A break from the usual routine. Isn’t that what we all love about summer? Whether or not we’ve got a scheduled vacation in the works, summer invites us to let our hair down and make way for fun and games.

In keeping with the breezy spirit of the season, I’ve put together a short list of food-focused titles that offer a much-deserved break from the grind (and encourage us to cook with sand inbetween our toes).

No worries if you can’t afford a plane ticket out of dodge this summer; curl up on  the sofa and and allow yourself to be transported to the Caribbean with a copy of  "Jerk From Jamaica: Barbecue Caribbean Style" by Helen Willinsky. In addition to 80-some recipes on jerking chicken, beef, pork, lamb and seafood, Willinsky offers juicy historical and cultural anecdotes, plus lots of ideas for non-jerked sides.  My mouth is watering.

Lobster Rolls & Blueberry Pie is a valentine to Kennebunkport, Maine, where Pearl Oyster Bar chef Rebecca Charles spent her summers as a kid. Part memoir, family scrap book (there are lovely vintage photos of relatives) and recipe collection, Lobster Rolls is a delightful, heart-felt journey along the northern coast.

Caipirinha, pisco sour, mojito – they’re all tucked into “Mambo Mixers” by Latin entertaining diva Arlen Gargagliano, who gets extra points for dishing up 20 recipes for cocktail snacks and apps. 

Another welcome trip to the beach, but this time to the Carolinas! Elizabeth Wiegand’s new title, "The Outer Banks Cookbook," is her ode to the barrier islands of North Carolina, chockfull of history, down-home stories and recipes from local chefs.  (She's got a fun blog about eating your way through North Carolina, too.)

Prolific cookbook writer Rick Rogers has yet another title under his belt with "Summer Gatherings." With a casual unfussy attitude, SG offers just 50 recipes (remember our pledge to easy breezy?), enough to keep us entertained all the way to Labor Day. The corn hotcakes with blackberry syrup (page 89) have my name written all over them.

And if you’re screaming for ice cream ideas (and who isn't at this time of year?), check out my recommendations recently mentioned in this space.

Got a favorite easy-breezy title to share? Please add to the summer reading list -- food memoirs and fiction are equally welcome!