Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding ($11.86 at amazon.com)

With the third installation of Helen Fielding’s bestselling series finally coming out this fall, the summer is the perfect time to recap on where we left out our favorite, chain-smoking, granny-panty wearing heroine. Funny, honest, and endearing, Bridget Jones will also make you feel better about any weight problems plaguing you now that’s bikini season.

Bossypants audiobook by Tina Fey ($21.17 at amazon.com)

Incisive, witty, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, Tina Fey’s memoir begs to be listened to, so you can appreciate each word in Fey’s perfect comedic incarnations. As an audiobook, you can also afford to easily absorb it while lying on your back, without having to work around holding your books up at some bizarre angle to avoid square-shaped tan lines.

Now and Then: From Coney Island To Here by Joseph Heller ($21.73 at amazon.com)

If you want to read something a little more intellectual but not too heavy, this poignant, funny, and engaging memoir about growing up in Coney Island in the 1930s has all of Heller’s characteristic dark humor and emotional resonance. If you’re a New Yorker relaxing on Coney Island’s shores, it can also be an enchanting way of learning about what the area was like during its mystical heyday.

The Waves by Virginia Woolf ($12.95 at amazon.com)

If you’re like me, you like to read books about the beach while you’re actually on the beach, so you can feel the spritz of the waves and hear the rush of the ocean as you read about it in print. The Waves, which consists of the stream-of-consciousness interior monologues of six characters interspersed with lush descriptions of a coastal scene, will place you into precisely that dreamy, otherworldly state that you long for at the seaside.

Also, why don’t you try rereading a children’s classic like The Giver or Bridge to Terabithia? There’s no time like summer to indulge in childhood memories of lazy, languid vacation days.

Beyoncé. Bey. Queen B. Mrs. Carter. Sasha Fierce. Whatever name you call her, it’s safe to say that Beyoncé is on top of the world right now. The 31-year-old superstar has a fairy tale marriage with Jay-Z, a beautiful baby, and an explosive career that seems to reach new heights every week. Even though it’s only February, we’re declaring 2013 as the Year of Beyoncé. Here’s a look at her biggest accomplishments of the year so far and a peak at what’s ahead.

–Lauren Urban

2013 Presidential Inauguration

Beyoncé kicked off the year on a high note, belting out the National Anthem at the Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21. The long-time supporter of President Obama performed in front of more than 800,000 people in attendance, plus millions of people on TV.

- Christina Izzo

The Feast

Have seconds. Hell, have thirds. Thanksgiving is the one day when nobody will give you a judgmental shifty eye when you eat your weight in mashed potatoes or hold your plate up to your face and lick it clean (okay, you may get some judgment for that one). The turkey, the stuffing, the pies, the cranberry sauce—we honestly can’t choose which part of Thanksgiving dinner is our favorite. Actually, scratch that, yes we can—it’s the leftovers!

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