Best summer reads for a camping trip in the woods

June 30, 8:22 PMDC Literature ExaminerSerena Agusto-Cox

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Headed off into the woods to escape the big city or just off for a relaxing day at the beach over the July 4th weekend, there are some great novels that will make the time fly by.  Whether readers are looking for a dramatic romance, a lark of a fantasy novel, or a international thriller, Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell, Bloody Good by Georgia Evans, and The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris are just a few of the titles readers should consider.

Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell is a laugh-out-loud novel about a hairstylist in training named Miranda, and she has a hard time finding love like most women her age.  Unlike other chick-lit or women's fiction, this novel offers a lot more than men and shopping. With in-depth characterization, Miranda, her boyfriends, her friends, and her landlady leap off the page, making readers feel like they are just hanging out with them for the afternoon.  Check out this review on Savvy Verse & Wit.

Meanwhile, readers interested in World War II or the Holocaust get into a different aspect of the action with Bloody Good by Georgia Evans.  Part one in a trilogy, Evans imagines what the war would have been like if vampires were recruited by the Nazi's to carry out secret missions in England.  "They're not just fascists.  They're vampires," proclaims the book's back cover.  Amid the bombings and the exploits of the vampires, one doctor manages to find herself and love.  Fast-paced, funny, imaginative, and full of action, this book has it all for readers eager for entertainment.

Paul Harris' The Secret Keeper is a debut novel with punch.  This international thriller has readers chasing ghosts right along with the protagonist from England to Sierra Leone.  Who killed Danny Kellerman's last lover and why?  Kellerman is driven to find the answers.  Harris' real-life experiences as a journalist shine through in this novel about a war-torn region in Africa, and this novel will jerk tears from readers, shouts of protest, and thought-provoking silence.  Check out this review on Savvy Verse & Wit.

Whether readers are searching for some comic relief, sheer entertainment, or a dramatic roller coaster ride, these books aim to please and are perfect for those lulls in the 4th of July celebrations.