It’s summer and that means time to read books. Now we don’t have to worry about our classes and studying. Whether you’re at the beach, curled up in bed, or lying out under a tree here are 11 books you need to read this summer.

1. The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls

The movie is coming out soon and I have never met a person that does not like this book. It’s a memoir of the author’s life and how she managed to become an author through everything she endured.

2. The Secret Garden Frances Hodgsen Burnett

An old classic about a spoiled girl turned orphan. She learns to be a better person through nature. Some of the passages are beautifully written for a colonial children’s novel.

3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith

This story takes place in the early 19^th century. It’s a coming of age of a young girl whose family immigrated to the U.S. and now she becomes the first educated girl in her family despite hardships.

4. A Lesson Before Dying Ernest J. Gaines

Two men, one is sentenced to death, the other isn’t. It’s a simple plot but the messages about race and poverty in this book are riveting. Think of it like a modern To Kill a Mockingbird.

5. The Book of Lost Things John Connolly

A story any book lover can relate to: A young boy is transported into the world of his books after several serious events in his life.

6. A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hoessini

The same author as The Kite Runner, it follows a young girl as she matures in Afghanistan. Like The Kite Runner it has heavy middle eastern themes that give us some perspective on what women face daily.

7. My Stroke of Insight Jill Bolte Taylor

This is the story of a neuroscientist who had a stroke in her 40s. She learns what her patients experience and explains her experience from a neuroscientists standpoint. You don’t have to be super sciency to understand it though.

8. Musicophilia Oliver Sacks

Another neuroscience book. It’s the telling of strange case studies where music has affected people with various conditions. It’s fascinating for all the music nerds and science nerds alike.

9. The ABC Murders Agatha Christie

Honestly anything by Agatha Christie is a must read. She is the Queen of Mystery and rightfully deserves that title because anything you read by her you will never predict the ending. But yes, most involve a murder so if you’re not into that it’s okay.

10. Water for Elephants Sara Gruen

A lot of people have read this book but it’s great. It’s a romance between a poor Polish boy that finds work at the circus and the ringmaster’s wife. The classic love triangle but it involves circuses and is set during the Great Depression.

11. Graceling Kristen Cashore

This is a fantasy story. Children born with two different eye colors possess special traits so they’re better at some skills like cooking or knitting, or fighting. There’s a lot fighting with notes of prejudice as a girl is forced to run errands for her uncle but discovers there’s more to these errands than she thought.

For those of you that have read these books I recommend looking into other books by these authors. There is a wide variety of genres presented and I have enjoyed all of them for different reasons. Enjoy reading!