10 Summer Reads to Bring to the Beach

With the official start of summer just two weeks away, Patch thought we take a look at the hottest summer books on the market.  To make our list, we reached out to Meg McGill, of Books and Books of Westhampton Beach, who said she is thrilled with the book selection this summer.

According to McGill, there are some excellent nonfiction authors releasing new books, including Joseph Ellis and Nathaniel Philbrick, as well as a powerhouse of fiction releases by Dan Brown, Neil Gaiman, Khaled Hosseini, and John le Carre. 

"It's a great summer for readers and booksellers alike, with so much to choose from this season," she said.

And here's the top ten list straight from Books and Books. And after checking out the list, be sure to shout out in the comment section below what you will be reading this summer. 

Inferno: A Novel by Dan Brown Robert Langdon is back! From the acclaimed author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons comes his latest thriller, Inferno. We find ourselves in Italy with none other than Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon. Delving into a world of darkness and mystery that centers around Dante’s Inferno, Langdon must use all of his wits and expertise to navigate his way to the truth. “With this new novel,” Brown said, “I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm…a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways.” Inferno is bound to be a surprising ride, an entertaining read, and this summer’s bestseller.  

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns comes the emotionally gripping novel And the Mountains Echoed. This sweeping narrative takes readers from Kabul to Paris and explores how families treat each other – and the ramifications of actions large, small, and pivotal as they trickle down through the generations. Detailing the lives of complex characters through intricately powerful prose, Hosseini uses the rich diversity of our world to examine what really matters most in our lives.

A Delicate Truth by John le Carre From the highly acclaimed espionage novelist John Le Carre comes a thrilling new mystery, A Delicate Truth. Taking place on the British crown colony of Gibraltar is Operation Wildlife, a crucial mission with the goal of capturing a jihadist arms buyer. Carried out by an ambitious Foreign Office Minister, a private defense contractor, and a shady American CIA operative, will the mission be a success? The story continues three years later when a disgraced Special Forces Soldier delivers a message from the dead. Was Operation Wildlife the touted success we thought it was? Or was it merely a ruthless cover up? The delicate truth might be revealed, but only if you join le Carre on this thrilling ride.

It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great by Gwyneth Paltrow While most of us don’t have an Academy Award, many of us have dabbled in at least one diet regiment or another – and so has Gwyneth Paltrow. After learning from her doctor that she was both anemic and vitamin D deficient, she realized that she needed to change her diet in order to improve her health. At her doctor’s recommendation that she eliminate everything from alcohol to sugar (and of course processed foods) to cleanse and heal her body, she set out to not only discover recipes that were fun, but healthy and delicious as well. In her new book, It’s All Good, Paltrow shares her collection of over 185 recipes that renewed her spirits and her health, including Huevos Rancheros, Salmon Burgers with Pickled Ginger, and even Power Brownies. Join Paltrow on her tasty path to looking good, becoming healthy, and feeling great!

Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick From the bestselling author of The Last Stand and Mayflower comes the epic historical narrative Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution. In 1775, the city of Boston was occupied and blockaded by British troops seeking to stave the tide of the American Revolution before it broke out. But this tenuous peace would not last long, soon erupting in the infamous Battle of Bunker Hill. Award-winning writer Nathaniel Philbrick chronicles this pivotal moment in American history, introducing new characters while giving fresh faces to old ones, including patriot leader Joseph Warren; his fiancé, the poet Mercy Scollay; as well as their British enemies General Thomas Gage and William Howe. This is a fascinating examination of a moment in time that shaped the modern world.

Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence by Joseph J. Ellis Summer 1776 – a summer that would change America forever. Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph Ellis presents the story of these critical months to the start of the American Revolution as never before told. How did a ragtag string of 13 little colonies plan to rebuff one of the greatest global empires ever? Ellis weaves together the stories of the war’s most crucial figures, friend and foe, from commander in chief George Washington to famed diplomat Benjamin Franklin; from British Admiral Lord Richard to the infamous General William Howe. Ellis examines these figures and their impacts on the early war with fresh insights and perspective that sheds light on how the summer months of 1776 affected the long war in the years ahead.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Coming this summer is The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman’s first adult novel since his #1 New York Times bestseller, Anansi Boys. Using his signature prose, Gaiman takes the reader to Sussex, England where the protagonist must face a journey of darkness, mystery, and remembrance. Ranging from the main character’s present back into his past, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a groundbreaking work by a true master of the pen. It is a story that illustrates what makes us human and how we shelter ourselves from the darkness both inside and out. Neil Gaiman is back and better than ever.

TransAtlantic by Colum McCann The National Book Award winning author of Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann, brings readers a new novel that spans continents and centuries. Whether its two brothers in Newfoundland attempting the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland, Frederick Douglass traveling through the Irish countryside while promoting his autobiography, or U.S. Senator George Mitchell leaving New York to broker peace talks in Belfast, all three crossings have profound effects – both obvious and obscure – that affect the generations to come. TransAtlantic is about much more than just traveling over a vast ocean – it’s about those brave souls who chose to make the perilous journey and the effects of their courage.

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls From the New York Times bestselling author comes a heartbreaking and redemptive novel about a courageous girl who must overcome the injustices propagated by the adults around her. The Silver Star begins in a small California town where two little girls are abandoned by their mother, and left with little money to live on for very long. From here the sisters must find their way in the world, facing unfair superiors in an unfair world. Walls – having suffered poverty and loss herself, as told in her best-selling memoir, The Glass Castle – now writes a deeply moving and emotional novel about a pair of young siblings who must find strength in the face of crushing adversity.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman In The Light Between Oceans, debut novelist M.L. Stedman brings us the beautifully written and heart-wrenching story of a married couple and their hopes and dreams. After returning from the Western Front, Tom takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on the isolated island of Janus Rock. He brings his wife with him but the two remain mostly cut off from the rest of the world – until a boat washes ashore with a dead man and a living baby inside. This novel is an emotional tale of tragedy and hope in the face of deep loss and suffering. This 2012 bestseller is new in paperback and sure to capture many more fans!