'The Beach Book' is completely waterproof. I know this because I tested the claim on the front cover by sticking the book under a running tap.

This act of heresy was not committed without some serious trepidation on my part (especially as I was only ten pages in at the time), but how could I resist? What, you may well ask, is the point of a waterproof book? Well, as the name suggests, it is the perfect beach companion.

Immune to the ravages of sand, salt and sea, you can read this book on the beach without experiencing one iota of guilt. As I discovered, it also makes reading in the bath a lot more practical.

It is a collection of short stories — for what could better cater to a sun/sand/sea-induced short attention span — loosely connected by a 'beach' theme. And before the literary critic in you dismisses this as a frivolous collection for the silly, bronzed beach bum, I should mention that this collection is not without its literary heavyweights.

'The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World' is Gabriel Garcia Marquez at his best as he weaves a thought-provoking and fantastical tale of the affect of a dead (but handsome) stranger on a small village.

'The Shell Collector' by Anthony Doerr, which won the Rome Prize in 2004, is the story of a blind hermit, who lives on the shores of Kenya, and collects shells that are both dangerously fatal and miraculously life-giving.

Jeffrey Eugenides's 'Air Mail', set in Thailand, follows the journey of a young man who finds spiritual enlightenment whilst suffering from dysentery. Esoteric and at times comical, this unusual story offers some unexpected pearls of wisdom.

With contributions from Roald Dahl, Hester Kaplan, Gina Berriault, Matthew Klam, Robert Stone, Frederick Reiken and Isaac Bashevis Singer, 'The Beach Book' is an enjoyable and stimulating collection of short stories. To be enjoyed anywhere.