In the northern hemisphere, summer looms. Long hours spent reading on planes, sun loungers, and beaches have spawned a pseudo-genre, commonly called 'beach reads', and we're looking for your recommendations before we all set off on holiday.

Easily digested escapism is the order of the day when you want to relax by the pool. Fast-paced thrillers in exotic locations and tight, character-driven romances are typical, meandering or overwrought epics are less so, but as this is a fairly loosely defined genre, just tell us: what should we read on our summer holidays this year?

And be sure to tell us why! There's a minimum word count of 30 words - but more is encouraged - with 12 prizes of $2 apiece for the best and most detailed submissions. Bonus points for including a third-party picture of the cover.