Summer is coming and what better way to celebrate the warm weather than staying inside in the air-conditioning and reading a book? Or, if you’re not allergic to the outdoors like me, throwing a book in your bag and going to the park for a nice read?

Featured Read — Romance:

Newish: In Judi McCoy’s “Making Over Mr. Right,” Zeus has taken muses (those goddesses that bring divine inspiration) into the 21st century by updating their image. The muse of epic poetry is now in charge of blogs, and now Zoe, the muse of beauty, must bring more of it to the world. All any of the muses have to do is fulfill their jobs and not fall in love with any mortals, and they are free to live the lush life as eternal beauties. At first Zoe works at designing department store windows and helping women in need find the correct outfit to get better jobs, but she meets a new challenge in the form of computer nerd Theo Maragos. Theo orginally wants Zoe to makeover his apartment for a photo spread so he can be less geek and more chic, but his partner soon convinces him a complete overhaul of his look is in order. Zoe may have her work cut out for her, but she never figured that under the beard and bad clothes lies a hunk — or that she could fall for him! Zeus isn’t happy, but could a long-time secret change things forever?

“Making Over Mr. Right” is a fun, light read, perfect for a warm spring or summer day that will lift your spirits and maybe hum “Magic” all day.

“Making Over Mr. Right” is $6.99 and is 375 pages long. It is published by Avon.

Oldish: “Practially Perfect” by Katie Fforde. Anna is trying to become an interior designer and is beset by a wacky neighbor and her kids, a homeless dog that gets dumped on her, and a house that needs more than a little work. But when a handsome building inspector keeps showing up to give his opinion on everything she’s doing, Anna is more than a little irritated. And maybe a bit smitten …

Is romance not your thing? Read on for hot new titles come out soon!

Women’s Fiction:

Newish: From the author of “The Devil Wear Prada,” Lauren Weisberger comes “Chasing Harry Winston,” the story of three Manhattan friends who want to change their lives for the better.

Oldish: “The Heartbreak Pill” by Anjanette Delgardo. Erika is a scientist whose husband of seven years just dumped her. Suffering from the pain of heartache, Erika’s scientific nature kicks on and she tries to cure the pain of relationships lost for all people. But is love and a solid relationship worth the risk?

Literary:

Newish: A sequel to “Chocolat” is due out from Joanne Harris in “The Girl With No Shadow” that follows the story of Vianne and her new shop in Paris.

Oldish: Dave Eggers’ first book of fiction, “You Shall Know Our Velocity,” follows two young adults on a globe-trotting adventure to give away money to more deserving people.

Horror:

Newish: Dean Koontz continues the Odd Thomas series with “Odd Hours,” as Odd travels with two very strange sidekicks to an even stranger California town.

Oldish: OK, so it’s not that old, not really. But Max Brooks’ “World War Z,” is a fantastic read on the last world war, this one with zombies. There’s more substance here than you’d think with a book about zombies, which only adds to the spookiness of it. 

Action-Adventure:

Newish: Inspired by the James Bond series is “The Moneypenny Diaries,” by Kate Westbrook, which follows the story of the famous sidekick through her journal entries.

Oldish: It’s an old standby and most of you claim it as your top movie on Facebook, but it’s about time you actually read it. That’s right, we’re going “Fight Club” on you. Pick up Chuck Palahniuk’s seminal work and read it this summer, and then continually ask yourself, What Would Tyler Durden Do?

Fantasy:

Newish: A collection of short stories written by acclaimed modern fantasy writers is reprinted in “Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy,” edited by Jack Dann. The book features short stories by Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Garth Nix and many more.

Oldish: If you haven’t read Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game,” do so now before someone pummels you to death with childlike hands. This tale is perhaps more sci-fi than fantasy, and more good than sci-fi (we know that’s not correct English, so sue us).

Mystery:

Newish: Acclaimed writer Mary Higgins Clark brings another thriller in “Where Are You Now?” that follows the story of a young assistant district attorney determined to track down her missing brother.

Oldish: Paul Auster’s Kafka-like detective novel, “City of Glass,” is enough to make you believe in the post-modern novel. Working himself into the narrative, Auster’s first volume in “The New York Trilogy” finds Quinn, a writer of detective stories, enmeshed in a case more puzzling than any he might have written.

Paranormal:

Newish: Jeaniene Frost’s Special Agent to the paranormal, Cat Crawfield, now teams up with her former lover and mentor, to try to stop an evil adversary and not get killed in the process.

Oldish: “Personal Demon” by Kelley Armstrong. Hope Adams is a chaos demon and trying to work off a debt to a dangerous gangster by acting as a spy in a rival gang. As things get more and more complicated, an ex-boyfriend/jewel thief/werewolf shows up to send Hope into a spin.

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Contact Amy at amendenhall@graffitiwv.com