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When You Need a Vacation… Reading Makes a Great Getaway
Savor your vacation reading beyond the words.
The books you read on vacation don’t just pass the time—they soften an afternoon, relieve the aches of a long travel day, or add a sense of comfort and understanding to the place you’ve landed.
At Beyond Beaches, we love the way reading shapes our every day, shifting our mood, leading our way, and tickling our curiosity. And we love exploring books that can shift your days into the vacation you want to experience.
Literary Cats
Well-Read, Well-Traveled, Good-Humored
Always Curious
Literary Cats serve as the collective voice of Beyond Beaches and act as thoughtful, well-read hosts who guide you toward stories that match the rhythm of your trip—whether you’re in the mood for something light and relaxing, absorbing and reflective, or something that uncovers the cultural sense of place.
We don’t review books or tell you what to read.
We simply help readers discover stories that add a touch extra to ordinary vacations.
Find the Right Books for Your Vacation
Surprise your ordinary vacation with books that quietly help you make the most of every minute. The right book not only lets Literary Cats escape from where we are…reading gets us wherever we wish to be.
As any Literary Cat can tell you…
"Once you open a book's cover, the story inside whisks you away quicker than an airplane takes flight."
Cherry-Pick Books Right for Your Vacation
Here at Beyond Beaches, we plan vacations with books in mind so you can knock the socks off ordinary vacations—reading beyond where you go and traveling beyond the words you read.
We've a knack for choosing vacation books that help vacations flourish.
Discover Books that Make you Happy
We may be letting the cat out of the literary bag, but it's true — vacation reading doesn’t just happen between the lines of literary novels.
For some vacations, the right story may be in a comic book, cozy mystery, or graphic novel…or appear on paper, on screen, or in your ear.
Vacations permit all types of book reading.
There is no wrong way to travel with a book at hand.
Beach Books and Beyond
Living near Alabama beaches, Literary Cats know all about beach reading. And we're spilling the beach vacation beans: a beach book can tell any kind of story and take you almost anywhere.
Think beach reading begins and ends with one type of b cook? Think again.
Vacation Reading in Southern Settings
Southern stories unfold details beneath moss-draped oaks, along quiet back roads, and in towns where history and heart shape the people who live there. And almost every Southern setting is only a short trip away from the beaches Literary Cats call home.
Southern books open the door to places you could dream of visiting someday—or enjoy visiting today, reading one page at a time.
Boldly Go Where You Have Read
Some stories jump from pages, sparking curiosity and tickling imaginations…and then quietly grow into vacation journeys. Literary Cats call novels rooted in such a vivid place inspired vacations--because that's how we got from Alabama to Alice Springs.
If a book’s setting has ever stirred your desire to visit some irresistible destination, we want to hear about your book inspirations and vacations.
The Right Book Changes Everything
The stories you bring along on vacation often shape how you remember a place, person, activity, or journey. Reading becomes a travel companion. So choosing a book to share your vacation requires mindful consideration because every vacation is different, and so is the right book.
Beyond Beaches exists to help you choose those companions with care, so your reading doesn’t compete with your vacation, but gently layers enjoyment into your memories.
Susan Rowlett
Curious About Most Everything
Susan is a lifelong reader who has shed her technical writer background to write in a more casual "Literary Cats" voice to host this website. Along with reading, Susan enjoys traveling to places she first met in books, journeying many times overseas as well as across America. She combines her own experiences traveling with the insights and anecdotes of fellow travelers who shared the joy of reading stories reflecting the culture, history, and character of places visited. The Thorn Birds first sparked Susan's desire to travel; continuing to read keeps her going.
We help you discover those books.