So, Spring Break is coming up (finally!!!), and you’re packing your bags for a trip to remember. While your on the beach, road tripping, or lounging poolside, you may want some books to read while you’re basking in the sun. Well, no worries! HerCampus GCSU has found the best Spring Break books (that have nothing to do with school – hallelujah!) for you to enjoy over the break.
Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
Ever wondered what the behind-the-scenes of “going Greek” is like? Well, wonder no more – Taylor Bell has all the details. The typical teenage rebel, Taylor plans on foregoing her lineage as a Greek legacy and take a different path in college. After arriving on campus and meeting a posse of hysterical, sassy, and charismatic girls, though, she chooses to pledge Beta Zeta and embark college life arm-in-arm with her sisters. The perfect bid day fairy tale, right? Wrong. Things take a dramatic turn when a compromising tape is released and the star of the video looks a lot like Taylor. Has she completely lost it? Is she being framed? The details are a little fuzzy, but Taylor is determined to prove herself innocent and save her reputation, her sisterhood, and everything that she has worked (and partied) so hard for.
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Survival of the fittest. Literally. The contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant get stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere, most of their makeup is carried away by the tide, and suspicious things are going down on this island. What’s a beauty queen to do? A little bit mystery and a lot funny, this book is a quick read and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (honestly, anything Sarah Dessen)
The last summer before heading off to college, Auden goes to visit her dad and his new boutique-owning wife on the beach. She plans to try to take things easy and maybe learn to sleep before college changes everything, but all her plans get kicked to the curb when she meets fellow insomniac, Eli. He begins to show her the quaint town on nocturnal tours and helps her regain the childhood she never had. Join Auden and Eli in a journey of endless summer nights where almost anything can happen…
Paper Towns by John Green
For those who love a good mystery, or just love John Green novels (who doesn’t!), this is a must-read. Quentin has always been in love with Margo and has admired her from afar; one night, he is allowed closer into her circle and perhaps will get the chance to learn more about the mysterious girl he adores. Just as soon as Q gets closer to Margo, though, she disappears…leaving only a trail of clues specifically for Q to follow. (Bonus: Read this before it hits the big screen in June 2015!)
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Relationships end. People get dumped. That’s all completely normal. What’s not normal is when Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that shoots to the top of the charts, and suddenly her life is filled with tabloids, paparazzi, fame, and more drama than she’d ever expected.
Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
Want something easy, sweet, and funny to read as your basking in the sun? This twist on the classic fairy tale is perfect. With the adventure, quirks, and laugh-out-loud moments of The Princess Bride and the love story and love letters (so retro and adorable!) of The Notebook, this book is a quick read for the beach that everyone will love.
Great by Sara Benincasa
Great is a modern retelling of the infamous drama, party-filled, exciting novel, The Great Gatsby. Naomi goes to the Hamptons to spend the summer with her socialite mother, expecting a boring few months of making appearances. Then, she meets Jacinta, THE Hamptons “It girl” who throws the most ah-mazing parties. But, as with Jay Gatsby, there are secrets hidden behind all the parties, and when those secrets come out (as they always do), scandal shakes the lavish social circle of the Hamptons.
#scandal by Sarah Ockler
If you feel your spring break needs more drama and excitement, check out this book by Sarah Ockler. Lucy finally gets the kiss of her dreams from the guy she’s liked since the beginning of time, but there are a few snags. Cole was her friend Ellie’s date to the prom. Ellie asked Lucy to step in. Cole kissed Ellie (and it was magical). There are pictures all over Facebook before Cole and Lucy can set the records straight. Cole and Ellie set out to find the mysterious party photographer/Facebook hacker and fix their lives as quickly as possible before graduation. Lucy’s an expert at dodging zombies and surviving the apocalypse in her video games…so how hard can dealing with a bit of scandal be?
Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
Amelia is head over heels for Chris. The problem? He’s a sophisticated university student and Amelia is just 15. The star-crossed lovers feel of Romeo & Juliet is real. Working at the local grocery store together, they strike up a friendship and Amelia’s crush starts to seem like it’s not so one-sided, maybe? Throughout the year, Amelia experiences many firsts – first love, first job, first party, and first hangover, and, as the reader, you experience it all with her. Love is awkward, hard, painful, and painfully funny – this book shows all of that and leaves you with a satisfying, feel-good ending.
Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg
Lexi is the typical girl-next-door. Everyone loves her, she’s smart, popular, and funny, but she’s never been one of those girls. Her crush barely notices her, her mom glosses over her, and her 7-year-old sister is a terror in a tiara. Lexi has had enough. She wants to be noticed…she wants to be pretty…she wants to be more than just ‘the friend’. This novel will keep you laughing as you follow Lexi’s journey into the pageant world as she tries to show her crush, her mom, and the world that you don’t mess with a girl with a great personality.