10 Ocean Adventures to Read This Summer

Need a book for the beach?

 It's interesting how many books in different genres of fiction are set on the beach or at sea. We know the sea has "called" to the wandering sailor since time began. Today, those of us who don't have quick access to the water, find ourselves sniffing suntan oil-scented candles in the home decor section or spraying the living room with glorious ocean fragrances in a can. Unless, wait a minute, that's just me.

Fast Fact: Johnny Depp starred in the J.M. Barrie biography, Neverland, then later turned pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean.

For some people, it's a river or the lake. For others, the sea calls to the soul. There's just something about the water. I spent happy times in my childhood wading in tumbling rivers in the mountains of North Carolina. The first time I saw the ocean, things changed for me. There was something about looking at the distant horizon and knowing that just past the line where sea met sky hid new worlds.

Fast Fact: Scientists say there is substantial evidence the sea does a body good. 

I came to a point in my life where the draw to the ocean and faraway places began to come through my writing. I read more books from the Age of Sail. I learned to scuba dive. I went whale watching. I took cruises and spent long, therapeutic hours staring into the Deep. Today, I feel passionate about ocean conservation and education.

If it were possible for me to leave my land-locked digs and move to the coast, I would do it in a heartbeat. Palm trees, sea air, and sandy feet make my heart happy.

Fast Fact: It has been estimated that Earth has seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains of sand.

There are thousands of classic or modern reads that take place on or near the sea. Here are my favorite Top Ten for a long, hot summer, including one of my own most popular pirate novels.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a book and head to the beach!

The Balanced Writer's 10 Ten Beach Reads

1. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
   
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
   
4. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
5. By Heart and Compass by Danielle Thorne
   
6. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
   
7. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
   
8. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester
9. Oroonoko by Aphra Behn
10. Jaws by Peter Benchley
    

Have a great summer!

Stay balanced,
~Danielle Thorne~
www.daniellethorne.com