Web exclusive: Summer’s best beach reads

For those precious few days a year when you are fully liberated from the stresses of classes… For those precious few days a year when you are fully liberated from the stresses of classes and work, what’s better than sitting at the beach with your toes in the sand reading a book? Ideal beach books must fit into the requirements of being light, fun, easy to read and nothing your professors would ever considering assigning as required reading for class. So instead of plowing through the endless shelves of cheesy romance and lame thriller paperback novels, below is a list of funny, interesting and amusing easy reads to keep you entertained while working on your tan.

“The Philosophy of Andy Warhol”- Andy Warhol The inside of the mind of Pittsburgh native and pop-culture icon Andy Warhol is an interesting place, as is well demonstrated in his philosophy. “The Philosophy of Andy Warhol” is a scattered and random inside perspective on the famous artist’s mind as well as a fun look at ’60s pop culture. As well as looking artsy and sophisticated while lying out on the beach, you’ll be entertained and interested in the thoughts and ideas of the infamous Andy Warhol.

“Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim”- David Sedaris David Sedaris’ “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim” is a hilarious book of essays, many about his family and childhood. It’s an excellent reminder, especially on family vacations, that your family could indeed be weirder. Sedaris’ book is filled with quirky and funny childhood memories as well as travel adventures and odd happenings from his day-to-day life. All of the essays are well written and articulate with a creative kick that will keep you laughing under your beach umbrella.

“Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations”- Simon Rich

First-time author Simon Rich delivers a colorful and refreshing outlook on everyday life in his book, “Ant Farm and Other Desperate Situations.” The book is broken into wildly funny short essays that cover off-the-wall topics such as mating pandas and rare scenarios where high school math might actually come in handy. The absurdities of Rich’s imagination will keep you laughing throughout the book. It’s light, funny, short and ideal for a quick read on vacation.

“Born on a Blue Day”- Daniel Tammet

“Born on a Blue Day” is a fascinating look into the mind of autistic savant Daniel Tammet, famous for holding the European record for reciting pi to 22,514 digits in five hours and nine minutes. He tells his life story, issues he’s faced and obstacles he’s overcome without self-pity or self-glorification. His story is both out of the ordinary and inspiring, but still light enough to be an easy and interesting beach read.

“Eat, Pray, Love”- Elizabeth Gilbert

This book is not for the more masculine among us, but it is however a beautiful memoir of one woman’s spiritual journey through Italy, India and Indonesia. Gilbert’s descriptions of the places she visits, the people she meets and the food she eats are all incredibly vivid and make the entire book worth reading. Gilbert’s interesting and positive writing style has brought “Eat, Pray, Love” to the top of The New York Times Bestsellers list this year.

“Boy Meets Girl”- Meg Cabot

Once again, this book is not meant for the guys out there. If the title doesn’t give it away, “Boy Meets Girl” is an ultra girly love story by popular chick-lit author Meg Cabot. The entire book is a compilation of e-mails, instant messages, journal entries and notes written by the characters to mesh together to tell the story of Kate Mackenzie, her best friend, her monster boss and her dream guy. The story is cute and has an obviously happy ending, so it’s a fun romance novel. It’s achick flick that you can pick up and put down as you please.