Who doesn’t love a top five? It’s quick, it’s easy…it’s the best of the best! For something a little different, I’m going to give you a new blog post each August weekend with a different top five. I’m even going to enlist the help of a few friends who are “experts” in their top five fields so I’m truly giving you top five excellence!

Since I’m an avid reader/listener (audiobooks), we’ll kick off this event with the summer’s top five beach or pool reads.

#5 Family Pictures by Jane Green

With her unique writing style, Ms. Green sucked me into yet another fantastic “settle in” kind of read. Her novels aren’t meant to be wildly humorous or edge of your seat page-turning, but with each novel of hers that I take in, I become a bigger fan. She’s an expert at getting you inside the minds of her characters in an honest way I’ve never seen another author achieve. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blushed at the ridiculous thoughts her characters have had, as I could see myself thinking the same insane thing! She’s awesome. This, her newest novel weaves together two very different families with one commonality. If you finish and want more, I highly suggest for your next Jane Green reads: To Have and to Hold & Jemima J.

#4 Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I’ll be honest, I haven’t even read this book yet, but I’ve heard so many great things about it that I feel compelled to add it to this list of great summer reads. The cover caught my eye while in line at Parnassus then within days I had multiple friends posting about it on Facebook. A friend has loaned it to me and it sits next in line on my bookshelf to start as soon as I finish the current Kristan Higgans book I am reading.

#3 Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I had to throw in a Young Adult novel. This book was so simple but yet so engaging. No demons or warlords wielding knives, no sixteen year old girl in charge of the world which is hanging in the balance, just a sweet story of a high school girl in a Paris boarding school (yes, I know most YA books take place in boarding schools, but there are very obvious, very good reasons for that). We go with her as she falls out of and into love, and the English/American pint-sized hero will captivate your heart.

It’s a legal thriller with a twist. I really don’t want to say much of anything because I don’t want to spoil it for you! If you like legal thrillers, I think you’ll really enjoy it. Period.

#1 Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Lottie, fresh off an unexpected breakup, reconnects with an old flame who may or may not have a screw loose. In a whirlwind of romantic bliss, he sweeps her off her feet An Officer and a Gentleman style and the two head off to the chapel. Lottie, who is a card or two short of a full deck leaks to her sister, Fliss her plan to begin trying for a baby as soon as their wedding night.

Fliss, fresh off a bad divorce, springs into action to save her sister from making another “unfortunate choice.” Having recently learned that an annulment can be instated if the couple does not consummate their marriage, Fliss tries everything in her power to stop the two from coming together as one until she can make it to their honeymoon destination in the Greek Isles to meet with Lottie face to face (the only way she’ll be able to convince her to end the marriage). Fliss, well-connected in the hotel business, is able to finagle a staff of pretend butlers to head the two horny newlyweds off at the pass—over and over and over.

I could not keep the grin off my face as I reveled in the crazy tricks Ms. Kinsella was able to come up with to keep these two from sealing the deal. And as always, she weaved poignancy into hilarity for us readers. There’s a reason I always refer to her as my favorite author, and with this newest release she does not disappoint.

Everyone loves a good recommendation! If you have one, please feel free to leave a comment here on my page with your favorite beach or pool read.