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So it’s the start of the Memorial Day holiday and we’re thinking ahead to three days of sloth (except for the shopping for the barbecue, then the actual cooking, oh, and, apparently we’re going to “clean”), and we’re thinking about summer reading. Summer reading is like winter reading except it frequently involves the hammock.

Which leads to the book on the top of our list: Confessions of a Teen Sleuth. Normally, we do not fall for marketing ploys (a certain pink phone excepted) or gimmicks (ditto for the DSW shoe coupons), but we were suckered into this one before we knew what hit us. What could be more fun than a re-imagining of the Nancy Drew myth?

The book, ostensibly written by Nancy Drew, is the work of Chelsea Cain. It is, as the the cover carefully notes in one of the few marketing missteps related to this work, is a parody. The cover is blatantly old school, with our titian-haired heroine lounging in a provocatively casual pose. The first few pages capture the adverb-filled language of the original novels — apparently maturity did not dim Drew’s love of exclamations points — and recount Nancy’s first encounter with the man who, we discover, is the love of her life.

Let’s just say that his last name is Hardy and his character was not played by Shaun Cassidy on the Hardy Boys television series. This is not a spoiler; you know up front.

The book is just the right size for summer lounging — large enough to block harmful sunrays, small enough to allow the helpful ones (like light) through. It’s designed to be a few hours’ diversion, no more, no less.

Yes, this is our way of saying we’re off for the rest of the weekend.