As the warmer weather rolls in, minds inevitably turn to thoughts of what to pack for an amazing beach trip. When thinking about what you want to read when you're laying out in the hot sun, my advice is to stay away from both extremes, i.e. Tolstoy or the tabloids. Instead, consider these "lighter" novels for your ideal beach book.

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

As part of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Hot Six shines with a sharp wit and fast story line. If you plan on reading the entire series, start at the first book, One for the Money. However, Hot Six is perfectly understandable as a stand-alone. The book is about bounty hunter (although she's not very good at it) Stephanie Plum and her off-the-wall friends, who range from a retired "ho"-turned-file-clerk sidekick to a gun-toting, Harley-riding grandma. With the help of all the extremely funny and unique characters, Plum tries to capture a cop gone bad, eats doughnuts and dreams of a job where she's not threatened with a chainsaw every other day. The book is literally laugh-out-loud funny and a quick read for those hot days on the beach.

Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

Really, any beach-book list would be incomplete without a Nora Roberts book on it, especially for all you romantics out there. But personally, Tears of the Moon is my favorite book ever, so it is the one I recommend starting with. It is set in Ireland and focuses on a new romance between old friends. Roberts creates a relationship between the two main characters, who are just discovering each other in a new light, and the plot is about their misadventures in finding each other in love. However, it stays away from becoming too trashy to be entertaining. The book has no real serious political undertones or social commentary, and at its heart is a pure and simple romance novel. But as such, it will speak to anyone with a wistful heart who dreams of a fairy tale in a land full of music and magic.

There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled edited by Doug Lansky

There's No Toilet Paper is the perfect book to bring with you on a trip, because it is a hilarious compilation of travels gone wrong. You can sit back in the sun and laugh at those poor unfortunate souls who decided traveling to Burma for a vacation was a good idea. One of the most amusing stories in the book is about a woman who traveled to Antarctica and used an ice-sheet outhouse at the same exact time a seal decided to use the convenient opening as a blowhole. The tales will delight and amuse you, and with some of the best travel writers in the business contributing, the writing is amazing. The length of each story allows easy breaks to run in and out of the water or to take a nap without losing any suspense.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

I had to add Harry Potter into the list of perfect beach books. For those few of you who have not started reading the series because you think they're children's books or you just don't want to jump on the bandwagon, the beach is a perfect place to change your mind. Although primarily written for children, the series can be read on many levels and is entertaining on all of them, yet simple enough that you don't have to concentrate too hard. I also understand the dislike of reading a book just because it's popular (You'll never catch me reading The DaVinci Code for just that reason, no matter how stubborn that seems). However, the Harry Potter series is worth reading for its themes and just great -- although simple -- writing. For those of you who are caught up in the Potter craze, it never hurts to read the series again.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Don't get too excited -- Good in Bed is not about what it seems to be about. It is, in fact, about a funny magazine writer who happens to be -- gasp -- plus-sized. After reading a devastating article entitled "Loving a Larger Woman," written by her ex-boyfriend, in which she is the said woman, she suffers through an emotional roller coaster and turns her life around. The rest of the characters include her lesbian mother and phone-sex operator sister. The book is funny and touching, and is a great read for the beach.

So whether you want a hilarious mystery or a heart-touching romance, or God forbid you actually want to read Kafka on your vacation, reading these and other books is the perfect way to pass the time while you're working on your tan.