By An Avid Bookworm (Alison Potstra)

It’s official: reading is sexy. Whether you’re in the mood for some deep, thoughtful literature or some lighter fare, nothing beats reading outside in the summer.

Under the hammock while the smell of barbecued meat wafts through the air on a lazy Sunday afternoon, on the beach on a scorching hot day, on the patio with a bottle of your favourite wine and citronella candles close by, or at the cottage where the days seem to stretch nearly into eternity from golden sunrise to fiery sunset . . . What better way to spend your precious time this summer than unwinding with a good, meaty read, the kind you can sink your teeth into whilst entertaining yourself more than an old rerun ever could?

Pick your favourite reading spot and curl up with these personal favourites:

At The Cottage

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Let Canadian Hay’s Giller Prize-winning novel transport you to a small radio station in Yellowknife circa 1975, and take in the breathtaking beauty of the True Canadian North without leaving your Muskoka chair.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Secrets, seduction and sultry hot summers in 19th century New Orleans? Beautiful, poetic prose? Yes, please!

In Your Mom’s Luscious Backyard (or on your porch/balcony/front step)

The Romantic by Barbara Gowdy

Gowdy, the chameleon of prose, nailed love, loss and longing in her heart-wrenching novel set in Toronto in the 1970s. Whether coming to grips with her beauty queen mother’s disappearance or reeling after the loss of her life-long love, Gowdy’s Louise will have you wanting to suddenly hold your loved ones very close.

The Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro

This collection of short stories tells a classically Canadian coming-of-age tale set in a smalltown in South-Western Ontario. Family, farming, and first loves are all recollected in a way anyone born in smalltown Ontario can relate to.

On the Bus/Plane/Train/Boat/Streetcar/Subway

The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

The search for Mr. Right was never so wise and witty. The main character, Jane Rosenal, begins looking for love at the age of 14 and doesn’t give up as she gets older. While joining Jane and her many dates and mates, you may find yourself start looking for Mr. Right yourself. Just maybe not on the subway.

The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory

Long before Henry VIII was seducing the famous temptress Anne Boleyn, he was unhappily married to his older brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. This fictionalized account of the Tudor Dynasty ends where The Other Boleyn Girl begins. And who doesn’t love those scandalous Tudors?

Save It For a Rainy Day

The Girls by Lori Lansen

Let’s face it: every summer day won’t be rainbows and sunshine. If last year was any indication, you might have some nights where leaving the house is just not an option. For those dark and stormy nights, Lansen’s fascinating novel about twenty-nine-year-old conjoined twins will make a pleasurable alternative to going out.

Self by Yann Martel

If you liked Life of Pi, prepare to be pleasantly surprised with Martel’s other masterpiece. A modern-day Orlando, this novel moves at an incredible speed and tells the story of a young writer who changes gender overnight. This ain’t your boy on a raft with a tiger!