Looking for that riveting novel to take with you on your summer getaway?

Here are some of my top recommendations for fun vacation reads, perfect for an afternoon spent soaking up sunshine at the beach or lounging by the pool.

Sorcery and Cecelia by Caroline Stevermer and Patricia C. Wrede

Sorcery and Cecelia is my closest approximation to a fun romantic read for the beach, a shimmering concoction of Regency romance and intrigue with just a whiff of magic. The book is told in epistolary format, following the correspondence of two cousins, Cecelia and Kate, as Kate is sent to London for her debutante season and Cecelia remains home in the Essex countryside. Enter a pair of scheming magicians, a mysterious young woman, and one Mysterious Marquis, and the result is a highly entertaining and engaging read that delights from start to finish. This one is perfect for Jane Austen fans looking for something less a little textually dense to enjoy on vacation or anyone who loves a good romance.

Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal by Willow G. Wilson

Comic books can be lots of fun, so why not add one to your summer reading list? Wilson’s Ms. Marvel reboot is a fresh, light-hearted take on the classic superhero story, making for perfect poolside reading material. The comic follows Kamala Khan, a Muslim-American teen whose world is turned upside down when a run-in with a strange, glowing fog gives her the ability to shrink and expand her body parts at will. Kamala is a likable protagonist who instantly captured my heart and I would be surprised to find a reader who can resist her sincere, nerdy charm. If you are looking for a fast-paced, highly entertaining read with real heart at its center, then this one is for you!

The Graces by Laure Eve

The Graces is the sort of heady, addictive read that is perfect to tear through in an afternoon at the beach. It is the strange, slightly sinister tale of a teenager loner whose mysterious new friends may (or may not) be witches. Eve’s prose is dazzling, and her choice to tell the story from the perspective of a less-than-reliable narrator makes her book all the more riveting as you wonder what secrets the protagonists might be keeping from you. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I read The Graces, compelled to see the story through to its dark, ambiguous end, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to spend some time immersed in an engaging read.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned murder mystery to read when they are on vacation, right? And what better murder mystery to read then one by the “Queen of Crime” herself, Agatha Christie. And Then There Were None is probably Christie’s most famous work, and with good reason. In it, ten people are invited to a remote island, where, one-by-one, they begin to perish in ways that bear an uncanny resemblance to verses from a nursery rhyme. Christie’s plotting is tight and suspenseful, creating a convincing atmosphere of menace as her flawed cast of characters attempts to discover the identity of the murderer before it is too late. And Then There Were None is perfect for anyone craving a mystery written by a master plotter.