Melanie Benjamin Archives | The Nerd Daily

Surf The Pages With These Seven Surf-Filled Books

The Nerd Daily — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 01:32:04 +0000

Guest post by The Maui Effect author Sara Ackerman
Sara Ackerman is the Hawai’i born, bestselling author of historical & romance novels set in the islands. Her books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review.

About The Maui Effect: In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai’i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings—where the unthinkable is always just one breath away.

November is one of my favorite times of year here in Hawaiʻi, and contrary to what many people believe, we do have seasons. Late fall is when the humpback whales first show up, it’s when we often get snow on our three tallest volcanoes (Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakalā), and the huge winter swells begin to roll in on our north and west facing shores. If you have never witnessed giant surf in real life, I’m hoping you got a taste of it with the Paris Olympics at Teahupoʻo in Tahiti. There is nothing more awe inspiring than watching a towering wall of blue unleash its full force on the reef, or seeing the entire horizon rear up in lines of crashing white water as far as the eye can see. You can feel the reverberations in your bones.

Earlier this year, the largest wave (allegedly) ever ridden was captured at Nazaré, Portugal, and measured 93.73 feet. Absolute madness! I’ve surfed my whole life, and I know from experience that even six foot waves can be scary and drag you around and hold you down until your lungs begin to squeeze. That being said, I’ve always been fascinated by the power of the ocean and also by those who dare to ride big waves. I’ve had friends die out there in the surf, and it makes you wonder, is it worth it? The same thing can be asked for other extreme sports like mountain climbing or back country skiing. In my upcoming novel, The Maui Effect, I explore this question as well as take you on a wild and sexy ride from Maui to Mavericks to Nazaré.

So in honor of surf season in the northern hemisphere, I thought it would be fun to share seven books that feature surfing, four fiction and three non-fiction. All are sure to fascinate, enlighten and transport you, and maybe even make you want to wax up that board and get out there, whether it be Hawaiʻi or California or somewhere more exotic.

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan

This mesmerizing coming of age won the Pulitzer, and with good reason. A compelling look at one man’s life spent chasing waves around the world, while also unlocking the meaning of life through thoughtful examination. If you want to understand the mind of a surfer and experience all manner of waves and old-school adventure, this is a must.

California Golden by Melanie Benjamin

Combine vibrant 60s surf culture with sisterhood and family dynamics to weave a rich and heartbreaking tale. Definitely more character driven, it’s a poignant story of women breaking the mold and navigating life one surfboard at a time. Love the California vibes.

The Wave by Susan Casey

Susan is one of my favorite writers and I am a fan of all of her books and the way she completely immerses herself in the world of whatever she’s writing about. The Wave takes us on a fascinating journey, toggling between wave science & history, stories of rogue waves around the world, and a close up look at legendary waterman Laird Hamilton & friends on Maui, and their pursuit of giants. Even though this is non-fiction, it reads like a page turner.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This NYT Bestseller has over 1 million ratings on Goodreads. Definitely for those who prefer books with a lot of glitz and drama. In typical TJR fashion, she draws you in with her vividly drawn characters (the four famous Riva siblings, who all surf) and a twisty plot. It all happens in the span of 24 hours leading up to and including an end of summer bash (and also with flashbacks to the past) where everything spins out of control and the house goes up in flames. Surf is not the main focus in this novel, but we do get to paddle out and catch a few waves.

Swell by Liz Clark

I spent a little time with Patagonia ambassador Liz Clark on the north shore years ago, and was impressed by her unwavering passion for the ocean, and her surfing prowess. I’m a sucker for stories in which people take a different path and follow their dreams. “Overflowing with wild waves and constant challenges, at the whim of the weather, of relationships sweet and sour, of nature’s marvels and colorful cultures, Liz captures her voyage in gripping detail in this memoir, sharing tales of sailing in high seas, of solitude and surprises, of finding connection to the earth and commitment to living in harmony with it.”

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan

This book releases in April of 2025, and I’m so excited to read it! I read Amy’s first novel, The Summer List, and adored it. She has such a way of writing characters to root for. If you like family secrets and van life, this one is for you. “It’s 1980s California, and everyone’s dreaming of the endless summer: sun-drenched beaches, infinite waves, and most of all, beautiful, beautiful freedom. For the Merrick siblings, this idyllic vision is their reality, as they travel up and down the coast with their parents in a van year-round, surfing and swimming their days away. But when a photographer secretly snaps a stunning photo of the family with their boards in the sand, and the image ripples across the country, the only life they’ve ever known is put at risk.” Sign me up.

