143 books to read in summer 2014

Welcome, summer! For some, summer brings long days stretched out by the pool with a hardcover or juicy paperback; for others, an e-book on the phone or audio book in the car can do the trick. Whatever the season has in store, it provides ample opportunities to kick back with a book, and we’ve got more than enough titles to keep you reading.

In our 2014 summer books preview, we highlight 143 books to enjoy over the next few months. From engrossing detective fiction to fantastical young-adult novels to a serious analysis of the Supreme Court, there are suggestions here for a wide range of tastes.

Traditionally people look to summer as a time to grab a chilling thriller (there’s a new one from Stephen King), a charming romance (try the novel from Christina Henriquez), or a historical fantasy (Diana Gabaldon is back). But this year, our book critic David L. Ulin goes against tradition to applaud a few daunting books -- the kind of intense, intellectual, heavy-duty reads that are such a challenge that it might take a whole summer to truly tackle them.

We talk to journalist Lynn Sherr about her biography of Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, to young adult author Blake Nelson about the stories he’s found at Venice Beach, and to Alafair Burke about the serial killer who inspired her new mystery.

In Los Angeles, we can look forward to a dose of June gloom to get things started -- just the kind of weather than makes you want to curl up with a book. Here are 143 places to start.