Turning A Fancy

Ahhh summertime. That time of year when a young (*cough, cough*) girl's fancy turns to the smutty and trashy.

I am of course talking about beach reads.

The fine folks over at TRR recently threw together a helpful list of potential reads you can tote to the poolside, oceanside or lakeside (whatever the case may be). Check it out here.

You'll probably notice some things from this list. Some reviewers go for the meaty, emotional heart-tuggers, while I tend to go for the complete and total brain candy. For me, beach reads are those books you shouldn't feel guilty about reading - hence, my list. Let's take a look:

Sex, Murder and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis (Red Dress Ink)

Murder in the Hamptons by Amy Garvey (Brava)

Wicked Women Whodunit by MaryJanice Davison, Amy Garvey, Jennifer Apodaca & Nancy J. Cohen (Brava)

OK - these top three fall into Wendy's "fun, fast" category. The kind of books you can zip through in one day while soaking up surf, sand and oogling that hunky lifeguard you looks only old enough to be your son - like that's a bad thing.

Personal Assets by Emma Holly (Berkley)

Just because a girl needs some wall-to-wall sex every now and then. The bonus with Emma Holly is that you'll actually get a plot as well.

Naked Truth by Amy J. Fetzer (Brava)

Romance Novel Land's equivalent to an action movie. Uncover girl spy on the run with a hunky hero hired to track her down. Lots of explosions and steamy encounters.

Now, everybody's idea of a beach read is different - and even though I live in Southern California (The World's Largest Beach), chances are if I'm slathering myself in SPF 45 (damn this pale Irish complexion!) I'm on vacation. Which means I want something that isn't going to render me weepy, bored or indifferent. Of course, feel free to disagree - but for me, The Beach pretty much screams sex, fluffy fun and/or serial killers running amok. I want reindeer games, violence and/or froth. No classics. No lit-ra-ture. For the love of God, no book club selections!

Frankly, summer is the time of year that people like Jackie Collins make all of their money. God bless their hearts. That's as it should be.