What to Read This Summer: Get 'GMA's' Top Book Picks
Jane Buckhingham shares hot reads for the perfect summer day.
July 4, 2011 — -- It's summer -- the season of baseball, barbecues and beach getaways. So what are you reading?
Are you a fiction buff? Prefer mysteries or thrillers? Or maybe you love non-fiction -- or would rather spend a few hours with the perfect beach read?
If you haven't had time to catch up on the latest titles in these categories, don't worry. We've done it for you.
Jane Buckingham, president of Trendera and the author of "The Modern Girl's Guide to Life," appeared on "Good Morning America" to give you the scoop on the summer's hottest reads.
Fiction
"The Snowman," by Jo Nesbo, tells the story of a child who wakes up to find his mother has disappeared overnight. The appearance of a snowman outside indicates the involvement of a serial killer. This is the seventh in the series about Norwegian Detective Harry Hole. Nesbo's books have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 40 languages.
"Untold Story" : This novel by Monica Ali plays on our current fascination with all things royal. The book explores the question of what would have happened had Princess Diana lived. The central character in the book, Princess Lydia, is based on the late Princess of Wales, Buckingham said. The book was very controversial in Britain, she said.
"The Kid," by Sapphire, the author of the bestselling "Push," which became the movie "Precious." This book comes 15 years after the publication of "Push," and tells the story of Precious' son, Abdul.
Mystery/Thriller
"Carte Blanche: 007," by Jeffrey Deaver, carries on the story of sexy British spy James Bond. Deaver brings Bond to the present as a man in his early 30s, a recent veteran of the Afghan war. The action takes Bond around the world in pursuit of a maniacal villain.
"Adrenaline," by Jeff Abbott. The debut of a new series featuring ex-CIA agent Sam Capra. The book begins with an accusation of treason and the kidnapping of Capra's pregnant wife. Capra has been set up, and goes on a desperate hunt to save his family and get revenge.
"Against All Enemies," by Tom Clancy. New Clancy character ex-Navy SEAL Max Moore is the only survivor of a bombing in Pakistan that wipes out his team. He searches for the terrorist cell, but is led to a deadly threat on the U.S.-Mexican border.
"Robopocalypse," is Daniel H. Wilson's acclaimed debut. In the near future, all the technology that runs the world will spontaneously malfunction. Most are unaware of the growing crisis until it is too late. When the robot war suddenly ignites, humans face being wiped out, but will be united for the first time in history.
Non-Fiction
"The Man in the Rockefeller Suit: The Astonishing Rise and Spectacular Fall of a Serial Imposter," by Mark Seal, tells the astonishing true story of the man known as Clark Rockefeller, a career con man born in a small village in Germany. He spent 30 years in the United States, assuming a series of false identities, culminating in a 12-year marriage to a rising star businesswoman with a Harvard MBA who believed she'd wed a Rockefeller.
"Sex on the Moon:The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History," by Ben Mezrich. This romantic caper brings Mormons and NASA together. It details the true story of how a love-struck young Mormon working in the NASA cooperative program stole a 600-pound safe full of moon rocks, tried to sell them over the Internet, and ended up serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence in federal prison after a major FBI sting.
"Stories My Father Told Me: Notes From The Lyons Den," by movie reviewer Jeffrey Lyons, is a great behind-the-scenes celebrity read. Lyons' father, Leonard, wrote "The Lyons Den," a column that chronicled the lives of the rich and famous in the New York Post from 1934 to 1974. It was syndicated in more than 100 newspapers around the world. The book is a compilation of anecdotes and outtakes from that column.
Beach Reads
"Silver Girl," by Elin Hilderbrand, is a riches-to-rags story of a woman whose husband's financial misdeeds cause her to lose everything, but she puts her life back together over one summer on Nantucket.
"Happy Birthday," by Danielle Steel. Steel has sold nearly 600 million books worldwide. Her latest novel examines the lives of two women who are both approaching big milestones in their lives -- one, her 60th birthday, and the other, her daughter, who will celebrate her 30th.
"Heat Wave," by Nancy Thayer, is a great girl read, Buckingham says. After the loss of her husband, Carley Winsted discovers that her family finances are in dire straits. In order to keep her beloved Nantucket home, she turns it into a bed-and-breakfast. By the end of the summer, her life -- and those of her friends and family -- will be transformed in entirely unexpected ways.