Summer is here, and with the bikini comes the ubiquitous beach book. But sometimes you need a little more than the usual slew of mindless melodrama or bodice-ripping romance. Sometimes you need something darker, a dangerous escape to different time periods, unfamiliar landscapes, and even complex inner lives.

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If you’re daring enough to lose yourself in a good read, take one of our summer picks to your next excursion or staycation. Here you’ll find something literary, magical, suspenseful, scandalous, and, of course, sexy to satisfy all of your summer cravings.