As I said in last week’s book review I like to mix up my reading flitting between heavy dark subjects and lighter playful reads. From the incredible Shock of the Fall to the holiday-in-a-book Sunlounger, that I have just finished, was the perfect example of this.
A collection of short stories that is your passport to exotic locations, lovable characters and hunky men. It is an anthology of well written tales from a group of fantastic women’s fiction writers including Rosie Blake (you can check out my recent interview with her here), Kirsty Greenwood, Holly Martin and Nicola Moriarty to name just a few.
It is classed as the ultimate beach read, which even though I was reading it wrapped up tucking into the remnants of my Easter eggs as unpredictable April showers battered my windows, I could definitely imagine pulling the book out of a beach bag and reading it with my toes spread on warm sand. As it is made up of short stories they are great to dip in and out of so if you need to have a quick swim, cheeky cocktail or siesta snooze then you can enjoy it all.
What I also liked was how well the setting of each story is described so that you can really imagine being there, from classy European cities such as Paris and Barcelona to far flung shores including Australia and Thailand. The traveller in me really enjoyed reading about places I have been and those on my to-visit list. Who knew Iceland has now bumped up in the ranks because of how it was described in this book!
If you are after a well written and easily digestible book to get you in the mood for your Summer hols (and give you the inspiration to book your next trip) then I would recommend Sunlounger to you.
The team behind Sunlounger are currently running a writing competition where your short story could appear in Sunlounger 2, which is out this Summer. If you have a great summery tale then find all the details by emailing Belinda Jones [email protected] or check out the website www.va-va-vacation.com for the ts&cs. But hurry as the closing date for entries is the 7th May 2014. Good luck!
