Shade, sunscreen, and enough books for a three-week trip

Some people treat vacation like a military operation. Can they see every possible sight in seven days? Have they maximized the local culture? Have they hiked the thing, toured the thing, and eaten at the place?

I treat vacation like I have nothing to do but lay down and read.

My vacation planning looks a lot like: which adults-only all-inclusive has decent food, can I afford a swim-up suite, and will I be able to see the ocean while doing absolutely nothing?

Once I find one I like, I just keep going back.

This week was no exception.

A beach vacation for me actually involves very little beach. We had a beachfront room with our own pool and a covered porch. Every morning I grabbed a book, sat in the shade, and read while looking at the ocean. I consider this peak vacation.

A few things I loved this week:

• Unseen Sunscreen from Supergoop! and Coola sunscreen spray

• Warby Parker sunglasses

• Packing more paperbacks than I could possibly read because I like choices

• Bringing both a Kindle and an iPad Mini because apparently one reading device is not enough

• Realizing every swimsuit I packed was from Lands’ End. Not sure when I became that person.

• Maxi dresses. Mostly Torrid with a few Universal Standard favorites mixed in.

Books that made the trip:

Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner

I keep seeing this described as a second chance romance, but that feels incomplete. It’s really about a country music star trying to rebuild his life after a public meltdown and years of alcoholism. The high school girlfriend is there, but the recovery story is what stayed with me.

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

I finally picked this up because everyone seems to have an opinion about Carley Fortune and I wanted to be part of the discourse.

Up until the big reveal, I was completely invested.

Then the reveal happened.

I immediately asked my husband if we’d still be together if one of us had done that.

His answer was no.

I agree.

Mad Mabel by Charlotte McConaghy

This was my plane audiobook and I think audio was exactly the right format. It’s not a thriller, despite the murder. It’s more of a reflection on a long, complicated life where someone also happened to kill a person. I enjoyed finally learning why she became “Mad Mabel.”

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

My review remains: archaeologists do it in the jungle.

Maybe in more ways than one.

A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

History, but make it interesting.

That’s the review.

Murder on Sex Island and Sex on Murder Island by Jo Firestone

Imagine if a cozy mystery collided with a completely chaotic private investigator who may or may not have any actual investigative qualifications.

Marie creates an alter ego named Luella Van Horn, and Luella is somehow both terrible at detective work and surprisingly effective. The banter is great. The mysteries are fun. The whole thing feels like you accidentally started with book two of a series that doesn’t exist.

That’s the spiral this week.

Sunshine. Shade. Too many books. Multiple reading devices. Zero regrets.

See you next Sunday.