10 Books You’ll Love Reading By the Water
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Summer is here and that means vacations and pool time! One of my favorite things to do by the pool or the ocean is get lost in a good book! Whether you’re looking for a fiction escape or a non-fiction learning experience, here’s a great list of ideas for you to consider!
I personally have switched to ebooks because they are thrifty and my Kindle Paperwhite, 6″ High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi is just WAAYYY easier to pack and carry around in my tote bag! I used to use the Kindle Fire but the screen was so shiny that the reflection made it hard to read outdoors.
However, if you don’t have a Kindle you snag the Amazon.com FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices
and you can read your ebooks on whatever you do use from cell phones to iPads to tablets!
Now that you know your options, here are my favorite picks:
So here’s the truth about me: I feel like real adult life has enough problems and dramas of it’s own so you may find lots of books on here that fall into the teen fiction category. Fiction geared toward teens has a purity and fun spirit that I like and seems less messy and complicated than adult fiction.
This is one of THE BEST love stories EVER. Seriously. This book has been around for awhile but if you’ve never read it, I promise you that you are in for an amazing (non-raunchy) love story that will make it hard for you to put the book down! This is fiction aimed toward an adult audience.
2.Legend
(Series)
This is a series of books about a United States in the future where the country is split and people are starting to take sides out of fear, rebellion and power. The two main characters, June and Day are two teens from different socio-economic and status backgrounds but share a particular gift that makes them a threat and a value to the people in power around them. This book is full of crazy conspiracy, a love story as well as twists and turns that have me rushing through the series to find out what happens.
3.Divergent (Divergent Series)
Just like in most situations, these books are better than the movies. So if you’ve seen the movies, don’t skip the books. This is another series about future dystopian society. In it, at a certain age, teens are put through trials to discover what their particular strength is and how they will use those strengths to contribute to society. Depending on what that strength is, they can stay with their families or leave their factions and go to another. 
But what if you’re divergent? What if you possess skills that make not perfect for any one group? Then you become a threat. This is the story of Tris Prior and how being a threat changed her life.
I loved this New York Times best selling book series but again the movie was TERRIBLE so don’t see the movies, read the books. My husband even read this book series and he is NOT a reader which says a lot. Imagine if you merged The Hunger Games with Lord of the Flies and Lost. That would be this EXTREMELY interesting dystopian book full of mystery, suspense and intrigue.
Thomas is a teen boy who wakes up in box not remembering anything but his name. Suddenly the box begins to move and when it stops, Thomas finds himself face to face with a small community of other teenage boys trapped in strange place where they are learning to survive. The only way out is through a massive, ever changing maze that no one has ever survived. One day the box comes back for the last time and it contains a girl (the only girl who’s ever come to their world) with super terrifying message.
Go get it right now.
5.A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
I’m almost positive that you’ve heard of this series. Even though I loved the tv show, the books are still SO MUCH BETTER. In this series, 7 Kingdoms are trying to exist amongst the horrific upheaval of different “rightful heirs” to the Iron Throne.
This book series focuses on the different families and their constant interweaving into the past, present and future. There are many different landscapes in which the areas are settled (from hot desserts to frozen wastelands) which gives you a vast array of plights that are encountered by the natural elements alone, not to mention the battles that ensue between the armies. You will be on the edge of your seat reading these books. I fall in love with every character development that the next page brings to me.
6. Graceling
This is a fantasy-adventure about a girl born with a particular gift. Most people’s gifts are for something beautiful like art or swimming or dancing but Katsa gift is killing. She has to figure how to escape her job as a thug for the king and learn to use her skill for good and understand her gift. And what would a strong female lead book be without a strong romance to follow? It’s got a little of everything for the fantasy-adventure loving type!
This book is an inspiring read. The social parallels are engaging and at some points infuriating. This book will challenge your emotions with every page turned. It is definitely an exciting piece of literature. The author Margaret Atwood is an award winning author who can draw you into this landscape and envelope you in a world not unlike our own, however in this world, women are only valued for their reproductive prowess and are no longer allowed to live as they once did- free.
8.Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 1)
You may be familiar with the show series “True Blood”, this is where it all originated. However, these books are NOT the show and these vampires are not your high school love story melodrama. This thrilling series follows Sookie through the Louisiana lands and her life that now involves the world of the vampire. These characters are not your basic vampires- they are fully developed in a way which makes you understand their personalities and interactions as they venture through life together.
If you want to hope over to the non-fiction genre, try reading this fabulous book that will have you seriously reconsidering why you own sooooo much stuff. And with your kids home for the summer, you can in-list them in helping you minimize the mess by getting rid of stuff you really don’t need. The book was the catalyst to helping me overcome my beginner hoarding habits. Super motivating read!
10.Money-Making Mom: How Every Woman Can Earn More and Make a Difference
This is another non-fiction book I’m recommending for any mom out there who is dreaming of doing something in addition to being a mom. If you have some business idea or concept you’ve put on the back burner it’s time to start dreaming again. What better time to think about what you want out of life then when you are relaxing by the pool or listening to the crashing waves?
Thrifty Little Mom Reader Recommendations:
Since I’m a stickler apparently for dystopian and sci-fi fantasy type books I asked the readers of Thrifty Little Mom to recommend their own water-side favorites and here’s what they gave me!
Borrowed & Blue: Something Borrowed, Something Blue
–
This is two novels that tell one love story of betrayal, friendship and forgiveness. Click the Amazon.com link above to read the whole description.
Jennifer Weiner Books- Apparently they are all good!
Outlander
– 1942 world war nurse transported to 1700s Scotland, sounds very exciting!
The Pillars of the Earth (Deluxe Edition)
– Set in medieval times, this chronicles the building of the great cathedrals with accuracy of the time period with a beautiful story arch of characters
Big Little Lies
– also a hit TV show. This book is supposed to be full of suspense.
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
– Are you into true crime? Michelle McNamara helps in a 30 year serial killer case that has perplexed authorities.
The Unhoneymooners
– touted as the book for anyone that has felt unlucky in romance.
Getting Your Hands on Unlimited Ebooks:
I’m kind of Amazon Ebook obsessed if you can’t tell but one more thing. If you are a serious reader you should consider the Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial and save some big bucks if you plan to do a ton of reading this summer! The first month is free so you can try it out and you cancel anytime. It gives you access to unlimited reading from over 1 million ebooks, unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks and can be read on any device for around $9.99 per month. (Which typically is the price of just 1 ebook so you do the math on that one!)
If You Hate Reading- Try Listening
My husband and I have had an Audible membership for almost 6 months now and we enjoy it! It gives us something to listen to on long car trips together or just on my husbands daily commute. So if you’d rather bask in the sun and listen to a story than get a book tan line on your face, consider trying Audible free for 30 days and Getting Two Free Audiobooks.
Kim Anderson is the organized chaos loving author behind the Thrifty Little Mom Blog. She helps other people who thrive in organized chaos to stress less, remember more and feel in control of their time, money, and home. Kim is the author of: Live, Save, Spend, Repeat: The Life You Want with the Money You Have. She’s been featured on Time.com, Money.com, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, and more!