[trip style = beach + sun + weekend getaway]
When I wasn't busy biking to the corner store for 5-cent candies, running under sprinklers, or choreographing dances to Ace of Base's "The Sign" and Boyz II Men's "Motown Philly", I spent my childhood summers checking out books to earn as many stickers as possible from the public library's annual summer reading club. Fast forward 20 years and I'm still spending my summers wading through stacks of unread books.
Since nothing complements a beach trip like a page-turner, here are three hilarious memoirs you'll want to pack in your beach bag this summer. They're funny, not too serious, entertaining, self deprecating and witty. Everything I want in a summer relationship—with reading. Just don't forget to pack some extra SPF because these books will have you sobbing through your sunscreen with tears of laughter.
Uganda Be Kidding Me
Chelsea Handler's comical collection of travel stories is by far and wide the most irreverent and belly-busting memoir I've ever read. While reading it, I may have peed my pants from the pressure of heaving laughter, skipped the gym because my abs got such a workout, and drawn way too much attention to myself when I burst out crying from sustained giggling because of scenes like Chelsea's sudden urge to deal with a bout of post-Africa constipation in a kayak in the Bahamas. To give you an idea of how much I loved this book, I ordered every single one of her books from Amazon before I'd even finished this one. –Recommended by Trish
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Mindy Kaling kicks off her book with a list of alternate titles that include: So You've Just Finished Chelsea Handler's Book, Now What? and Harry Potter Secret Book #8. I was either the best or worst beach buddy while reading this book, depending on whether you liked to be interrupted and read to whenever I came across something hilarious I had to share, which was basically all the time. Whether it was her stories about growing up as a "timid chubster" in Massachusetts or her thoughts on best friend rights and responsibilities, she had me laughing the whole time and wishing she was my best friend, even if that means getting punched in the nose. Read the book to find out how that happens—and how it involves Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. –Recommended by Heather
Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar
If you've never heard of Kelly Oxford, you're probably not on Twitter, where she reigns as queen with her irreverent, observational tweets. Once a Calgary stay-at-home mother of three, she's now moved her family to Los Angeles, where she hangs out with her celebrity best friends and works as a screenwriter. No topics are off limits in her first memoir, where she shares her most embarrassing stories about mall modeling, teenage drinking, flying to LA to make Leonardo DiCaprio her boyfriend, and cancelling on brunch with David Copperfield in Vegas after a crazy night at the Hustler Club. I think Lena Dunham describes Kelly best on the book jacket: "Kelly Oxford is like your cool babysitter who teaches you about sex and sarcasm in an un-creepy way." –Recommended by Heather
I'm next in line for Uganda Be Kidding Me after Mr. Trip Styler finishes it, and after lending it to at least three people, I finally plan on reading Tina Fey's Bossy Pants next month or whenever I make it to the beach.
This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.
[collage by @heatherlovesit, beach basket by jadetribe]
