The summer is the perfect time to pick up a new book and indulge in a story, whether it is on the beach, pool side, on the couch, on the patio, during a work break–a book can go anywhere.

Reading is knowledge. It expands what we already know or what we have already learned. Even more so, it paves avenues to new ideas, thoughts and beliefs.

Here are three highly anticipated book releases during the summer:

“The Silkworm” by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym)

This crime novel is set to be released June 19. The Silkworm follows Rowling’s first novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling. This is a series that features a private investigator, Cormoran Strike, and his mysterious investigations that puts readers on the edge of their seats. In The Silkworm, Strike and his assistant, Robin Ellacott, investigate the brutal murder of a novelist, Owen Quine. Quine was due to release a revealing and controversial novel about the people he knows, leaving Strike with several suspects.

“Mr. Mercedes” by Stephen King

Mr. Mercedes is set in a Midwestern city that revolves around the “Mercedes killings.” The search for an unknown suspect that “plowed” through a crowd of people in a Mercedes is being conducted by detective Bill Hodges. In this merciless act, 8 individuals were killed and 15 were injured. Hodges finds himself in a cat-and-mouse like pursuit with this case. Mr. Mercedes will be released June 3 in hardcover, eBook and audio format.

“Molly’s Game” by Molly Bloom

Molly Bloom is known as the “poker princess.” She held high-stake, invitation only poker games among celebrities, professional athletes and business executives in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Las Vegas. Bloom was linked to an illegal Russian poker ring. Bloom is now facing charges that can result in probation or up to 6 months in prison. There have been rumors of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and others to have been involved in these games. Bloom is set to publish a highly anticipated tell-all memoir to be released this summer.

Whether it is a highly anticipated summer release book or a book that’s been on the shelves for years, pick one up to dive into this summer. If you don’t have time to take a trip to the store, download an eBook or audio book version of any book to your smart phone, tablet, iPad, or computer and have fun getting lost into another world.

You can follow Alexis on Twitter: @uhhlexisG