Summer Reading: Books to Lounge Around With And Fall Asleep Under

You spend all year dreaming of laying around and soaking in sunlight with a book in hand.  If you’re looking for something to occupy your eyes on your next sunbathing excursion, here are a few new books to consider.

You’ll probably want something light enough to tote around outside, be it by a pool, balcony or fire escape—something that you can comfortably fall asleep under (which, let’s face it, is how most sunny summer reading sessions end anyway).

Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich

From the author of the books that spawned the movies 21 and The Social Network comes the true story of a NASA intern with sticky fingers for moon rocks that has, unsurprisingly, already been optioned for its own movie adaptation. It's a thrillingly bizarre summer blockbuster of a true crime book about one of the country's strangest (and nerdiest) heists, so check it out before the movie blockbuster version hits screens.

Paying for It by Chester Brown

Comic b—sorry, graphics novels can make fun summer reads because they tend to go by quickly, plus if the heat makes processing language an unbearable chore, you can just zone out and stare at the pretty pictures—and there’s more than enough to stare at in controversial cartoonist Chester Brown’s memoir of his exploits with prostitution in Canada. There's plenty of musing about relationships both purely emotional and purely physical, but if nothing else, you can at least giggle knowing that the Canadian government’s Council for the Arts financed this book of cartoon boners.

The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting by Rachel Shteir

If you feel like justifying your own bad habits, Rachel Shteir’s new book takes a rose-colored lens to the history of the petty thief: That subtle rebel, the anarchist who sends a brilliant “Fuck you” to the corporate world by pocketing a hair clip at Forever 21 just because nobody’s looking. If you want to come across as extra romantic, you could swipe this book just for the hell of it. Though who am I kidding, I know you were going to anyway—klepto. At least you’ll have plenty of time to read in a holding cell after Barnes and Noble calls the cops on you again.

Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

You don’t build a sports brand worth more than most major leagues without a few hang ups and scandals (and more than a few wild nights) along the way. Miller and Shales’ book is long and exhaustive, but it provides dedicated sports fans with the deepest look yet into the history of the country’s premier sports network—not to mention the world of early cable television, a harrowing monster in its own right.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

If you missed all the fanfare about the superstar comedienne's laugh riot of a memoir when it hit shelves earlier this year, you'll definitely want to check it out this summer. It's the perfect way to tide you over until 30 Rock starts up again this fall. From her humble beginning in Chicago's Second City troupe to head writer on SNL and creator of a hit TV show, Tina Fey explores what it takes to be one of the world's most popular humorists (and coolest bosses) with all the wit and hilarity we've come to love her for.