Off to the Outer Banks!

If you couldn't tell from the title of this post, I'm going to North Carolina's Outer Banks next week for our family vacation! While there is plenty to do there like kayaking and visiting historical Wright Brothers places, I will definitely be taking some time to myself to read on the beach. Which begs the question, what am I going to read? I've been pouring over my to-be-read list trying to pick out the best compilation of vacation books for myself, and since I've been reading a lot of fluffy books recently I thought I'd pick a wider variety to take with me to the coast. After all, variety is the spice of life! Here are the books that made the list:
(All links lead to the books' respective summary page on Goodreads).

Confessions of a Shopaholic - by Sophie Kinsella
I've just started reading this novel a few days ago. I'm not even 25% of the way through and I can already say it's positively a delight.  As someone who has just graduated college and is dealing with the stress of money, loans, affording the basics, etc. etc. I feel like I can relate. Not only that, but the witty writing, humorous dialogue, and relatable awkward situations that Rebecca gets herself into are what make this book a must for my getaway. Not only that, but I loved the movie adaptation of this novel with Hugh Dancy (can you say swoon?) and Isla Fisher, and I'm quickly finding out that while the movie was great, the book has the potential to be even better and more delightful.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns) - by Mindy Kaling
About three years ago I read Tina Fey's Bossypants and fell in love with humor memoirs. It's a small genre, but a very enjoyable one, I assure you.  My old roommate recommended this book to me after having borrowed Fey's book from her, and at the time I was a little hesitant. I only knew Mindy Kaling from The Office and nothing else. I thought she was pretty funny then, but didn't know if a whole book written by her would be worth it. Now this book is everywhere in the best possible way and I can confirm that Kaling is in fact funny. Words cannot do her TV show justice. So I will finally cave into the hilarity and give this book a go.

The Bell Jar - by Sylvia Plath
I've been trying to beef up my list of classics I've read, and after having read Sylvia Plath's poems this past Fall, I had to get my hands on her Plath's only novel, The Bell Jar. A semi-autobiographical account of her life, this coming of age novel has touch millions of lives and is usually a required reading amongst high schoolers. I, however, was not so lucky to get to discover this novel at an early age, but I'm glad to have discovered it along with Plath's poetry.  Side note: if you have not read Sylvia Plath's poetry, I highly recommend it. Her sharp, unashamed, brash words will leave your mouth watering for more. And I'm hoping for some of that kind of prose in this world famous novel.

Asylum - by Madeleine Roux
I have a strange fascination with mental illness and mental institutions. Is this a controversial and macabre subject? Yes. But I can't stop reading about it.  And this is a novel that goes along those same lines of macabre yet fascinating. A bone-chilling photo-novel, much like the amazing Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, this book is about sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford who while spending a summer in an old asylum (hence the title) decides to go exploring with his classmates one night only to realize that he and his friends didn't end up at this asylum by coincidence. There isn't much else in the summary of this book, but honestly that just makes me even more excited to read it.

Burned - by Ellen Hopkins
Last year, I was hooked by a number of Ellen Hopkins' other books of verse. I mean I was enraptured. Like so many others, I can read a Hopkins book in less than two days and still be wanting more of the drama that comes with them. And after looking at the reviews of this book, it looks even better than the others! I'm so pumped to delve deep into what looks to be another promising, dark, twisted read from Hopkins. I'm not too sure what it's about, but I think that makes it even more exciting to read. I love to be surprised at the twists and turns of dramatic novels, especially Hopkins' works. 

Girl at Sea - by Maureen Johnson
Ah yes. Another perfect YA beachy read for me to devour.  Not many people know this, but I get my life force, my essence if you will, from books like this one. It's got everything! A boy meets girl story, romance, beachy/oceanic fun times, and underwater treasure. Yes I just said underwater treasure, aka the best kind of treasure next to buried. What does this treasure do? Oh you know, it could unlock the secrets of civilization itself, no biggie. Written by Maureen Johnson, one of the baronesses of chick-lit and young adult literature, this novel hasn't made as much of a splash in the YA book review world as her other books, have but it looks just as promising for an entertaining read.

If you can't tell, I'm extremely pumped for my vacation and for my vacation reading.  I can't wait to marathon read all of these wonderful books from my beach chair for a whole week. And if you're going on vacation soon with a pile of books like me or if you're just daycationing (real word? it is now!) and reading from the comfort of your own back yard, let me know what is on your vacation TBR list! Happy reading!