
dead man. A binge drinker, who is subject to blackouts, she is clueless as to
how she got there. Or how the man was killed. Alone in Dubai and afraid to go
to the police, she struggles to regain her memory and piece everything
together. Booklist calls this "a read-in-one- sitting
escapade."
Blue Mind, by Wallace J. Nichols, delves into the crucial importance
of mankind's connection to water and "the benefits of being in, on, under,
or simply near water." Combining cutting edge neuroscience research with
personal stories from athletes, artists, military, and other high-achievers,
biologist Nichols shows how proximity to water can reduce anxiety, improve
performance and increase professional success. Water, it turns out, does more
than quench our thirst. It inspires creativity and nurtures our souls.
My Not So Perfect Life, by Sophie Kinsella, has that combination of humor and
romance that has made bestselling author Kinsella so beloved by her fans.
SurfWriter Girls are no exception. We loved and laughed our way through this
book about struggling ad agency worker Katie Brenner, who longs for the perfect
life: a flat in London, a glamorous job, and a super-cool Instagram feed. To
have it all, just like her super-achieving boss Demeter. Filled with twists and
turns, setbacks and surprises, Katie finds out who she really is and that
perfection isn't always perfect.
World Class, by Peggy Shinn, is a captivating account of the U.S.
women’s cross-country ski team's rise to the top, winning eight medals at the
last three world championships. Recommended by SurfWriter Girl Sunny's friend
sports journalist Elliott Almond, it provides an inside look into what it takes
to succeed in this grueling sport where it takes all you have to go the
distance. Sports journalist Shinn interviews athletes, coaches, family and
friends to paint the full picture. For a cool change of pace on a hot, summer
day, this is a definite winner.
Whatever summer
adventures are calling your name, there's a book for you!
Let the
adventures begin!
Please
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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the
exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint
it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit
groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is
given.
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