Well, she'd worked hard and done well so I said, "Okay." So we hit the road and did the 13 hour drive to Florida. It wasn't too bad. Tennessee had twisting mountain roads and spring had already hit Alabama, so the azaleas were in bloom. When we got to Florida, the purple wisteria was vining through the trees and the ocean was a perfect emerald beyond the soft white sand. Ahhh.
So what did I bring to read?
I've been reading "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. It's a heart wrenching book about his experience in the Vietnam War. It's wonderfully written but it's horrifying, sad, touching, and heavy. Not really a great beach book.
I've been thinking about reading "The Hunger Games", but I wanted something even lighter. One of my Goodreads Groups is reading the Kiera Cass Selection Series. That seemed like a good choice.
But then I saw it. Sitting on my shelf. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". I've been wanting to re-read this book in more of an analytical way, to try to determine what it is about Harry Potter that draws in readers of all ages from all over the world. The book has over 3,000,000 ratings on Goodreads and still manages to have 4.39 stars. As with any good book, there are Harry lovers and Harry haters, but most readers seem to enjoy Harry's escapades.
So there on the beach, with the waves sneaking up on the shore and the sea gulls circling, I re-visited Harry, the boy-sized hero with family issues and social issues who has to face a new school, new friends, and new enemies. The humor in the book is an added bonus. I read seriously for awhile, but pretty soon I stopped analyzing and just eased into the story. I read it for fun. The way it should be read.
I guess when you find a book you like, you don't think about whether or not the main character has all the proper qualities of a hero. You don't think about whether or not the plot is believable or well constructed. You just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Unfortunately I forgot to put sunscreen on the tops of my feet and my ears, and I am now paying the price. But I had a great time anyway. :-)