10 Best Books to Read on Vacation

Thin Blue Smoke

by Doug Worgul

Thin Blue Smoke

by: Doug Worgul

Amazon Price: $4.02 (as of 05/29/2012)

LaVerne Williams is a reformed felon, ex-ballplayer, and owner of Kansas City's best barbecue joint. Ferguson Glen is an Episcopal priest, faded literary star, and a lover of God, women, and liquor-but not necessarily in that order. Their lives intersect at LaVerne's diner-"Smoke Meat," as the regulars call it. An epic redemption tale and the story of two men coming to terms with their pasts, this is also a funny and soulful novel about faith, race, storytelling, bourbon, the language of rabbits, and the finer points of barbecue technique.

The Stars In The Bright Sky

by Alan Warner

Stars in the Bright Sky

by: Alan Warner

Amazon Price: $188.27 (as of 05/29/2012)

Manda has stayed in the town where she grew up, along with Kylah and Chell, while Kay and Finn have escaped to university, to study architecture and philosophy respectively, and are here again reunited along with Finn's mysteriously beautiful and rich English friend, Ava.. The girls' initial plans for a cheap European holiday are quashed when Manda loses her passport and so, with a day to kill, the girls set off for a day in the country at Hever Castle before plans are re-scheduled. Much of the time is spent in the confines of the airport bars.

The Ghost Writer

by Robert Harris

The Ghost Writer: A Novel

by: Robert Harris

Amazon Price: $2.05 (as of 05/29/2012)

Former British prime minister Adam Lang is up against a firm deadline to submit his memoirs to his publisher, and the project is dangerously derailed when his aide and collaborator, Michael McAra, perishes in a ferry accident off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. To salvage the book, a professional ghostwriter is hired to whip the manuscript into shape, but the unnamed writer soon finds that separating truth from fiction in Lang's recollections a challenge. The stakes rise when Lang is accused of war crimes for authorizing the abduction of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan, who then ended up in the CIA's merciless hands.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Schaffer

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

Amazon Price: $3.93 (as of 05/29/2012)

Set in both London and Guernsey Island, this novel follows author Juliet as she becomes friends with the inhabitants of the island shortly after the end of World War 2. Juliet learns of the occupied island and its deprivations, as well as the resounding spirit of the people who live there. As she writes, she becomes more and more intrigued with the stories of the people who survived the hard times, and she decides to create a book based on their experiences. In order to gather more information, Juliet moves temporarily to the island and soon finds herself immsersed in the culture and relationships.

Nothing to Envy

by Barbara Demick

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

by: Barbara Demick

Amazon Price: $8.81 (as of 05/29/2012)

A bracing chronicle of the horrific consequences of decades of brutality provide the context for the wrenching life stories of North Korean defectors. Mi-ran explains that even though her "tainted blood" (her father was a South Korean POW) kept her apart from the man she loved, she managed to become a teacher, only to watch her starving students waste away. Dr. Kim Ki-eum could do nothing to help her dying patients. Mrs. Song, a model citizen, was finally forced to face cruel facts. Strongly written and gracefully structured, A potent blend of personal narratives and piercing journalism vividly and evocatively portrays courageous individuals.

Solar

by Ian McEwan

Solar

by: Ian McEwan

Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 05/29/2012)

After winning a Nobel Prize, Michael Beard lives a dismal life. However, after his most recent wife leaves him, Beard attempts to start living life to the fullest. He stumbles into this new life with a great deal of fanfare and catastrophe: covering up murder and devising a plan to harness the power of the sun to save the planet. The book contains a range of characters and emotions, especially Beard's arrogance and self-righteousness, and Beard's zany adventures enhance it's humorous quality.

The Love Verb

by Jane Green

Love Verb

by: Jane Green

Amazon Price: $6.69 (as of 05/29/2012)

Callie Perry seems to have it all: a handsome husband she adores, two adorable children, and a thriving business as a portrait photographer. A battle with breast cancer four years ago only made her marriage to Reece stronger, but the couple faces a major setback when agonizing headaches and a frightening blackout send Callie back to the hospital soon after celebrating her forty-third birthday. While Callie's oncologist tries to determine if her cancer has returned, her family rallies around her. Callie's father, Warren, has barely been able to be in the same room with their mother, Honor, since she left him; but news of Callie's plight brings him rushing to her bedside.

