I'm putting together my summer reading list. With some vacation time and nothing on TV, I hope to read 8-10 books before labor day. Have you read anything lately you'd recommend?

I read all Dan Brown's book after reading The Da Vinci Code and I can honestly say it was my least favorite of them all. Deception Point and Digital Fortress are both page turners and would make better movies in my opinion. I let my roommate borrow these and he is not a reader. He could not put them down.

I second the vote for "Rum Diary" and also recommend God's Middle Finger It is also non-fiction.

Cradle to Cradle

It gets you thinking about the environment and its a quick read. A good non-fiction book.

Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Need for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth by Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman

Will make you examine what you believe and why you believe,really makes you think and examine your life and what you think you believe. For those who want to continue to believe something blindly and not question their beliefs..not the book for you... I am atheist and it even made me question my so called "belief" or lack there of.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein.
Its nothing like the 90's campy movie. Its gritty and raw, taking a look at how the military works. I absolutly loved it.

I would have to recommend the following three novels:
1. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely (a great non-fiction/ideas novel that takes a look at odd yet fascinating characteristics of humans today)
2. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens (whether you believe or not, this is a must read)
3. Mental Floss History of the World (awesome historical book with lots of comedy)

I find the James Bond novels by Ian Flemming some of the most enjoyable summer/vacation reading. I recommend Casino Royal, From Russia with Love. They encapsulate this world of the 1950s coldwar with swagger, and a europe and world pre-globalization. If you want something with substance and weight i suggest checking off some of those you missed in College or in not taking advanced philosophy classes. Try The Stranger by Albert Camus ( The Cure song 'Killing an Arab' is about that book).

Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino

It's the most creative thing I've ever read.

Definitely Malcolm Gladwell's latest. I've read both Tipping Point and Blink (the latter, the better for me), and just purchased Outliers. So far, a great read as expected. Sports, philosophy, real life scenarios.. Well-written and over all great reads..

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lamb-Gospel-According-Christs-Childhood/dp/0380813815/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244755001&sr=8-1"Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. A novel for the flimsy believer with a great sense of humor.

fiction: "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"http://www.mcleanandeakin.com/book/9780307269751
Terrific mystery/thriller with a great twist at the end

Non fiction: "The Forever War"http://www.mcleanandeakin.com/book/9780307266392
Simply put, the best book yet on the war on terror.

Ugh, my bad. Here's the link:
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

(An 'edit' button, anyone?)

It got me too

fiction: Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Terrific mystery/thriller with a great twist at the end

Non fiction: The Forever War
Simply put, the best book yet on the war on terror.

Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follett

Follows generations of families building a cathedral in 12th century England. Sounds like a sleeper, but is slam packed... And Hunter's best work is Fear & Loathing and Kingdom of Fear.

Night of the Avenging Blowfish
Reading this right now, it has me laughing roughly every 500 words.

A Simple Plan
To quote another reviewer, "It makes you feel like you're a co-conspirator."

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
The best science fiction ever written, followed closely by "Stranger in a Strange Land" as suggested above.

If you read one book this summer, it should be "The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.": http://www.thisnext.com/item/4277A240/6C61AA6B/The-Brief-Wondrous-Life-of

Expect risque humor, dirty language, a really smart rhythm and tragedy that you enjoy. Oscar Wao is overweight and, well, cursed.

The movie 'American Psycho' is great, but the book is even better. If you can stomach some depictions that make the movie seem like a Disney flick, you might enjoy with writing style of Bret Easton Ellis and learn quite a lot about fashion and style in the process.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Psycho-Bret-Easton-Ellis/dp/0679735771

In fiction, I'd have to agree with some others on here and suggest Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary as an excellent summer read. I'd also suggest something by Michael Chabon (particularly The Mysteries of Pittsburgh , The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and "The Yiddish Policeman's Union:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Yiddish-Policemens-Union/Michael-Chabon/e/9780007149834/?itm=2 ). If you want something classic, you can't go wrong with Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises is my favorite), Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men or J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye - all three are great for summer reading.