The Maui Effect by Sara Ackerman

I’ve always wanted to write a book set on Maui, and when I stumbled upon the idea of an opposites attract love story, I thought it would be the perfect backdrop. Dane is a big wave surfer always on the hunt for the ultimate ride. When he meets ‘Iwa he suddenly glimpses something even greater, but just out of reach, because ʻIwa has one unbreakable rule: never date a surfer. As a field biologist, her life is spent high in the Maui rainforest, while his is chasing giant swells around the globe. In between these pages you will find off-the-beaten-path adventure, swoony romance, and characters full of heart. They say opposites attract, but are they meant to last? Read to find out.

The post Surf The Pages With These Seven Surf-Filled Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

So Much More than “His Wife”

Elise Dumpleton — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 03:00:31 +0000

Guest post written by The Stockwell Letters author Jacqueline Friedland
Jacqueline Friedland graduated Magna Cum Laude from both the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School. She practiced as a commercial litigator at the New York law firms of Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP. After determining that office life did not suit her, Jacqueline began teaching Legal Writing and Lawyering Skills at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan and working on her first book in her limited spare time. Finally deciding to embrace her passion and pursue writing full time, Jacqueline returned to school to earn her Masters of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, graduating from the program in 2016. When not writing, Jacqueline is an avid reader of all things fiction. She loves to exercise, watch movies with her family, listen to music, make lists, and dream about exotic vacations. She lives in Westchester, New York with her husband, four children and two very bossy canines. The Stockwell Letters is out now.

Recently, as I was walking through my local town center, I passed by a little gift shop that had many of its wares displayed on tables outside. There were motivational posters, candles, and other kitschy knick-knacks. One particular sign that caught my eye read, “Well-behaved women never make history.” I was struck by the simple yet poignant sentiment of the thing. Talk about “spot-on.”

We all know that women are conspicuously absent from the historical record. It’s not because they weren’t participating in the major events of their day, they just had to do it from behind closed doors. As I researched and wrote my most recent novel, The Stockwell Letters, I was able to tell the story of Ann Phillips, who is best described as an ambitious, generous, and influential Boston abolitionist. Unfortunately, during the time in which she lived, she was known only as the wife of Wendell Phillips (also a famous abolitionist). As delighted as I’ve been to bring her story to life, I’ve realized how many accomplished, astonishing women from history are, like Ann, at risk of being lost to obscurity. Luckily, other novelists have found many of them, and by reading the books that tell their stories, we can help ensure that the legacies these women created endure.

How often have you heard the tongue and cheek expression that behind every great man there is a strong woman? For ten great novels about women from history who were so much more than simply a famous man’s wife, check out the below:

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain tells the story of Hadley Richardson, who was so much more than simply the wife of Ernest Hemmingway. Hadley’s struggle to retain her sense of self in the wake of her husband’s fame is evocative and eye-opening.

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin focuses on Anne Morrow Lindbergh who was married to the famous Charles Lindbergh but was a fascinating person in her own right. Anne’s drive for independence was as fierce as her husband’s and makes for a thoroughly engaging read.

The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki follows the life of Peggy Shippen who was married to the scandalous Benedict Arnold. Pataki expertly brings to life not just Peggy, but many of the others in her life. Full of intrigue and suspense, this one is not to be missed.

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester follows Estelle Bissette, the wife of the famous French fashion designer as she and her husband struggle with the difficult events of WW II and afterwards. Spanning generations, the book examines what happens when a strong woman is forced to flee everything she has ever known.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Mileva Maric, the wife of Albert Einstein, who was also a gifted physicist. While it’s difficult to compete with a man as brilliant as Einstein, Mileva seems to have been thoroughly talented in her own right, and she may or may not have helped Einstein to reach some of his most genius conclusions.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Ann Fowler is, as its name implies, about the woman who was married to F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was also the basis for the television drama, Z: The Beginning of Everything. Zelda never imagined the trajectory of her husband’s rise to fame or how it would affect her.

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner examines the life of Catherine de Medici, who was married to King Henry II of France in the 16^th The novel offers a fresh look at a woman who has many times been cast as a villain, when in fact, the true story might be entirely different.

The Secret Life of Josephine: Napoleon’s Bird of Paradise by Carrolly Erickson tells the tale of Josephine de Baeuharnais, the first wife of Napolean Bonaparte. Glamorous and fashionable, with an exotic past, Josephine had many secrets of her own.

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan is about Joy Davidman, who was married to famous author C.S. Lewis. A beautiful love story, the book focuses largely on the talent and grit of Joy Davidman.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld is based loosely on the life of Laura Bush, wife to former president George W. Bush. A story of the not-so-distant past, this book really shows what it means for a woman to stand behind her husband, even at great cost to herself.

Rather than being forgotten, the women who are brought to life through these novels now have the power to live on in perpetuity thanks to the writers and readers who continue to imagine them.

The post So Much More than “His Wife” appeared first on The Nerd Daily.