One of the great things about the summertime is that it's perfectly acceptable to read just about anything you want, whether that's Tolstoy or Tina Brown (author of The Diana Chronicles—and if you have to say Diana who?, then you've been living on another planet for the past two decades). That's just one of the juicy books out now, but there's plenty of serious stuff as well. A book that falls into that category is Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell. It's a first-person account of the only survivor of a five-man Navy Seal team and the firefight that lead to the largest loss of life in American Navy Seal history.

As if things weren't hot enough, politically speaking, there are two books out about Hillary Clinton. Carl Bernstein explores A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta explain Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Also just out is Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years by David Talbot. This heavily researched book explores the underpinnings of the Kennedy years—the antipathy to Castro, the ominous tension of the Cold War at its height, and the aftermath of the assassination of the president.

If that's too heavy for you, save it for later. There's always a new Clive Cussler out if you're looking for pure escape. The Navigator brings back Kurt Austin and involves a statue stolen from a Baghdad museum and why people are willing to kill for it.

Catherine Coulter's Double Take: An FBI Thriller (#11 in the series) will keep you distracted and turning pages for a while, but if you finish this, try Debbie Macomber's Back on Blossom Street (#3 in the Knitting Books series), where a group of women work through important points in their lives just as they knit up their prayer shawls.

Ann Brasheares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) has written a book for adults, The Last Summer (Of You and Me). It explores the triangulating relationship between two sisters and the young man they both adore. It may sound light, but beneath the surface are serious subjects indeed, such as illness and a dark secret.

For younger readers, there's The Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn and Hal Iggulden. This book covers all the essentials for boys of any age, such as building a tree house, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Making a Bow and Arrow, Timers and Tripwires, Stickball, Spy Codes and Ciphers…and so much more.

Kids will also love Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan. Like his adult bestseller, this book features the worst and perhaps most wonderful dog in the world.

With a movie about to be released, Nancy Drew has once again resurfaced as an engaging heroine. The Carolyn Keene series began with The Secret of the Old Clock and continued for many years. The books have been reissued and are as wonderful as ever.

There are many other delightful books to look forward to over the summer. Janet Evanovich gives us another Stephanie Plum treat, Lean Mean Thirteen (due out June 18), W.E.B. Griffin offers up The Double Agents on June 25; Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz and Peony in Love by Lisa See are also due out that week. Killer Weekend by the indomitable Ridley Pearson is out in early July, and in mid-July we'll get a new Dave Robicheaux novel from James Lee Burke, The Tin Roof Blowdown. And one of my favorite but lesser known (at least locally) authors, Jasper Fforde, has a new book in his Thursday Next series—First Among Sequels. I can't wait!