Spring Break watch and read

Wanna get away for vacay but can't cough up the cash for a week in South Padre? Luckily, spring break is coming up quick, and even if you're not partying in close proximity to a Girl's Gone Wild film crew, you can still vicariously experience all the sun, fun, and debauchery of the beach from the comfort of your couch.  From retro classics to campy carnage, here is a list of the top five spring break films for 2010.

1)Beach Blanket Bingo is a classic of the 1960s beach party film genre.  Pop idol Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello star as a couple of sweet hearts who get mixed up in all manner of beach related hijinks. Jam packed with old-fashioned tom foolery, celebrity cameos (Whoa! Was that just Don Rickles?), musical numbers, and yes, girls in bikinis, this film delivers all the wholesome fun one could want from an era when it was still safe to go in the water.

2)From the cultural trash collectors over at Troma Entertainment comes Surf Nazis Must Die, perhaps the sleaziest surfing film ever made.  California lies in ruins after a devastating earthquake, leaving surfing gangs to fight for supremacy up and down the beach.  The titular surf Nazis are the rottenest apples of a particularly bad bunch, and led by their ambitious leader Adolph, are attempting to take over the beach. Will California succumb to this Third Reich of righteous waves or will the film deliver all the glorious fascist deaths its title promises? Rent it and find out.

3)Though technically not a spring break film, One Crazy Summer is so chock full of quintessential 80s beach comedy goodness it would be an offense against God to leave it off this list. Hot off the heels of the winter rivalry classic Better Off Dead, director Savage Steve Holland and John Cusack reunited for this heartwarming tale of young love, boat racing, and hijinks galore. Co-starring a pre-Striptease Demi Moore and hijink master Bobcat Goldthwait, One Crazy Summer delivers all the fun of the surf, with none of the sand in your shorts.

4)Speaking of hijinks, did somebody say Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise? Everyone's favorite fraternity is back and this time the lovable losers of Lambda Lambda Lambda are taking their extra curricular activities off campus. Not as raunchy as the original thanks to a PG-13 rating, Nerds In Paradise sends the boys off to For Lauderdale for a fraternity conference, only to have their plans upended by those snobby Alpha Betas.  Anthony Edwards only appears briefly in this sequel, but that's okay because it gives everyone's favorite Harry Nilsson fantatic, Curtis "Booger" Armstrong, his time to shine.

5)The Endless Summer gave birth to a whole wave of surfing documentaries following its 1966 release.  Based on the idea that if a person had the means, they could travel around the world living in a perpetual summer, documentarian Bruce Brown followed two surfers across the globe as they searched for that perfect wave.  This revolutionary film not only updated documentary style for the modern era but also features awesome cinematography and, as surfing enthusiast Jeff Spicoli would say, "some pretty tasty waves."

In need of an escape from the lackluster textbooks spring semester requires? Thankfully, spring break is upon us, and whether you're heading to the beach for a relaxing week in the sun or enjoying your downtime at home, a fun and interesting book is a great way to unwind. From funny to motivational to spiritually inspiring, here is a list of the top five spring break reads of 2010.

1)Bridget Jones's Diary is a hilarious book about a thirty-something single female surviving the dating life in London. A career-oriented woman, Bridget fears she may have wasted her prime years working and has failed her parents by remaining unmarried and without grandchildren. Her single's dilemma doesn't last for long, and she quickly becomes perplexed by two polar opposite love-interests: Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy. While Darcy may seem like the perfect Brit to steal her fancy, it seems Cleaver's game-playing ways keep her reeled in. Read the book to find out which man she keeps and who she sends packing. You won't be disappointed.

2)Jemima J is a perfect spring break read that will motivate anyone to get in shape just in time for summer. The book revolves around the talented London newspaper writer, Jemima, who is 100 pounds overweight and unhappy with her mediocre life. She works with the wonderful Benjamin who she has adored since they met, but who does not see her as girlfriend material. In an attempt to find love, she succumbs to international internet dating where she meets the beautiful all-American Brad. The catch is Brad thinks she is model thin and wants to meet her in person. In an effort to keep him around, Jemima must lose the weight and gain a load of confidence before their rendezvous. But after Jemima becomes the perfect girl, will it be Ben or Brad that she chooses?

3)A spiritually inspirational and beautiful story is found in Eat, Pray, Love. It is the written journey of a freshly divorced woman who goes to Italy to appreciate food and learn Italian, India to find herself again by way of prayer, and Indonesia to gain independence but where she ultimately finds love. It is a story of human growth everyone can relate to. A must read.

4)A New York Times Bestseller, A Long Way Down is the story of four strangers who meet accidentally on a rooftop on New Year's Eve. Each of their plans is to end their lives by jumping off the building, but their arrangements are put on hold when they discover each other. A Long Way Down will make its reader welcome heartache and happiness with open arms. A story about appreciating life for what one does have rather than what is missing. This book shows that the little things in life really do matter.