Sunglasses? Check. Beach towel? Check. All-natural sunscreen, organic snack and reusable aluminum water bottle? Got it, got it, got it.

But don't head out for some summer sunning without dropping one of these green-themed books into your beach bag. Whether you like a good mystery, a gripping true story or a practical how-to, these tales make great reading as you drag your toes through the sand. And they're all in paperback.

NONFICTION

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver.The eco-conscious, best-selling author of "The Poisonwood Bible" charts her family's experience(http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/) of spending a full year eating home-grown and locally grown food. Her husband Steven and daughter Camille contribute to the story, too. Warning: Might make you hungry.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Christopher McCandless was a successful college graduate who hitchhiked solo into the Alaskan wilderness in search of adventure, and ultimately died there. Krakauer pieces his adventures together from a found journal. The story was made into an Oscar-nominated film last year starring Emile Hirsch.

Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style by Christie Matheson. Printed on recycled paper, this guide offers useful, simple and realistic ways to cut down on consumption without sacrificing style. Plus it's a fun read along the way.


FICTION

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. An Oprah's Book Club favorite, this post-apocalyptic yarn by the author of "No Country for Old Men" follows a father and son wandering through a charred global landscape grappling with survival, and morality.

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen. The snarky, hilarious Hiassen does it again in this Everglades-set novel about a corrupt marine biologist and the smart, sexy wife he can't seem to shake. His environmental commentary seeps through the satire.


CLASSIC

Big Woods: The Hunting Stories by William Faulkner.This collection of four stories from 1955 is perfect for easily distracted sun-worshippers. One of the greatest American writers offers his prescient commentary on man's impact on nature.

Dune by Frank Herbert. The best-selling book behind the 1984 adventure film is considered the first major eco-themed sci-fi novel. Forty-three years after its original publication, its themes — especially the value of water — still resonate.