The Best of Times

by Penny Vincenzi

The Best of Times

by: Penny Vincenzi

Amazon Price: $3.67 (as of 05/29/2012)

On a sweltering Friday afternoon in August, traffic is backed up on the M4 highway outside of London when a truck jackknifes across five lanes and causes miles of confusion and chaos. As the ambulances arrive, lives are changed and stories are unfolded. Barney Fraser is a harried groomsman trying to get his friend to the church. Mary Bristow is a widow hurrying to meet the dashing American soldier she turned down during the war. William Grainger is a charming young farmer who sees it all happen from his cow pasture. Jonathan Gilliatt is a star gynecologist trapped in the car with his mistress Abi, who is furious at being dumped.

Savannah Breeze

by Mary Kay Andrews

Savannah Breeze: A Novel

by: Mary Kay Andrews

Amazon Price: $2.38 (as of 05/29/2012)

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk continues to attract the wrong kind of man. Thrice married and divorced, her latest romantic debacle involves Ryan Edward "Reddy" Millbanks, an unscrupulous financial consultant who takes her for nearly everything she owns. All BeBe has left is the Breeze Inn, a run-down motor hotel on Tybee Island, a quirky beach town. With the help of best friend Weezie, an antiques expert with a talent for turning garbage into gold, BeBe is determined to make the property a success.

In Her Shoes

by Jennifer Weiner

In Her Shoes: A Novel

by: Jennifer Weiner

Amazon Price: $1.50 (as of 05/29/2012)

The Feller sisters are equal but opposite. Maggie is the good-looking, dyslexic little sister who knows how to get anything she wants--but not how to keep it. She "felt as if somewhere between the ages of fourteen and sixteen she'd walked off the edge of a cliff and had been falling ever since." Rose is the plump, practical, responsible older sister who knows about law but not much about her own happiness: "What did she like, besides shoes, and Jim, and foods that were bad for her?" When Maggie's latest eviction lands her in Rose's apartment, and Maggie insults Rose by seducing one of her sister's rare boyfriends, what follows is a chain of events by turns hilarious and heartbreaking.

In Danger of Dying

In Danger of Dying

by: James Chapman

Amazon Price: (as of 05/29/2012)

A spectacular bus crash, escaping convicts, hostage taking, armed bank siege and love are all included in this action filled suspense thriller with a twist at the end. Negotiator Scott Bradley has been assigned to secure the hostage's safe release but he has much more than just the convicts to watch out for in this pulsating crime thriller. With the scenes unfolding through his eyes you get the unique opportunity to peek inside the dark and dangerous world of hostage negotiation.

Maybe Tomorrow

Maybe Tomorrow

by: James Chapman

Amazon Price: (as of 05/29/2012)

After tragic events cause her to lose the only love that she has known, Monica enters into a world of dark visions which threaten her survival and sanity, but she has learnt never to give up hope and eventually triumphs beyond her wildest dreams. The story line is drawn from Monica's many diary entries which depict a tale of courage, determination and the winning of a fight against all the odds. When you read this book you are witnessing events through Monica's eyes.

Living on the Lost Edge of Time

By James Chapman

Living on the Lost Edge of Time

by: James Chapman

Amazon Price: (as of 05/29/2012)

Jennifer is a romantic at heart and adores reading in the tranquil calm of the old house that is her home. But everything changes when her sleep is suddenly disturbed in the middle of the night. Rising to investigate Jennifer soon finds herself immersed in a dark and mysterious adventure. She has lived alone in the old house for the last three and a half years since her mother died and never before had felt there was any need to think she should be afraid. But Jennifer does experience real fear and in the depths of the darkness she discovers a love that is destined to change her life forever.