There are few things that make me happier than sitting on the beach with a good book. That scenario could only be improved by a nice big piece of chocolate cake and I’d be in heaven.

I should have thought about that before moving away from the beach last year. I’m going through serious beach withdraws. My husband laughs at the fact that I didn’t get in the water the entire time we lived within walking distance of the beach but I was utterly happy sitting on the shore and listening to the waves.

Summertime is a great chance to catch up on your reading. Check out our top picks for summer reading material:

The Maze Runner

If you liked The Hunger Games, then The Maze Runner is right up your alley. Set in a futuristic society, Thomas wakes up with no memory of his former life in a glade with 60 other boys. The Glade is surrounded by a seemingly endless maze and the boys must determine why they are there and how they can get out.

The Maze Runner is the first in a 3 book series so you’ll have enough reading material to last you for a nice long trip to the beach. I’ll warn you though, don’t start this one until you can block out a large chunk of time because once you start reading it will be very hard to put down.

 

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project was written by blogger Gretchen Rubin and if you haven’t read this little gem it should be at the top of your list. I read this while going through a bit of a slump and it was a great way to reignite some passion for the small things that I need to do every day.

With lots of great ideas for making simple changes in your life, this book will really change the way you think about so many parts of your life.

Her next book, Happier at Home, is high on my wish list and is available for preorder now before it’s official  September 4, 2012 release date.

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair

I love reading YA fiction when I need something a bit lighter since my attention span seems to vary depending on my level of stress. A Drowned Maiden’s Hair is the story of Maud Flynn, a young girl who is not well liked at the orphanage where she lives.

Maud is unexpectedly adopted by a charming pair of sisters but her excitement soon turns into confusion as she learns that she is to be a secret child. As Maud learns more and more of the “family business” she has to decide for herself what path she wants to take.

 

 Half Baked

Half Baked: The Story of My Nerves, My Newborn, and How We Both Learned to Breathe, was written by Alexa Stevenson, the author of the popular blog, Flotsam. This book was an emotional read for me, partially because I had lost a preemie several years before and partially because I read this book in it’s entirety while being rehydrated at the hospital in order to counteract the effects of severe morning sickness in the hopes of getting my pregnancy past the point of viability this time around.

This book takes you through Alexa’s pregnancy and NICU experience as gave a rare, inside look at the emotions behind having a premature baby.

 

Shanghai Girls

I don’t often read books more than once but I do have several favorites that I read over and over again. I’m currently working my way through Shanghai Girls for the second time and it’s every bit as good as it was on the first reading.

Shanghai Girls is the story of two sisters from a well-to-do family who are hit hard by war and sudden poverty. The girls leave Shanghai for 1930’s Los Angeles to start a new life with husband’s they barely know and a little surprise that they discovered on their journey.

 

Whats on your summer reading list? Share it with us in the comments below.

photo credit: cmcgough via photo pin cc