My summer reading awaits. (Photo by Cynthia Price)

One of my favorite ways to unwind throughout summer is to sit poolside with a good mystery and a stack of magazines.

But I can’t quite escape the idea of summer reading lists. I always had one in high school and so each summer I make a list of books I should read – and want to read. It forces me to read outside my favorite genre.

Here is my list for the summer –

All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doer’s novel has been on The New York Times bestseller list for a year. It’s about the lives of a blind French girl and a gadget-obsessed Germ boy before and during World War II. I’ve been on the waiting list at my library for a few months. I’m now 34th on the list. At one point I was 117 so I am making progress.

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The book is “a deeply honest book about modern life, full of eye-opening truths about the escalating war on human flaws – and the very scary part we all play in it.” I read a review of it and was intriqued by it. I don’t know if I will read it in its entirety, but I’m definitely going to heavily skim it.

The World Between Two Covers A beguiling exploration of the joys of reading across boundaries, inspired by the author’s year-long journey through a book from every country. Ann Morgan writes in the opening, “I glanced up at my bookshelves… The awful truth dawned. I was a literary xenophobe.” The book “welcomes us into the global community of stories,” and I’m looking forward to exploring from my armchair.

You will notice it’s shorter than in past years. It’s summertime, and I don’t want to be overly ambitious. Plus, too many of my favorite mystery writers have new books. I’ll see you at the pool.

And if you have a suggestion for a book, please post it as a comment or share it with me on Twitter @PriceCynthia.