As the temperatures rise in the desert wasteland that is Phoenix, Arizona, I find that I get a little lazier and generally read more than at any other time of the year. Summer is generally a time for relaxation and for pondering.

By this time, all our weakest New Year's resolutions have likely been long forgotten, but some stick with us. My own goal to "read more, watch less" and read 50 books has stuck around and culminated into a long self-imposed list of thick "summer" reads that will keep me company long through the months that I hibernate in darkness and air-conditioning.

Even when I am reading on an actual beach, I still don't like a "beach read." This is not that sort of list. "Beach reads" are usually short books with content designed to make the reader feel good. It's not that this is a bad thing. The concept just overshadows the underrated experience of reading a longer book or series that can keep you occupied regardless of whether you're at a "beach."

1. "The Discworld Series" by Terry Pratchett

This series by itself is enough to fill an entire summer. Even figuring out where to start is a process, but once you figure that out and start reading, it's difficult to stop. I've only read five so far, but I plan to make some good progress around this wheel over the summer.

This satirical fantasy series is both witty and entertaining, absurd and logical. It's difficult to really describe them and the appeal of having so many books once you get started, but it's worth it every time I read it. I recommend starting with Mort, book one of the Death branch.

2. "The Sagas of Icelanders" by Jane Smiley

Ever since I had to read The Odyssey one summer for Honors English class in High School, I have definitely associated summers with reading long epics. This is a collection of Icelandic tales from the Saga/Viking age, a medieval period about which much is referenced but not known among popular culture. This is an invaluable insight into a past culture and a tome of a book that I will definitely enjoy reading.

3. "Dune" by Frank Herbert

Set in the far future amidst a sprawling feudal interstellar empire where planetary dynasties are controlled by noble houses that owe an allegiance to the imperial House Corrino, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides (the heir apparent to Duke Leto Atreides and heir of House Atreides) as he and his family accept control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the 'spice' melange, the most important and valuable substance in the cosmos.

This is one of those books about which I can really only say "I've heard good things" so I'll probably read it. For some unknown reason, I hadn't heard of it until just recently. Though it's the first in a science-fiction series, I have heard it described as deeply human and philosophical, which lately draws me in instantly. I also haven't read enough science-fiction as I would like.

4. "Nicholas and Alexandria" by Robert K. Massie

I originally saw this on a Goodreads list of books to read while waiting for the next Game of Thrones series, if that sells the book at all. Historical fiction is both educational and entertaining, so what's not to love? This novel explores Imperial Russia and the lives of the Romanovs - the mystic Rasputin, hemophiliac Alexis, and Alexandra's obsession with both.

5. "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas

This is one of the books I've always been meaning to read but could never quite seriously pick up because of just how big it is, which seems to be the case with most. However, those who do read it apparently love it.

This is an intricately plotted story about a man who is wrongfully imprisoned and his plans for exacting revenge. At about 1200 pages, this can certainly keep any reader occupied for a long while. It's also a classic and you can brag about having read it, so there's that.

6. "1Q84" by Haruki Murakami

This story is set in Tokyo in 1984, but in a parallel universe which "poses a question." Just the description of the characters alone has me interested.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

This is obviously an answer and rival to Orwell's 1984 but with seemingly more exploration of the characters and set in a different culture. Having never read a modern book translated from Japanese, I'm very interested to get into this book soon.

7. "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke

I have been stopping by this hefty book in the bookstore just to admire the cover, but I've always been scared off by the length. Now that I've read the first three A Song of Ice and Fire books, I'm starting to run out of excuses for not reading longer works.

This looks like the perfect sort of escape from the every day that I long for in books. This is both a fantasy and historical fiction piece, the combination of which seems to make for the most interesting and imaginative stories in the world of books.

Even if you do consume a "beach read" or several, though, there's no judgment here. Happy summer and happy reading!