What makes a good summertime read?

My fantasy of reading this summer included getting lost in an epic novel. So far this hasn't come to pass. Here are some of the books that I have read so far this summer. They were all pretty good but I have not been carried away from the real world like I hoped.
If you have a recommendation... George RR Martin- esk, please pass it on.


Existence by David Brin
I had read Earth by Brin years back and thought this one looked similar. The genius of Brin is that he looks at the world today and predicts the near future. My criticism of this book was that it was just too much. The book carried about 6 different points of view.  I was about 1/3 of the way through before the plot really got going. Interspersed with the story are the quotes from the made up world that Brin is writing about. Interesting but the story was not compelling  to make the  work of reading it worthwhile. It took me over 6 weeks to read this. I think I finished it out of stubbornness.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
This would be for if you wanted a something light. Bray is a great YA author with a feminist bent. the story features teen beauty queens stranded on an island after their plane crashes. It is a satirical take on our beauty obsessed society and pro "girl power"in a junior high kind of way. It borders on farce but that is part of the fun. This book was completed by me in a 2 day period.

Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman
This tell-all about the worlds most secretive "religion" is actually quite good. I found myself trying to formulate the criteria needed for a new religion. Scientology has this in spades. Here is some of my math:

My first theory:

1 individual (charismatic + imaginative) seeking public = new religion

 My revised theory:

 1 individual (charismatic + imaginative + exploitative + paranoid)  seeking public (narcissistic) = Scientology

My only complaint is that like a lot of nonfiction I read, the details bogged me down. I loved the part where they started talking about Hollywood. It made me pick up a copy of People magazine to see how Katie Holmes is getting along!