Summer reading: Cult vampire author shares her favourite beach reads

Author Charlaine Harris

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Killing Floor by Lee Child

World War Z by Max Brooks

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

TV fans know Charlaine Harris best as the author of the Sookie Stackhouse vampire mystery books, upon which the TV series True Blood is based. She’s also the writer behind the Aurora Teagarden, Lily Bard and Harper Connelly series. Here, she gives us a taste of the books she thinks readers should sink their teeth into this summer.

1. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jennie Lawson, $28.
The Bloggess’s memoir is altogether wonderful and terrible and hilarious and startling. Be prepared for lots of audible reaction — laughing, gasping, and “NO!”

2. World War Z by Max Brooks, $10.
Prepare for the fall release of the movie by reading the wonderful book. In a credibly structured “documentary” novel, Brooks relates the varied stories of survivors of the zombie apocoplypse in detail. Wonderfully imagined; you can develop your own survival plan as you read.

3. Killing Floor by Lee Child, $13.
Ditto with this book-turned-movie here. Lee Child’s long-running series of Jack Reacher novels began with this one, and in December we’ll see Tom Cruise as Jack. This book is our introduction to one of fiction’s most interesting characters. Hello, toothbrush!

4. Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost, $10.
This book, available in late June, is another page-turner by the talented Frost. The romance-based Cat and Bones novels are great adventures with characters that simply suck you into the fun and fighting.