A Beach Read Can Be Any Read

I am working all day today, then  off Thursday for 4th of July and doing a half day Friday (mostly just reading a review prep as I have 2 due next week), but knowing that I went to the beach last weekend (Lake Michigan) and many people will be doing "beach reading" (whether that is on the beach, at the pool, or just outside with the holiday and weekend and the nice weather), I thought today would be a great reminder that you should not assume people only read a certain type of book at the beach.

I have the post below from 2022 which discusses this, and I was thinking about this post again over the weekend as I read Sociopath by Patric Gagne at the beach last weekend. This is a memoir, by a psychologist, and it was riveting-- like I was very hot and sweaty but would not allow myself to cool off in the lake until I finished a chapter riveting. 

So as we enter this, the biggest holiday weekend of summer here in America and you have those "summer reading" or "beach reads" displays up, remember, any read can be a beach read. ANYTHING. Make sure we use our work putting up displays and lists to remind our patrons as well. Whatever they want to read with their summer free time can be a "beach read." Any genre, from any year, as long as they are enjoying it.

Back Monday.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022

Beach Reads Can Be Any Read

It should come as no surprise that I think any read can be a "beach read." It does not depend on the book, but rather the person and what they want out of their "beach read."

Most often, when people mention they want a "beach read," what they are looking for is a book that will hold their interest, a title that will take them "away" in some way, and something they want to have fun reading. Of course those appeal factors are all highly personal and you cannot use them in a vacuum to match books with readers.

However, here are some examples. My review of My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite makes it very clear that this dark, psychological suspense novel was the PERFECT beach read for me. It was also the book I had the most fun reading in 2018. On the other hand, my best friend just went on a beach vacation and read the way more gentle, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and found it a perfect beach read, while her husband read Recursion by Blake Crouch. They are all very different, but all of us found them to be successful "beach reads."

So today, I am reaching out to remind you that your "beach read" displays and lists should take the term very broadly. There does not need to be a beach or romance or a fast pace. I mean it can have those things, but you need to broaden your scope. Look for books that are compelling, escapist, and fun to read. "Beach reads" aren't even solely read on the beach. It is a term people use for their limited leisure time, especially in the summer, to read for no reason other than the pleasure of the story.

And don't just use your brain to find the titles. Use resources AND poll staff. Send out an email to all staff. Ask them to help you build these lists and displays. You don't even have to ask for "beach reads." Say something like:

We are looking to make a list of "fun" reads. Send me titles of all time favorite books, titles that took you away from your day-to-day life, books you still remember fondly, titles that were so much fun to read that you are jealous of people who get to experience them for the first time.

Sit back and wait for titles to pour in. When you keep it broad, you will have so many more options, options that will serve a wider range of readers since you are asking a more open ended question to ALL staff [not just the staff at your service area].

Also look for lists like this one, "20 Amazing New Science Fiction and Fantasy Beach Reads" or use the 2022 Summer Reading Guide from PW [or for books already out the 2021, 2020, 2019, etc.... they are all linked at the top] for some proven winners in all genres and age levels. I have this post where I talk about that resource in more detail. These will help you get a wider variety of books.

Now is the time to get those "Bech Reads" displays up and this year no beach is required on the cover, inside the pages, or even for the reader's location.

July Book Display Ideas from Lila Denning w/ Bonus Info on Olympics Displays from Me

Friend of RA for All, Lila Denning, has her monthly book display ideas for July post up on her blog here.

What I love about her monthly posts is that they are both broad and specific. So there are ideas for displays that are target to a specific event or date AND those that are more general. For example in this month's post: books specifically to celebrate World UFO Day (today) AND books about bicycles and motorcycles in general which are popular in the summer.

To her list I would also add display ideas about the Olympics, sports (especially those that are only popular during the olympics)-- both fiction and nonfiction-- and books about Paris. The Olympics is at the end of July and into August so it will make a nice month straddling display.

Interestingly, I saw an uptick in my own blog stats with a bunch of views of my 2016 post about Olympic displays. Clearly library workers are running searches for these types of posts now. That post is old but the advice is still useful.

In general though, Lila's blog is my go-to resource for display ideas when I need them. And her backlist of suggestions and posts are evergreen as well.

ALA Annual 2024 Reports

I did not go to ALA Annual this year. I know, I go almost every year, but this year I was at PLA in April and then due to the oldest graduating college and needing to move to start a new job, plus a busy work schedule, I made the decision not to go to SD. 

However, not being there is no excuse not to follow along. 

If you want to read the reports of what has been happening at ALA Annual 2024 and what will continue to happen today, including reports AFTER the conference closes, please use this tag from American Libraries Magazine for all of their ALAAC24 coverage.

I also wanted to point you all to this new initiative that launched at conference-- Authors Against Book Bans.

From their website:

Our Mission Statement

We are Authors Against Book Bans. 

We stand united against the deeply unconstitutional movement to limit the freedom to read. We unequivocally support the availability of diverse voices on our library shelves, in our schools, and in our culture. We pledge to band together against the oppression of literature, to speak when our voices are silenced, to go where our bodies are needed, and to fight as one to ensure this freedom. Together, we will be fearless.

Our concern is not only for the books themselves, but for the children, families, educators, librarians, and communities who suffer when the freedom to read is challenged and taken away. We abhor the current organized attempts to censor books in schools and libraries across our nation, particularly in view of their insidious targeting of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, the erasing of history, and silencing of voices that speak truthfully about essential human experiences. The great power of literature is its ability to create empathy, foster self-empowerment, impart knowledge, and enhance diversity of thought. We will defend this power from those who seek to subvert it.

As authors and as members of our local and national communities, we pledge to protect the rights of all young people to access the books they need and deserve.

Please explore the website, there is a lot of good information there already. My colleagues at the Freedom to Read Foundation are expressing hope as this new intuitive launches and the courts are starting to side with the Freedom to Read. I know it looks bleak, but we really are making solid in roads. 

If you were at ALA Annual and would like to add your thoughts to what you learned, saw, or did, please contact me about writing a guest post.

I know many people will be off this week, but I am waiting for my Horror Genre Preview to Drop and I will have it here sometime this week. Stay tuned.