A Sea of Adventures and Surprises
Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel
After a year of uncertainty and disruption, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are excited to bring you a tsunami of summer beach books to enjoy. From thrillers to surfing, spies and romance, whether you want to explore or escape, the books we've found for you are sure to recharge your summer days.
Church of the Open Sky,
by Nat Young, takes you into the world of surfing as lived by the Australian
surfing champion, board shaper, film producer, writer, and conservationist.
World Surfing Champion in 1966 and 1970 and winner of three Australian surfing
titles, Young shares his insights on surfing as both a competitive sport and a
way of life that soothes his soul and enables him to become one with
nature.
Code Name Helene, by
Ariel Lawhon, is a World War II adventure story about a real life heroine and
spy, whose daring exploits with the French resistance helped the Allies
win the war. With a bounty on her head and hunted by the Nazis, Helene devised
battle plans, led French troops behind enemy lines, and answered directly to
Winston Churchill himself. SurfWriter Girls couldn't put this book down.
Falling, by T.J Newman,
is being called the thriller read of the summer. Passengers on an LAX flight to
New York have no idea that the pilot has been ordered to crash the plane - or
his kidnapped family dies. Newman, a former flight attendant, pulls out all the
stops on this story that will have you holding onto your chair arm.
"Stunning and relentless," says author Don Winslow. "This is Jaws
at 35,000 feet."
Into the Deep: A Memoir by the Man who Found the Titanic, by Robert D. Ballard, shares the ocean explorer's stories of treasure hunting, scientific research, and self-discovery. Overcoming challenges and personal tragedy, Ballard has conducted over 150 expeditions and manages the EV Nautilus, a 64-meter scientific research vessel operated with NOAA. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns says the book is "riveting."
The Layover, by
Lacie Waldon, is a fun summer read with flight attendant Ava and former pilot
Jack, who she despises, stuck at a luxury resort in Belize when
their plane has mechanical problems. Being stranded in paradise has its
charms, though, as Ava discovers Jack isn't the bad guy she thought. Publishers
Weekly calls this sun-soaked, tropical rom-com "a breezy,
enemies-to-lovers romp."
Leonard (My Life as a
Cat), by Carlie Sorosiak, is the heartwarming tale of friendship between a
space alien and a little girl named Olive. When Leonard crashes to Earth on a
beam of light something goes wrong and he materializes not in the human form he
expected, but as a cat. Now, with Olive's help, he needs to experience life and
learn what it means to be human...before time runs out. SurfWriter Girls loved
this charming and imaginative book.
Malibu Rising, by
Taylor Jenkins Reid, combines surfing siblings and celebrities,
rivalries and secrets at an epic 1983 summer beach party to remember in
Malibu. A blast-from-the-past that takes place in one wild night, by the time
the party's over everything will have come to the surface. For escapist
fiction and some retro California vibes, this fills the bill. Parade magazine
calls it the "most-anticipated novel of the summer."
The Russian Pink, by
Matthew Hart, a diamond expert who's traveled from the Arctic to Angola
tracking the rare stones, keeps the action moving in this thriller that Kirkus
Reviews describes as "a fast-paced debut novel filled with greed, violence
and politics." Centered around a giant 1,512-carat, rose-colored diamond
named "The Russian Pink," the story has a global reach from the
African jungle to the White House.
The Venice Sketchbook, by Rhys Bowen, unlocks 60-year-old secrets that will have a modern-day impact, connecting two Englishwomen years apart with one of Venice's noble families. When Caroline Grant hears her dying great-aunt Lettie's final word, a whispered "Venice," and inherits her sketchbooks and three keys, she sets off for Venice little knowing the mysteries she will uncover or how her life will change.
SurfWriter Girl Patti was caught up in the book's intrigue
and romance, especially since she had a similar inheritance - this painting of
Venice by her grandmother that captures the magic of the ethereal floating
city.
With so many books waiting for you to discover, you're sure
to find some you like. So find a comfy spot, reach for a cool drink, and see
what new adventures and surprises await you in these summer reads.
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.
