The Cranberry Patch Summer Reading Guide is Here

If you want a recommendation for a good book, ask a reader—or in this case, an international best-selling author.

After the popularity , Cranberry Patch editor Jessica Sinichak (who loves to read!) has again joined forces with Director Leslie Pallotta to give you their picks for warm-weather reads.

And no, we haven’t forgotten about the kids.

Author James Patterson, who has written about a gazillion books in his long career—including the popular Alex Cross series—has teamed up with Patch to bring you reading lists for children of every age.

Part of his ReadKiddoRead program, Patterson’s books suggestions are separated by age category on the Cranberry Patch site. They are:

Without further ado, here are Leslie and Jessica’s picks. Don’t forget to share your favorite beach books with readers in the comment section of this article. The Patch staff is always interested in a good story!

Leslie's Picks:

Picnics in the park, a baseball game or two, lounging by a pool and some light reading. It’s summer time. Here are a few of my favorite “light reading” titles sure to entertain, and not strain the brain, this summer!

Bossypants  by Tina Fey

Ms. Fey dishes about the challenges of being a female in comedy, the scar on her face, summer theater camp, playing Sara Palin, driving west on I-80 with a screaming toddler and a whole lot more in her salty and hilarious book.  Even better if you listen to this one on CD or downloadable audio!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The perfect example of “never judge a book by its cover,” this book pokes fun at everything. No group, religion, political party, or sect of society is sacred.  Smart, funny and thought provoking in an unobvious and thoroughly engaging way.

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

Serial murders set in Amish country—creepy. For those who love a good page turning, edge of your seat thriller, this is the first book in a series.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Green’s writing is so witty you won’t even mind that this one is a real tearjerker.  Hang out with the charming main characters Hazel and Augustus as they discover love and loss. You’ll be glad you did.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Famous for its opening line, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again," this classic only gets better from here. A gothic romance that will make you forget that you’re actually reading a literary classic.

Jessica’s Picks:

Spending a hot, sunny day lounging poolside with a book in one hand and a cool drink in the other is my ideal summer day. Here are the novels I’d want with me.

The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

This was my favorite Adriana Trigiani book since her debut novel, Big Stone Gap. Set at the turn of the last century, the engrossing tale follows Enza and Ciro from their teen years in the scenic Italian Alps to their chance meeting years later in New York City. While Ciro takes a job as an apprentice shoemaker in Little Italy and then goes to war, Enza becomes an accomplished seamstress at the glamorous Metropolitan Opera House. Based on the love story of Trigiani’s own emigrant grandparents, this richly-detailed historical novel is worth repeating.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

All I can say is wow! Before I even cracked open the pages of this legal thriller, I knew it was supposed to end with a shocking twist. It did, and I wasn’t disappointed. An assistant district attorney in a wealthy suburban community, Andy Barber’s world is turned upside down when his 14-year-old son is charged with murdering a fellow student. A former prosecutor himself, author William Landay’s insider knowledge of courtroom procedures is obvious. I thought about this novel for days after I was done reading it.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Take a break from reality with the enchanting Night Circus. At the heart of the gothic Le Cirque des Rêves, which opens only at night, are dueling magicians Celia and Marco. Raised to outwit each other since childhood by a pair of mysterious instructors, what happens when Celia and Marco fall in love? You’ll have to read the novel to find out!

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Another book that gave me shivers. 11/23/63 is so good you’ll forget it tops out at more than 1,000 pages. After promising to attempt to stop President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, protagonist Jake Epping travels through a wormhole to the year 1958. English teacher Epping starts a new life as George Amberson and falls in love with the school librarian, all while getting closer to Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife, Marina. The fictionalized account of the relationship between Oswald and his Russian-born bride—not to mention the lush description of the Camelot era—is fascinating.

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

HBO's True Blood returned to the airwaves Sunday for its fifth season. What better way to catch up with telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, vampires Bill and Eric and a whole host of other kooky characters then by reading the books that inspired them? Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries are easy reads perfect for a day at the beach, or the pool—or curled up in bed!