Moms Must Read: Beach Reads for Everyone in the Family : Good Enough Mother

Moms Must Read:
Beach Reads for Everyone in the Family

Vacation books hold a special place in my heart. When I go on vacation I like to take at least 3 books with me: a comfort book, usually in the style with which I’m familiar. It’s my fall back book in case choices 2 and 3 don’t work out.

The other two types of books I like to take are chick lit/romance and then a mystery/thriller. Since I usually only read one adult (non) fiction book per month (usually through a bookclub) I don’t have too much of a chance to spread my literary wings. That’s what vacation is for; it’s a chance to venture away from what you usually read. It’s a literary vacation!

Thrillers and romances are always good choices when on vacation because its fun to imagine you’re caught up in a different activity, while you’re relaxing. You can escape from your vacation. It’s like two vacations in one! And who doesn’t love heart pounding adventure?

So here are books that will suit everyone on vacation. Pack an extra suitcase or download these on your device and get ready to enjoy yourself.

2. For Dad: In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides.

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This title has Dad written all over it. If Dad is a history buff, this is the book for him. It’s the story of a ship sailing from San Francisco headed to the North Pole.

James Gordon Bennett, the eccentric and stupendously wealthy owner of The New York Herald, had recently captured the world's attention by dispatching Stanley to Africa to find Dr. Livingstone. Now he was keen to re-create that sensation on an even more epic scale. So he funded an official U.S. naval expedition to reach the Pole, choosing as its captain a young officer named George Washington De Long, who had gained fame for a rescue operation off the coast of Greenland. De Long led a team of 32 men deep into uncharted Arctic waters, carrying the aspirations of a young country burning to become a world power. On July 8, 1879, the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds in the grip of "Arctic Fever."
The ship sailed into uncharted seas, but soon was trapped in pack ice. Two years into the harrowing voyage, the hull was breached. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew abandoned the ship. Less than an hour later, the Jeannette sank to the bottom,and the men found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies. Thus began their long march across the endless ice-a frozen hell in the most lonesome corner of the world. Facing everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition battled madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival.

See? Dad will love this book so hard he will be honing his survival skills when he finishes this book. The North Pole? Who are we kidding? They’re going to visit Santa!