Crave: “The Girl Who Played With Fire” By Stieg Larsson

Summer is the perfect time to indulge in a trashy chick-lit beach read. During the boiling months of July and August even contemplating taking up a serious novel makes us break a physical and mental sweat. Unless, of course, said book has the unusual yet magical combination of serious literary street cred and “Twilight” silliness. If you have yet to read Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” drop whatever you are doing and sequester yourself for 24 hours while you read one of the best murder mysteries ever written. Now you are prepared to read the sequel to this fabulous Swedish novel, “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” available today, July 28. Prepare yourselves for a full-throttle adventure involving lovable misfits, oddballs, organized crime, long funny Swedish words and piles upon piles of herring. Sit back and relax and enjoy a tale that is at once engaging, insightful, and educational, but most importantly for summer: fun and impossible to put down. [$25, Amazon.com]