One of the favorite things of many people during vacation is to be swept in to a good book as you enjoy the sounds of the ocean and have your feet in the sand. Bay View Resor has a large grassy area right off the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk that is oceanfront. Spend your morning on the balcony watching the sun rise in over the blue Atlantic and then head down to a beach chair to enjoy the rest of your afternoon. We have chosen some great reads for you and some are even tied to the area, check them out.
Nicholas Sparks: Based out of the nearby city of Wilmington, NC, this award-winning author’s works often center around the Carolina coast. With best-sellers like “The Notebook”, “The Best of Me” and “Nights of Rodanthe” to his credit, Sparks’ latest novel “Every Breathe” highlights the Kindred Spirit mailbox on the state border at Bird Island, where visitors place letters to lost loved ones. It’s a real page-turner, and you can even finish it with a boat tour to Bird Island to deliver your own message.
Pat Conroy: Based in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Conroy has turned out a lifetime of material that features life on the coast. Much of it has been translated to film, including “The Great Santini”, “The Lords of Discipline” and “The Great Santini”. His final work “Lowcountry Heart” was released shortly before his death in 2016, but if you prefer to read a classic that’s perfect for the setting, “Beach Music” is a masterpiece.
Mickey Spillane: For those who love a good whodunit, this late author was the master of the murder mystery throughout the mid-20th century. Making his home in nearby Murrells Inlet until his death in 2006 at the age of 88, Spillane is best known for his Mike Hammer character, a tireless gumshoe who always got his man. Spillane was a fixture and beloved figure on the Murrells Inlet waterfront, so much that a stretch of Highway 17 Business was named in his honor.
Karen White: This popular Southern author gained fame for her “Tradd Street” mystery series, which was set in nearby Charleston, but some of her recent works have ventured farther up the Carolina coast to the Grand Strand. Her latest novel, “Dreams of Falling”, is set in Georgetown, which located about 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
Local authors: Tucked away in the “Local Interest” section of local bookstores and libraries are a collection of works by Myrtle Beach area authors that are worth a read. Becky Billingsley’s “Lost Myrtle Beach” and photographer Jack Thompson’s “Memories of Myrtle Beach” are nice historical accounts of the area, and Troy D. Nooe’s “Damn Yankee” and Dino Thompson’s “Greek Boy” are good beach reads.
Order a copy of one of these books before your vacation, or when you arrive. Bay View Resort will have the beach setting, so bring some snacks, water and get ready to read and relax!
