Summer is finally here, and for us bookworms that means we now have the free time we have been longing for all year; time to read! Reading for hours and hours means visits to the library or the bookstore to find something new, and if you are looking for any suggestions, here is a list of some of my favorites (in no particular order).
1. "The House Of Night" series by P.C. and Kristen Cast
Zoey Redbird, is "marked" to start her brand new life as a vampyre, but her change is much different from everyone else's right from the start. She and her friends have been chosen by the goddess, Nyx, to take on the evil that has awakened before it destroys Earth. A series of 11 novels, this story has taught me the real value of family, friends, love, faith, and balance.
2. "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
On a journey to find meaning in his grandfather's last words, Jacob Portman finds himself in an old destroyed house on an island where fiction becomes reality. This trilogy is one of the most thrilling of stories I have ever read while teaching the importance of believing in your identity.
3. "Looking For Alaska" by John Green
Miles Halter ditches his boring life in search of a "great perhaps" at a boarding school far from home. Nothing could have prepared him for the incredible impact this change has on the rest of his life, and I definitely did not know it would impact mine as well.
4. "The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie
In this novel, a wealthy Roger Ackroyd has been killed, and Detective Poirot is hired to figure out who is responsible. With numerous clues, plot twists, and possibilities, this book is as consuming as watching Criminal Minds. It is a solid read that will help you construct a more creative view on the world.
5. "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt
The year is 1935, and while most families are trying to immigrate to the U.S., the McCourts travel back to Ireland after losing their youngest member. I thought my life was terribly difficult, but Frank's story helped me appreciate what I have while sparking my passion in helping others.
6. "Ms. Marvel" by G. Willow Wilson
"Ms. Marvel" does an excellent job of illustrating the struggles teenagers face today. With questions of religion, race, friendship, kinship, loyalty, and community, Kamala Khan relates with all of us. As she learns how to be a teenage, Pakistani-American superhero, we learn how to grow up.
7. "The Darkest Powers" series by Kelley Armstrong
Chloe Saunders is sent to a psychiatric home for teenagers after what appears to be a schizophrenic episode. As secrets get uncovered at the home, Chloe's world becomes more supernatural than she ever imagined, and us readers become completely engrossed in her adventures.
8. "Change Your Brain Change Your Life" by Daniel Amen, M.D.
After I was diagnosed with depression, I did not quite understand what I had, and I did not have many ideas on how to live with it. This book was an excellent introduction to because It is written in a way that is easy to follow, and it inspires us to choose to take charge of ourselves.
9. "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracey Kidder
This biography shows Farmer's significance on the world as he brings medical treatment for tuberculosis to those in Haiti who cannot afford it themselves. Farmer's story shows us how one man can change the lives of many via education, patience, and communal growth.
10. "Mayflower: A Story Of Courage, Community, And War" by Nathaniel Philbrick
A story of our country's humble beginning, this book brings color to history as you step into the shoes of both settlers and Native Americans. This story gives us the elements that are not taught in the classroom, and it gives a lot to contemplate about how our society came to be.
11. "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen
Hannah does not appreciate her family's history, but in the middle of Passover, she is magically thrown through time to World War II. Here, Hannah is with her old relatives who call her by her Jewish name as they are sent to a German concentration camp. This is a story full of emotion that brings us closer to understanding the horrors individuals experienced during the Holocaust.
12. "In The Time Of The Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
This is a fictional story of non-fiction lives in the Dominican Republic. Alvarez writes of the Mirabal sisters from their points of view as they fight in an underground movement against dictator Rafael Trujillo. Although this story takes place during a time of political struggles, this novel is simply an inspirational, historical tale of how a group of sisters reacted to what was happening in their country.
Each book is a wonderland, an escape from our own personal realities into a new realm we can explore. Here is to finding new worlds to wander — happy reading!
