Amid summertime's flurry of camps, vacations and reality TV, there's still time to pick up that intriguing book that has collected dust on the shelf during the rest of the year.

We asked a few members of the community to share what books are leading them on adventures through different worlds this summer. So grab a glass of lemonade, find a shady hammock and check out these good reads.

Lisa MacKinney, assistant director, Hall County Library System, Gainesville

• Book: "The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" by Michael Scott
• Why she picked it up: "The premise is that the story takes Nicholas Flamel, a real 15th century alchemist, and weaves his story with lots of mythical creatures, so it's just fascinating."

Capt. Scott Cagle, fire marshal, Hall County Fire Services

• Book: "Flashover" by Suzanne Chazin
• Why he picked it up: "This is a suspense story about a New York fire marshal investigating arsons in Manhattan. Learning about how a New York arsonist thinks could help me in a case down here."

Ruth Bruner, mayor pro-tem, Gainesville City Council

• Book: "Our Story Begins" by Tobias Wolff
• Why she picked it up: "This is a collection of short stories. They're sort of deceptively ordinary events, but excellent character studies, they all involve a betrayal or disloyalty and they go in unexpected directions."

The Rev. Dr. Bill Coates, First Baptist Church, Gainesville

• Book: "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson
• Why he picked it up: "It's a true story of a man who is determined to change the world through education rather than letting it be torn apart by bombs and bullets. I love to know somebody is doing something that humanitarian."