I don't personally read a lot of nonfiction, but I have found Anthony Bourdain's stuff to be good summer fare. If you haven't read any, start with Kitchen Confidential .

If you have read a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child, now's the time. Child is the best writer working in the thriller genre right now, with 13 bestsellers under his belt. Reacher is an addictive, compelling character. Start with Killing Floor and go from there.

Dennis Lehane's novels with Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are awesome, noir-ish crime novels set in Boston, one of which was recently made into a movie, Gone Baby Gone. I read them all in the span of two weeks, they are very hard to put down. Highly recommend them. In order: A Drink Before The War, Darkness Take My Hand, Sacred, Gone Baby Gone, and Prayers For Rain.

I've read a couple hundred books in my 22 years and I've read some that stand out far above the rest. I can vouch for others selections on here - such as Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Stranger in a Strange Land - although these books far outrank Forever War in my opinion.

My new favorite is The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut - it was his second novel published and my favorite of his of the few popular ones I've read.

If you liked Fight Club I'd read Chuck Palahniuk's "Survivor" or "Choke". Both excellent page turners.

If you're looking for a funny book about stories - read Tucker Max.

If you want a bit of British humour, then try this brand new Vampire book (new author):

The Great Right Hope

Horse Soliders by Doug Stanton.
A look into the shadowy world of Special Forces
and the warriors who think first and shoot last.

Read "Apathy and other Small Victories" by Paul Nielan. Also if you are really cynical "Kill Your Friends" by John Nivan is brilliant, think a funny Britain version of "American Psycho." Oh yeah just picked this back up “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole is a good lazy day read (well a good lazy week read.)

I voted above for "The Rum Diary" too, great easy read.

I happen to believe Rum Diaries was a lackluster book, but I feel the same about On the Road.

I enjoy reading themes throughout the summer. Start with 1984 (orwell), We (zamyatin), Player Piano (Vonnegut)...all great, easy, fast reads.

Galapagos & Bagombo Snuff Box are probably the best Vonnegut Books I've read.

The Davids Sedaris & Rakoff will make you laugh from deep within. Well worth it all.

So I'm not really sure what your taste in literature is, so here is a wide sampling of various genres that will probably include something that piques your interest.

American Gods
Very interesting take on the state of the American spirit

State of Fear
Crichton once again does an amazing job using factual data to present a narrative that isn't exactly mainstream, yet really hits home.

Fahrenheit 451
Probably Bradbury's best, gives a harrowing vision of the future where fireman are tasked to burn books.

Ender's Game
A Science-Fiction title, actually written for a younger audience originally, but definitely transcends generations and can be even more insightful read as an adult.

Fight Club
Offer's much more than the movie, and the movie was amazing. If you enjoy this, his other books, Survivor, Lullaby and Invisible Monsters would be worth a read.

Anthem
An amazing narrative of a future where individuality has gone by the wayside for the greater good. . . Most important thing when reading this novel, remember she wrote in 1937, 11 years before 1984 was written.

Grapes of Wrath
A moving story of a family from the Great Depression. Divisive in the way it portrayed the government and the beginnings of our capitalist economy - this book is very sobering when viewed through today's situation.

The Jungle
Upton Sinclair's novel written in 1906, that sent the nation into an uproar about food and agricultural safety.

Gunslinger
The first book of Stephen King's 7 book Dark Tower Series. The entire series took King about 33 years to complete, and is considered to be among his best works - a definite departure from some of his more gory work.

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski - this book will kick your ass.

Try re-reading some of the classics you were forced to read in high school. Those that were once a drag I have now found to be great reads.

To Kill A Mockingbird
Grapes of Wrath
Les Miserables
The Illiad
The Odyssey
The Crucible
The Count of Monte Cristo
Et Cetera...