It’s summer, and there’s no summer staple like a good book—to keep the sun out of our eyes while lying out on the sand, of course. Here are some reads we just can’t put down, since they give the best shade and block the most sun from our face.
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Thick binding allows for this read to be the perfect size for sun blockage. It’s a little heavy, so you may need to take breaks and read just a little bit of this Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Anthony Doeer at a time. Set in World War II, the book follows a blind French girl crossing paths with a German boy and is perfect for stopping the sun from penetrating your skin.
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
A classic beach read, Valley of the Dolls is an old-school favorite that is wide enough to block the sun but not as heavy as other, heavier books. Make sure to purchase this in the paperback edition in the airport bookstore for easy toting around all the beaches your summer vacation takes you to.
Room by Emma Donoghue
This book is even lighter and easier to handle than the first two, but comes with a depressing account of a boy locked in a shed with his mother. Putting the actual story of the book aside, this is an easy book to hold and cover your face if you forgot a big hat or sunglasses on your beach trip.
Go Set A Watchmen by Harper Lee
The most anticipated book of summer 2015 is one that is best to cover those eyeballs. A long-awaited prequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, this book comes highly recommended—not for its content, but for its opaqueness. Atticus Finch, a racist? You can put those thoughts aside as you place this open book on your face while you doze off.
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
Although it’s a little depressing for a summer read, rest assured, sunlight is unable to pass through it! This book is a first-hand account of a relationship from the man who ruined it, but you can forget that as you slather on the sunscreen, stretch out on your blanket, and block out all the thoughts of cheating exes this book may elicit as it shades your delicate facial skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
So there you have it—five books to start your summer out right at the beach and let you catch up on your sleep. Although the plot of these books may not be the most light-hearted, their physical form will keep your face nice and not-burnt going into the months of fall.
