After the snowiest winter on record in Boston, we’re all ready to enjoy the summer weather, sit on the beach or in a hammock and relax with a good book. From mysteries, to historical fiction, to memoirs, and – of course – marketing and PR-focused books, here’s what we’re packing for our summer weekends.

• The top pick for many PAN folks is The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins’ mystery that many are comparing to Gone Girl. Other thrillers and mysteries include Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott, Finders Keepers by Stephen King and Armada by Ernest Cline.

Image by https://www.flickr.com/photos/jgoge123/ used under CC license.

• Some of us are focusing this summer on reading books by female authors, including The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and Harper Lee’s much-anticipated novel Go Set a Watchman. Brain on Fire is also on many PAN bookshelves –the shocking true story of a journalist’s “month of madness.”
• We’re also reading true stories of courage and resilience like Unbroken, American Sniper and Wild.
• I personally can’t resist historical books and am reading The Boys in The Boat, the dramatic account of the 1936 U.S. rowing team’s journey to Olympic victory. Another suggestion for history fans is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a love story and family drama set at the start of World War II.
• For a lighter beach read I’m planning on Big Little Lies, the latest from Liane Moriarty. Another recommended novel is The Ocean at the End of the Lane, a “bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival” by Neil Gaiman.
• Jeremy Bloom, CEO and Co-founder of PAN client Integrate, Olympian and former NFL player, just published his first book (now available on Amazon), Fueled By Failure: Using Detours and Defeats to Power Progress. He discusses the common thread that unites him with all of us: the defeats we encounter on our journeys to reach our goals.
• We’re also reading best sellers like The Opposite of Loneliness, a book of essays and stories by Marina Keegan, and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson.
• Last but not least, we’re brushing up on our skills and reading books like Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy by Martin Lindstrom andLeaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek. We’re also taking a page from the suggested reading list for PAN President Phil Nardone’s Syracuse class with books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In for Graduates and The Future of Work by Jacob Morgan.

What are you reading this summer?