Are you thinking about a good old-fashioned “trashy” beach read this summer, or are you gravitating toward something more serious and somber? For sure, given the year we’ve just been through, you might opt for the latest crime thriller or a bad romance novel. On the other hand, maybe this year has led you to new insights about the world around you, and provoked you to think more deeply about yourself and what you want out of life, and how to achieve it given your age and circumstances. Well, never fear, we have recommendations with all this in mind and even a cheap book source for you to peruse for a purchase.

First up: the “classic” summer reads. Goodreads has just come out with its Summer Reading: The Hottest New Books of the Season. Among the selections: works of fiction, science fiction, mystery and thrillers, and romance, along with non-fiction works of memoir and history. There’s also the Goodreads list of Top 40 Book Club Picks, in case you and your group are in search of a good summer group read. Another source of book recommendations? The ladies at Lustre just released their own set of 10 recommended and interesting reads, which include fiction, memoir, and history.

How about a few more thought-provoking and under-the-radar books that will leave you pondering what’s important in life and how you can achieve it? First, consider the new book by journalist Michael Easter called  The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Healthy, Happy Self. Easter has traveled the world to examine and learn from various cultures that live in wild and extreme circumstances yet find life happy, fulfilling, and rewarding. He creates the space for all of us to think about abandoning our “comfort zones” to tap into what may be a better life beyond. For one example from his book, about how the Bhutanese focus on death leads its people to a happier life, click here.

Alternatively, consider the new book The Golden Journey: Two Perspectives on Navigating Later Life by authors Pierre Thollot and Grace Hunt. Thollot is an 86-year-old acclaimed and retired research engineer and Hunt is a 27-year-old software developer. They developed a work relationship, then friendship, then ultimately co-authored this new book that offers stories and practical advice to all of us entering our golden years. For more on the book and the authors’ remarkable story, click here.

Finally, if you’re looking to plow through multiple books this summer but hoping to limit your expenses, then you need to know about The Book Outlet. With remarkably cheap prices and a vast array of subjects, including children’s books and gifts (looking for something to bring the grandkids this summer?), you’ll be able to fulfill your reading pleasures without emptying your wallet.