Laura’s List of Must-Read Summer Books

E. L. James's somewhat controversial romance novel trilogy — including Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed — was written as Twilight Fan fiction and quickly became a hit on the Kindle before the paperback release. It's a twisted "love" story with plenty of "action" to keep you reading. Some of it is a little repetitive. But I really found myself drawn to the relationship between Christian and Anna, not just the relations between the two. Yes, it may make you blush. Yes, it may be poorly written. Yes, you may want to read on your e-reader.

Wow. This is the kind of book I love. The twists and turns will keep you reading way past your bedtime. If you use books to fall asleep, you won't want to read this one. Nick and Amy are a married couple, celebrating their 5th anniversary when Amy goes missing. The story is told between the diary of Amy and Nick's search for his wife. As we find out more about their marriage, the more we wonder if Nick had anything to do with her disappearance or if it was someone else. And that's all I can say without any spoilers.

I'll admit, I'm probably Brian Freeman's #2 Fan (his wife, Marcia, I'm sure is #1.) Brian is a Minnesota resident, and his books are primarily set in Minnesota. (Brian's Stride Books: Immoral, Stripped, Stalked, In the Dark, and The Burying Place are all set in Duluth.) And on his stops in Duluth he is always kind enough to stop by the Mix 108 studio. If you're a fan of the psychological suspense genre, you NEED to read Brian Freeman's books. Spilled Blood is set in Southern Minnesota. Two towns are divided over a suspicious research corporation. A teenage girl is murdered and fingers are pointed. A young girl is accused, but there is definitely something else going on--a mysterious person only known as "Aquarius" is also a person of interest. Just when you think you know whodunit--you don't.

This book is a little more Sci-Fi than I usually read, but I went out on a limb. I started reading Stephen King when I was in 6th grade. (I never said I was a normal kid.) This isn't a what you may think a stereotypical Stephen King novel is like. If hearing his name conjures up images of killer clowns, back-from-the-dead pets or haunted hotels, know that this book is much different. It's about time travel, specifically going back to the year JFK was assassinated in an attempt to save him and change history. The book is long, but like many I've already recommended, it's hard to put down. It's thought provoking and one of the best books I've ever read. And I've read a lot of books.