Sneak into the back seat...

And crack open these essential summer reads for any destination.

In order to preserve important relationships, there comes a point in every road trip when all passengers need to stop talking. A book is ideal to help pass the time during those long hauls between Tim Hortons runs. Plus, opening a paperback expertly communicates to your newly single BFF that you need a break from hearing about her Tinder escapades. Here are our top reads of the summer.

If you’re making small-town stops along the way, try...

Todd Babiak’s The Empress of Idaho. The award-winning Edmonton-based author’s latest will immerse you in a 1989 Colorado summer, during which a teen boy becomes infatuated with a new woman in town.

If you want a beach read before you even hit the beach, try...

Miciah Bay Gault’s Goodnight Stranger. This moody, atmospheric thriller—about two siblings whose lives are disrupted by a charismatic stranger—will keep you so enthralled that the hours

will pass in no time.

If you want to pretend you’re in a private jet, not the back seat, try...

Mahesh Rao’s Polite Society. The India-based author’s North American debut (out this August) is being hailed as Jane Austen meets Crazy Rich Asians. It’s a retelling of Emma, so buckle up for gossip, wealth and romance.

If you’re prone to carsickness, try...

Audible. Tackle that novel you’ve been meaning to get to (hi, The Goldfinch) or try one of the many celeb-narrated tales on offer, like Elle Fanning’s recordings of the first five Baby-Sitters Club books,

available this August.