Fun, Satisfying Reads for the Warmer Months

The following column was written by local bookseller Marisela Santiago, of Watchung Booksellers, at 54 Fairfield St. 

So the weather outside is getting warmer and we are all settling into that light mood that drives us into lazy summer days. This is also when we begin to get the usual guilty requests for "a fun, light and funny book" that I can read by the beach, or by the pool, or in the park.  

We all know that sometimes those fun guilty reads are heavy on the guilt and light on good writing. However, what we know is that there are plenty of books that are both thoroughly entertaining and tightly written and those are the ones we love best.

In this spirit I offer some of my absolute favorite fun and fabulous reads from the past few years.

The unquestionable number one book for me in this category is the mega bestseller "Where Did You Go Bernardette" by Maria Semple. (Oh, by the way, Semple will visit Watchung Booksellerson May 8th!) This book will leave you laughing, crying, laughing some more and thoroughly satisfied.

Other favorites are:

• "The Expats" by Chris Pavone
• "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty
• "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach
• "The Marriage Plot" by Jeffrey Eugenides
• "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
• "This is Where I leave You" by Jonathan Tropper
• "Maine" by Courtney Sullivan
• "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan.

Rest assured these are great reads. But there are so many others! So, leave the guilt at home and come find your next fun read.