With this past Memorial Day weekend being the United States’ unofficial start to the 2015 summer season, and the publishing industry get-together called Book Expo America starting tomorrow, what better time for some books you might want to consider for your summer reading needs? To start off, here’s a trio of non–StarWarp Concepts titles you might be interested in:

The Girl With All the Gifts, by M. R. Carey: Mike Carey is a former writer of DC Comics’ mature readers horror series Hellblazer (recently adapted by NBC as the television series Constantine), the current writer of The Unwritten, and the author of the Felix Castor novel series. A twist on the zombie apocalypse trope, Girl is the story of Melanie: an intelligent, ten-year-old zombie with a love of Greek mythology, and a desire to be more than the flesh-eating monster that she is. Admittedly, there are a few annoying character clichés that pop up—the coldly efficient “mad” scientist, the hard-bitten soldier, the idealistic civilian whose morality could put everyone at risk—but overall it’s a gripping, sometimes gory, but always fascinating novel.

I Want It Now!: A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, by Julie Dawn Cole with Michael Esslinger: Written by the actress who played the incorrigible spoiled brat Veruca Salt in 1971’s Gene Wilder–starring adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic middle-grade novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this light and enjoyable autobiography focuses mainly on the movie—as would be expected from a book aimed at the legions of Wonka fans who (dare I say it?) hunger for behind-the-scenes information on the making of the film. But it also, of course, tells the story of Cole’s rise from up-and-coming tween starlet to accomplished actress, and the interesting paths her life took. To paraphrase Wonka at the end of Chocolate Factory: “Don’t forget what happened to the girl who suddenly got everything she wanted: She lived happily ever after.”

John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood, by Michael D. Sellers. This self-published e-book (also available in print) provides the answer to the question, What the hell was Disney studios thinking when they fumbled the 2012 release of John Carter, the first-ever screen adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s classic “John Carter of Mars” pulp-adventure novels? Being in the film industry, Sellers uses his background as both an insider and a Burroughs fan to closely examine the history of the character, and all the missteps that plagued the marketing of the film. How on target is he with his analysis? Well, considering he’s the guy who edited together the unofficial John Carter trailer that made the world interested in seeing the movie, pretty damn spot-on.

And of course, since SWC has its own titles to recommend…

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel, written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents, and her friends, are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan faces even greater challenges as the clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Pan’s monster-hunting mentor, Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! This one’s a fast-paced adventure, with Pan finding herself turned into something of an action star, in the mold of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, as she deals with monsters, mayhem, and a touch of romance. And you thought your life was filled with drama!

A Princess of Mars: If Michael Sellers’s history of the twenty-car pileup suffered by the John Carter movie piques your interest in the adventures of the Warlord of Mars, then here’s the book you need to read as a follow-up. A Princess of Mars is the first novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Martian series, and introduces you to John Carter, the former Civil War soldier who becomes a Martian warlord and fights for—and alongside—the love of his life, Princess Dejah Thoris. The SWC edition features six original illustrations by artist Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback comics, Lorelei: Sects and theCity), and an introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling.

The Pandora Zwieback novels and A Princess of Mars are available in both print and digital formats, so visit their product pages for more information, including sales links.

Now get to reading—and have a great summer!