‘Tis the season to lounge poolside with a good book. But with so many good reads available—from the classics to the current bestsellers—it can be difficult deciding which paperback to pick. Your worrying ends now, thanks to our list of the 5 Best Summer Books, each one guaranteed to have you turning pages till the end.  

FOR FANTASY & DYSTOPIAN SCIENCE FICTION FANS: The Bees: A Novel by Laline Paull 

This brilliantly imagined tale—set in an ancient culture where only the queen bee may breed and deformity means death—about a dazzling young heroine named Flora 717 is thrilling, suspenseful and imaginative all in one.

FOR THOSE SEEKING SELF-IMPROVEMENT: How to Be a Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky

Advice columnist Heather Havrilesky (“Ask Polly” from The Cut) offers up her best words of wisdom yet on a myriad of topics (“Should you put off having a baby for your career?” “Will you ever stop dating non-committal men?” etc.) in this relatable, hilarious and frank tale that’ll guide you through life’s “what ifs” and “I don’t knows.”

FOR HOPELESS ROMANTICS: The Island House by Nancy Thayer

New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer is back with a novel about 29-year-old Courtney, an established university professor in Kansas City, who finds herself back in Nantucket (where she spent many magical summers with her college roommate Robin) one last time. Her reason for going this summer? To find out whether Robin’s brother shares the same feelings she secretly has. 

FOR DUDES: Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

Parks and Recreation and Master of None star, Aziz Ansari, brings us this academic study on the effects of romance and technology—covering topics like sexting and online dating to breaking up in a digital world—in this hilarious and informative read.

FOR TWEENS: We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen

Two teens—14-year-old snobby princess Ashley, and 13-year-old socially clueless Stewart—with what appears to be nothing in common are forced to get along when their parents fall in love and move in with each other. Ashley is still grappling with her parents’ divorce and Stewart continues to struggle with his mom’s death from cancer, but the two eventually teach us that no matter our differences, we’re all fundamentally the same.