I've always found Carl Hiaasen good beach reading. Likewise, Barry Gifford - his books are very cinematic (though sometimes a bit hard to find), from the characters to the settings to the dialogue. And with his chapters seldom longer than two or three pages apiece, very easily picked up and put down at your convenience.

First off, I'll admit that my beach reading is not usually selected for its weightiness, intellectual stimulation or quality of writing. That caveat stated, here are some fun beach books that are also not grocery-store paperbacks (though I also won't deny that I've picked up a few of those when I feel like dining on mental whipped cream).

"The Beekeeper's Apprentice" by Laurie King: This is in the Best Mysteries of the Century list, but it also holds a special place in my heart because Mary Russell was the heroine of my adolescence. As I first read it on the beach, it is also is personally appropriate for my list. Don't be put off by the fact that it falls in the category of Sherlock Holmes pastiches; unlike most of them, this writer has talent and an excellent sense of Conan Doyle's original character. I also highly recommend the second in the series, "A Monstrous Regiment of Women."

"The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova: Again, don't turn away from the unusual premise centered on Dracula. This novel has a much deeper vein of thought on the nature of good and evil and is quite well-written.

Jane Austen and the Brontes: For some reason, I lump these into a category of romantic stories I can read over and over again and rarely tire of. Summer is also a great time to explore their lesser-known works (Austen's "Mansfield Park," for example, or Charlotte Bronte's "The Professor").

"A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf: A thought-provoking essay on "women and fiction" that will have you meditating on how far women have come in the last century and what, exactly, we mean by "feminism". It incidentally juxtaposes well with reading Austen and the Brontes (for those of you who'd like to occupy more than three or four neurons).

"Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke: This thin, simple volume will not take long to read, and it's worth the hour or so you'll spend with Rilke's thoughts on solitude and creativity.

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry: Another joy of summer is delving into young adult fiction. You will walk away from Lowry's dystopia with a sharper sense of the world and a greater appreciation for the freedom to suffer. Sounds depressing, I know, but in truth, it is an uplifting work.

"Up North at the Cabin" by Marsha Wilson Chall, with illustrations by Steve Johnson: As a native Minnesotan, this is what summer means to me, so I add it to my list mostly out of nostalgia. Besides that, it’s simply a fun vacation read for kids.

Speaking of Sloane Crosley, I am about halfway through her fabulous new book of essays, "I Was Told There'd Be Cake." (I don't know if you've written about it on your blog yet?) Essays might not shout "beach read," but the tales are light and, occasionally, laugh-out-loud funny. Plus, because the chapters are self-contained, you can read one here and there between going and doing stuff. A good summer book!

I highly recommend An Island Away by Daniel Putkowski. The story takes place in Aruba and reading the book puts you right there on the beach. Great, satisfying ending too.