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Tuesday, May 23, 2017

TTT: Moody, Broody Beach Reads

I love Tuesdays in book blogger land.  Why?  Because that's when my favorite weekly meme happens!  If you haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday before, you really should.  It's a fun way to grow your TBR list (because you can NEVER have too many books in the queue—ha ha), find fabulous new book blogs, and spread the comment love.  To join in, click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for some easy instructions, then have a great time hopping all over the book blogosphere!

Not surprisingly, today's prompt has to do with summer reading.  In fact, it's a Summer Reads Freebie.  I've mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of heat and summer.  I live in a suburb of Phoenix, so I basically spend 9 months out of the year hibernating inside my house with the air conditioning cranked down as low as it can go.  I do, however, love the beach.  Not so much its bright, sunny side; it's dark, dreary beach days that I love.  My list today reflects that preference.

Top Ten Moody, Broody Beach Reads:


1. Almost anything by Peter MayMany of May's novels are set by the sea.  My favorites are Entry Island and his Lewis Trilogy.


 2. The Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths—Ruth is a forensic archaeologist who lives near the sea in Norfolk.  She solves all kinds of mysteries, most (all?) of which boast moody, broody beach settings.  Start with The Crossing Places.


3. The Jess Tennant series by Jane Casey— This YA mystery/suspense series by Irish crime writer Casey is set on the English coast, where there's plenty of blustery atmosphere to be had.  Start with How to Fall.


4.  Almost anything by Kate Morton—Morton is one of my all-time favorite authors.  Many (most?) of her novels are set near water of some kind or another.  My favorites are The Lake House and The Secret Keeper although I've loved all her books.


5.  The Edge of the Earth by Christina Schwarz—This novel, about a newlywed couple who impulsively decide to take a job tending a lighthouse on a remote California island, is the only one on my list that is set wholly in the U.S.


 6.  Broadchurch by Erin Kelly—Based on a popular English tv miniseries, this novel is all kinds of moody/broody.


7.  Shetland series by Ann Cleeves—This mystery series is set in the Shetland Islands, an unforgiving landscape that lends a dramatic air to each story.  Start with Raven Black.


8.  At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen—I loved this dreary novel about a trio of disgraced American socialites who go Lochness Monster hunting in the Scottish Highlands on a lark—and get a lot more than they bargained for.


 9.  The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne—This eerie suspense story will keep you turning pages all night long.


10.  Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton—This twisty thriller is set in the Falkland Islands, another harsh landscape that lends a dramatic backdrop to a gripping story.

So, that's my twist on this week's topic.  What's yours?  Do you have any favorite books that I should add to my list?  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!    

32 comments:

  1. I love the twist on Summer reads! The cover for How to Fall is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All of the covers in the trilogy are striking. Atmospheric and dramatic!

      Delete
  2. Hey Susan! When I saw the last one (which I MUST read), I thought of the Sandhamn Murders books by Vivica Sten. They're still being translated into English, but I think books 1-4 are ebooks on Amazon, and if you have Prime or Unlimited they are free. They are quite moody and very atmospheric.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the rec! I haven't heard of this series, but if it's moody and atmospheric, I'll definitely give it a try.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Love your 'beach' list. That's my kind of beach too - broody and dark. LOL

    I've read a bunch of the books you listed, but not all of them. I really need to try Jane Casey's YA books. Think I own at least the first one. And I'm definitely going to read LITTLE BLACK LIES before long.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Casey just has the three YA books. It's a pretty decent trilogy all told. A little far-fetched, but overall pretty good. Quick, exciting, and not without humor :)

      Delete
  4. I'm a big suspense reader during the summer but I like a little romance in it to lighten it up. Love your focus on the dark part of the beach read. Lake House was one of my favorites this year and I love Elly Griffiths. I want to try the Jane Casey series and Anne Cleeves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Casey and Cleeves write darker books than Morton and Griffiths, but I enjoy both authors. Casey's YA series is a *little* lighter than her adult books, but it's still fairly dark.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. Great list! I really liked the TV show Broadchurch, I hope you'll enjoy the book as well! Have a great week and happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually liked the book better. I was glad I read the book first - the t.v. show made a lot more sense that way :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  6. What a great list! I love Little Black Lies and The Crossing Places, too. And I can't wait to check out Entry Island and The Ice Twins! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like Peter May's books. I think Tremayne only has the one, although he might have written another by now. I'll have to check :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. Is The Lake House the book that spawned the movie with Sandra Bullock? I heard that was good! Also I mostly read YA so I don't keep close tabs, but I didn't know Sara Gruen published another book. I LOVED Water For Elephants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know - I've never heard of that movie. I'll have to look into it.

      I wasn't a huge WATER FOR ELEPHANTS fan, but I really liked AT THE WATER'S EDGE. It's tense, atmospheric, and compelling.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  8. I love Kate Morton! I just discovered her recently and I want to read everything she has written.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's great, isn't she? I just wish she wrote faster. It's torture having to wait for a new Morton book to come out!

      Delete
  9. What a great take on this weeks topic. At Waters Edge sounds especially intriguing.

    My TTT: http://books.thetechchef.net/top-ten-tuesday-26/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a good one! I especially like all the character growth that happens with the heroine.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  10. Good take on this week's topic! I've been eyeing some of these books for a while now, especially At Water's Edge.

    -Rachel @ Life of a Female Bibliophile

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AT WATER'S EDGE is a really good one. I liked it a lot more than WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, Gruen's most popular book.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. Great list and we have many authors in common. I too like broody suspense or mysteries, and I choose so many on the coast... because we always live by it, no matter where we move.

    I've read the first Lewis by Peter May, all the Elly Griffiths and adore this series!, 3 Jane Casey books in the adult series, the first 2 in the Shetland series by Cleeves, The Ice Twins, and 3 Boltons, LOL. Oh, and I loved the Broadchurch series on tv.

    My oh my, you've hit my "sweet spot" of reading :) Thanks for sharing this list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! It's always fun to meet readers who enjoy the same kinds of books I do. Have you met Kay -- a link to her blog is above -- she's the one who introduced me to a number of these writers.

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who enjoys moody, broody beach reads. I'm very much land-locked here in Arizona, so I envy your closeness to the ocean. Lucky you!

      Delete
  12. I need to check some of these out. I like your take on the beach read. I've only read one Kate Morton. I need more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you do! She's fabulous. One of my very favorite authors.

      Delete
  13. I totally agree with anything Kate Morton, she is fantastic and I love her slow, tantalising reveal of mysterious family secrets. And I got a recommendation today for The Ruth Galloway, so I'm delighted to see that get a thumbs up from you too. Great list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's great, isn't she? I just wish she wrote faster. It's so hard to wait for new Kate Morton books to come out.

      I'm still in the middle of the Ruth Galloway series, but I love it so far. Definitely give it a go.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  14. I haven't read any of these but the cover of At the Water's Edge is lovely and sounds really good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is pretty, isn't it? The story line sounds a little odd, but it's a very compelling novel. I loved it.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. Love your twist on this week's theme, Susan! Dark and broody instead of light and fluffy. I've yet to try anything by Gruen but I've heard great things about both At the Water's Edge and Water for Elephants.
    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is most people's favorite. Truthfully, I didn't love it. I did, however, love AT THE WATER'S EDGE. You should definitely give Gruen a go!

      Delete
  16. It certainly looks like all of these books fit the moody beach reads category- just from the description and cover, I haven't read any of these!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They definitely do :)

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete

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