Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist Shun the Twilight trend with this lesser-known Swedish best-seller about a loner boy and his oddball friend. The book is a lightening-fast read when you aren't bogging yourself down in depression over the topics it touches on -- addiction, loneliness, pedophilia and existentialism. It is, after all, named after a Morrissey song. When you're finished, you can watch both versions of the movie, the Swedish on and the English-language one.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding Why the sequel? The first one wasn't trashy enough.
Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry Charles Manson's prosecuting attorney Vincent Bugliosi wrote the best-selling true-crime book of all time in an effort to understand the power Charlie had over his Manson Family minions. Why read this when you're hanging out by the pool? Where would you rather read it, in your dark bedroom at night?
Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews This controversial novel's plot gets so convoluted it's hard to sum it up, but here goes: Incest on multiple levels, murder, intrigue and inheritance. It's like a soap opera in dead tree form.
Mommy Dearest by Christina Crawford One of the very first celebrity tell-all books, inspiring an entire generation of drag queens. After you read this, you'll never look at a wire hanger the same way again.
Stories Set in the World of NASCAR by Harlequin Romances Yes, such a thing exists. Aren't you even just a little bit curious?
