Queens Tribune

All winter long, you’ve been planning.

The airline tickets were bought months ago, and you just picked up one of those guides. You’re going on vacation, no matter what, and you’re looking so forward to it, you can barely think.

What’s a vacation without a book, huh? No matter when you’re relaxing – or where – there’s a book coming out that you’re going to want.

May
Start your summer early this year with a new book by Augusten Burroughs, Newt Gingrich, John Sanford, James Van Praagh, Dean Koontz and Patricia Cornwell. Jeffrey Gitomer has a new business book out this month and Blue Balliet has a new one for the kids.

Look for Chuck Palahniuk’s “Snuff” in May, as well as a new Lauren Weisberger book. And that’s all before Memorial Day.

June
Imagine yourself on the beach with the new Jackie Collins novel on the towel beside you.

Or the new Jeffrey Deaver novel. Or Janet Evanovich’s 14th Plum book. You’ll find those, as well as the new Danielle Steele release, and books by Catherine Coulter, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Joyce Carole Oates, Lee Child and Billie Letts all due out in June.

Don’t forget Laurell K. Hamilton’s new one, a new bio by Pete Sampras, a novel by Kimberla Lawson Roby, Barbara Ehrenreich’s new non-fiction book, and, of course, a few new diet-and-exercise books to get you fit for poolside.
Keep the kids reading this month with new truck books from Disney-Hyperion and two new Elephant and Piggie books.

July
You’re only halfway through summer and there’s still plenty of reading! Nora Roberts and Iris Johansen both have new novels this month. So do E. Lynn Harris and James Lee Burke, Ridley Pearson, Omar Tyree, J.A. Jance, Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez, Lisa Gardner, Karin Slaughter, Suzanne Brockmann … and (what would the summer be without him?) James Patterson.

I’m pretty excited about a new history book on the 1960’s Olympics, and biographer Christopher Anderson will present a new book on Chris and Dana Reeves.

Does it get any better than this?

August

YES!
Robin Cook, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary Jane Clark, and Sandra Brown all have new books out, so your summer isn’t over. Faye Kellerman has a new one due. Candace Bushnell will have a new novel out in August, Nancy Pelosi’s new memoir will be available, and Thomas L. Friedman’s latest is another reason to go to the bookstore or library.

One other thing – let the kids know that August is the time to re-read Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” and “Eldest,” because the third in the trilogy comes out in September.
And there you have it. Lots and lots of great things to take on vacation, tuck in your briefcase or backpack, grab for the deck or park or sunroom.

Have a good summer and happy reading!