Act Four: What makes the perfect beach read?

I’m going on vacation tomorrow, which means this newsletter will be taking a little break along with me, and returning on Aug. 30. And while packing for a weeklong trip...

Alyssa Rosenberg on culture and politics   Tourists walk the beach in Tumon, Guam, on Aug. 10. I am not going to Guam, but I thought this beach was pretty. (Tassanee Vejpongsa/Associated Press) I’m going on vacation tomorrow, which means this newsletter will be taking a little break along with me, and returning on Aug. 30. And while packing for a weeklong trip always means a certain number of complications — Can I get my sunscreen through TSA PreCheck, or am I going to end up buying more there? Is the airline going to do one of those annoying things where they make us check our carry-ons? — for me, the biggest challenge is more philosophical than logistical. What am I going to read while I’m on the beach? I’ve found that there are two kinds of books that relax me while I’m on vacation. The first is the kind of book that we traditionally think of as beach reading: something that’s light and engaging, maybe even deliberately slightly frivolous. I keep recommending Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy in this newsletter, and it’s a perfect example of what I mean by this. Kwan’s novels are richly informed about the actual details of life in Singapore and the surrounding countries, and he’s smart about the dynamics, but he also knows that he’s writing something at least moderately escapist. It’s not for no reason that the final volume in the series is called “Rich People Problems.” Books like these are about shutting out your own problems and disappearing into someone else’s, all the while knowing that any trials are manageable and the heroes are going to turn out just fine. The second, and this will probably sound pretty nerdy because it is, are big, complicated books that aren’t necessarily soothing to read, but pull me out of my own head in a different way. On a trip to Disney World in college with my family, I mostly lounged by the pool and read Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain.” While in Vietnam with my husband this year, I read Neil Sheehan’s “A Bright Shining Lie” and David Halberstam’s “The Best and the Brightest” on the beach in Nha Trang. These books were complex and challenging, but because they were completely absorbing, they also got me entirely out of my own head because my brain was so busy wrestling with their complicated worlds and ideas. Sometimes my mind is capable of being lulled. But sometimes, I need to give it something else to wrestle with, like the literary equivalent of a cat toy. Uncharacteristically for me, I don’t have books in either category picked out for this trip yet. So if you have recommendations, email me, and I’ll report back on my return. Until then, enjoy the eclipse and the waning days of summer! ‘Game of Thrones,’ Season 7, Episode 6: ‘Beyond the Wall’ Pay no attention to the very large glowing blue eye behind the Wall. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT ‘The Trump Show,’ Season 1, Episode 30: ‘I am the danger!’ At least in "Breaking Bad," when Walter White declared his true self, we knew the story was almost over. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •   Read more »   Trump says we can’t replace Confederate monuments. He’s wrong. As Confederate statues come down from their original places, we shouldn't leave patches of dead grass and old plinths behind. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Hollywood has long denounced Nazis. ‘Dunkirk’ didn’t need to remind us what we already know. Hollywood has consistently exposed Nazism as evil. There's room for a movie to focus on other aspects of World War II. By Sonny Bunch  •   Read more »   ‘Game of Thrones,’ Season 7, Episode 5 review: ‘Eastwatch’ In "Game of Thrones," the alliances are getting harder and the choices are getting worse. By Alyssa Rosenberg  •   Read more »   Recommended for you     Get the Fact Checker newsletter Count the pinocchios. A weekly review of what's true, false or in-between. Sign Up  »         Share Act Four:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Act Four or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071