Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
High seas adventure, science fiction, post-apocalyptic narrative, classic 19th-century novel, ’70s who-done-it, comedy — this book has a little bit of everything, and all of it wildly entertaining.
The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides
This book has the hazy quality of a rumor, the urgency of spying on your gorgeous, troubled neighbors, the seriousness of death. And that first-person-plural narrator just reeks of childhood summers hanging out behind other people’s houses — except that there’s a lot more going on in this town than there ever was in yours.
My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell
A hilarious account of a childhood spent on the lush Greek island of Corfu — sans debt crisis, plus more fauna than you can shake a stick at. Attention good-mood seekers: this book is the definition of feel-good.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Probably the funniest work of science fiction ever written. Endlessly entertaining and also damn smart.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
A big ol’ showstopper, this one, which at 700-odd pages full of caper and comic books, spanning years and continents, is the perfect thing to take with you on your adventures.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
Nothing makes you feel like a child again quite like summer — except maybe reading about the exploits of Huck Finn.
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
No matter how literary it may be, reading a graphic novel always feels a little like cheating — it’s a book made out of pictures, after all. It’s like the anti-homework. Satrapi’s story of growing up rebellious in Iran is one of the best in recent memory.
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
OK, so you might not want to read this on a family beach or anything, but let’s face it: Lolita is the best road-trip novel ever written. That’s right, Kerouac fans. You shut up now. Besides, it’s high literature that you won’t be able to look away from, because no matter how pretty your surroundings, it’s guaranteed that Nabokov’s prose is prettier.
Kafka On the Shore, Haruki Murakami
You know that feeling that you can get in summer, where things seem not quite real, but not quite not-real, either? That’s the feeling of a Murakami novel, and particularly this one, stuffed with runaways and rains of fish, prophecies, Colonel Sanders, and conversations with cats. It’s like the mysterious large bag with just about everything in it that you always wish you had with you on summertime adventures.
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
But of course! What better summer reading than the ultimate pirate novel? Read it, if you can, on a boat.
Dune, Frank Herbert
Summertime, with its air of limitless possibilities, is perfect for reading SF. This novel might just be the most popular work in the genre ever, and has lots of sequels and prequels to hold you over till fall. Plus, there’s lots of sand.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lavish parties, existentially distressed debutantes, hot weather ennui, love triangles, American dreams, and green lights — what better ingredients for a sublime summer read? Plus, there’s that prose.
The Beach, Alex Garland
The cult travel novel in which three tourists make their way to a secret Thai beach, which they find to be occupied by an insular community. It’s paradise on Earth — until it isn’t.
If you want to see more check this : 50 of the greatest summer reads of all time