Great Summer Reads

So, you’re taking advantage of your vacation day by heading to the beach. Or, you’re getting ready for a long car ride and you need something to distract you. Or perhaps you’re just taking a day off at home, and you’ve got a lawn chair and a cold drink ready in the backyard. Chances are, you’re going to want a book. Whether you’re looking for a great suspense novel or the written equivalent of a “chick flick," I’ve got a few recommendations for you.

Best “Chick Lit” Book: “Twenties Girl” by Sophie Kinsella. This well-known author (of “Shopaholic” fame) writes a more subtle story here with better-developed characters and layers of comedy, romance and surprisingly – grief. Lara, the protagonist, is aided in her professional and personal life by a highly amusing and sometimes annoying ghost from the 1920’s named Sadie. Sadie is on her own mission, and is not above taking a few liberties to force Lara to succumb to her directions. It’s a light read – perfect for big sunglasses, a lot of ice in your drink, and a big, straw hat.

Best “I Can Only Read this in Daylight” Book: “Full Dark, No Stars” by Stephen King. There’s a reason this author has been churning out top-notch fright novels for more than three decades. This book is comprised of four short stories, so there’s not as much of a commitment needed to get your Stephen King fix. No one paints a picture of terror better than Stephen King, and these stories will make you toss and turn at night, trying to get the images back out of your head. I would recommend starting with “Big Driver”, a stark look at the monster in the closet, and how grief and fear propel you to do things you never thought yourself capable of. 

Best “I Want to Be Better” Book: “Room” by Emma Donoghue. There are some books that deal so realistically with adversity and how the characters overcome it that it compels me to do better – mostly in my relationships with other people, my kids, even myself. “The Help” is another of these types of books, but I’m going to assume you’ll see the movie version of the book so I’ve chosen another one for this category. “Room” is written from a 5-year-old, first-person perspective, and the details of the room and the reason for it’s existence unfold slowly as the reader takes in the world from Jack’s viewpoint. Jack was born in captivity, under the most heinous circumstances, and how his mother tries to make a life for him regardless is truly remarkable. She isn’t a saint – she makes some choices that made me uneasy – but that this child is loved and educated, and physically fit in the confines of a 22 square foot room is amazing. The story then follows these two characters as they finally escape “Room” and how each deals with the acclimation of “Outside” afterwards. 

Best “Who Dunnit” Book: “Adrenaline” by Jeff Abbott. These are actually my favorite types of books – mysteries, suspense, courtroom dramas, etc. This was also the hardest category to give just one recommendation. This one is a doozy.  CIA Agent Sam Capra gets a call from his pregnant wife one morning while on assignment in London. She asks him to leave the building immediately. As he starts walking across the street, the building blows up behind him. While he’s lying on the ground from the impact, he sees his wife in a car with an unknown man driving away. When he wakes up, he’s in prison. The story then follows how Sam tries to find his wife and clear his name. Twists and turns abound, and the story steamrolls to a satisfying conclusion.