Looking for good summer beach reads? The weather has turned gorgeous here in Charleston – not too hot, not too cold and plenty of sea breezes. This is the perfect season to climb into your bed swing with a stack of books. Here’s what we’re reading this summer:
The Sleepy Inlet: Memories of Life on Little Bulls Island by Mary Magwood Causey - Local poet Mary Magwood Causey just published her memoires of growing up on Little Bull’s Island, a small barrier island off the coast of Charleston. This is the story of a true Lowcountry girl’s longing for a bigger life while growing up, then yearning for the quiet days on the island as an adult.
The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton – We know money can’t buy happiness but philosopher Alain de Botton believes that the purpose of beautiful surroundings is not to show off weath or status, rather to help us remember the best versions of ourselves and how beautiful life can be.
The Curious Mister Catesby edited by Dr. Charles Nelson and David J. Elliott - In 1712 English naturalist Mark Catesby sailed to Virgina and began a seven-year study of the plants and animals of the Carolinas and the Bahamas. He returned to England and spent 25 years writing and making etchings out of his watercolors, then he published The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands. Catesby was a fascinating man who single-handedly preserved a history of the Lowcountry at a lush moment in time. This beautiful book is his story.
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult looks like the perfect beach read – if we could take our bed swing to the beach, that is. This is a story of a young girl who uses her mother’s old journals to try to find her. This book promises elephants, psychics and detectives!
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles – This book as been waiting a long time for a lazy summer day. This book is set in 1938 in New York City – a fascinating time and a promising set of unusual characters. What’s more fun than reading about a busy city on the porch of your quiet beach house? We think nothing. We wish you happy reading in your VPS Swing Bed this summer. If you find a great book your fellow bed swing devotees should read, share it on our Facebook page!