by Sumaya Khan

The days are growing shorter and the evenings cooler, yet we are all very much in denial that summer's getting ready to wind down. Take heart! There's still plenty of time to head out for a weekend at the cottage with your bag stuffed full of the summer's hottest reads. From romantic novels to autobiographies, every chick will find her pick of must-read books.

Gods Behaving Badly (by Marie Phillips)

In her debut novel, Marie Phillips gives a rare, yet explicit, look at the modern day dysfunctional lives of Greek gods living in the shabby part of north London. One of the must-read summer books, Gods Behaving Badly is a far cry from your high school classical mythology textbook. Whether working as a phone sex operator or a professional dog walker, these gods do not have it easy, especially dealing with mortals on a day-to-day basis. As their powers become more useless, they are subjected to use any means possible to overcome this pain of being unwanted - even if it means messing with the mortals.

Phillips’ light and witty novel is a great read for the summer with incredible character analysis. Geared to please both young and the old, Gods Behaving Badly covers romance, family, comedy, tragedy and drama in one 275-page book. If you didn’t like Greek Mythology before, you will surely love and adore each character in this easy and fun fiction.

Twilight (by Stephenie Meyer)

My summer reading list is usually heavy on fantasy and love, so I was naturally inclined to read this summer's hottest novel, Twilight. The first in her acclaimed series, Stephenie Meyer takes a new approach to love and illustrates the unconventional romance between a human and a vampire. We think of vampires as little more than blood-thirsty, ritualistic creatures that prey on humans at night, but Meyer transforms each vampire to be unique and extraordinary in their own way. The relationship between Edward Cullen, a vampire with supernatural strength, and Bella Swan takes the readers deep into a journey of love, fear and passion. The story plot transitions from a tween harlequin romance to an Anne Rice novel for the young.

Although targeted for young adults, anyone can admire the beautifully written novel and appreciate the originality of the story. What makes this book a success is its outside-of-the-box fantasy we all desperately want to disappear into from our own lives. It’s no wonder there are already three books to this series and another one to be released on August 2nd, 2008. If reading is not your thing, you can catch Twilight the movie out this winter on December 12, 2008.

The Last Lecture (by Randy Pausch)

If you are familiar with Randy Pausch and his online lecture entitled Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams, it should come as no surprise that his life story has inspired millions of people around the world. This must-read autobiography, appropriately named The Last Lecture, is an incredible journey of a professor suffering from pancreatic cancer who conveys the importance of family, love and strength to conquer any obstacles that may come in the way. What do you do when you find out you have terminal cancer and have less than six months to live? How do you cope with it? For Randy Pausch, it was about putting things into perspective and making every day worth while.

The Last Lecture is divided into sixty-one chapters, each focusing on life lessons he learned growing up and preserving them for his three young children. What I admire most about this book is that it is for everyone who is looking for inspiration. Pausch combined humour, intelligence and honesty which can be refreshingly appreciated whether you are young or old, single or married. Like many great minds of the 21st century, Pausch left a legacy in his own right and while doing so, he touched many people and will be forever remembered in The Last Lecture.

The Matchbreaker (byChris Manby)

If you’re interested in reading chick lit with major family drama, then look no further. Chris Manby’s Matchbreaker is a funny and light hearted book that focuses on daddy’s girl, Lindsey Parker, with a vengeance against her father’s new fresh-young-hot fiancé. Always surprising and unexpected, Lindsey tries new ways to get rid of the fiancé, but finds herself in a lot of troubling circumstances. From attempted murder to drug overdose, Lindsey Parker is an unlikely protagonist who develops through out the story and becomes the “heroine” in her own terms.

Manby provides great character analysis and brilliant relationship tales between a father and daughter. Eventually, the audience will grow to like and understand Lindsey as the poor lonely child that is in need to become independent and content. Well written and incredibly witty, The Matchbreaker falls nothing short of a great laugh and concludes with a great twist. I highly recommended this book for those who are looking for a comical, surprising and a quick read book for the summer.

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils (by Jane Graves)

What do you do when you wake up one morning in Vegas and find out you’re married to a complete stranger? This is exactly what happened in the new Jane Graves fiction Tall Tales and Wedding Veils. The story surrounds the uptight, 30-something accountant Heather Montgomery and ladies’ man Tony McCafferty who meet in Vegas, drink a little too much champagne and end up married – all in one night. Unlike other romantic cliché novels, Tall Tales and Wedding Veils gives a fresh look at a blossoming romance between two characters – albeit in an unexpected circumstance. At first glance, Heather and Tony are an unlikely pair, however Graves convinces the audience that love can be found in the most surprising way!

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils is both every girl’s nightmare and every girl’s dream come true. This brilliantly written novel captures the reader’s interest and affection for Tony and Heather. What makes this book special is how we learn about Heather and Tony at the same time as they do. If you’re looking for a sassy and clever romance novel, I highly recommend marking this book on your summer reading list!

Have a hot summer read you recommend? Share it!

Sumaya is a ChickAdvisor member and writer. She is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto and looking to expand her horizon. She is passionate about environmental causes and is soon presenting her ideas at the 2008 Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation in Vancouver.