After a long, long semester of required reading in any class the last thing that you want to probably do is dive back into books. However, it's the one thing that you absolutely need to do! Reading clears your mind, develops ideas within you, and is overall the perfect way to treat yourself after finals. So here are some of my favorites that I hope you find just as amazing. Yes, I realize that some of these are girly and it's obvious that I like the "class readings" assigned in high school, but try to give them a shot. Who knows, you might be surprised!

1. "The Martian" by Andy Weir

This is one of the more recent titles on this list and it's making its cinema debut this year. This is the heroic tale of astronaut Mark Watney who was one of the first men to walk on Mars. However, he was left behind when a dust storm forces the rest of his team to quickly evacuate the planet. Mark has to endure damaged equipment as well as human error in now the harshest environments known to man by harnessing his courage and determination. This is a story riddled with pain, suffering, and humanity's tenacity in uncharted territory, making it an excellent candidate to peak the interest of someone just looking to dip their toes in the world of literature.

2. "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

While this may seem like a more female orientated book, this novel takes the reader on a roller coaster by wringing out every last emotion able to be processed by both sexes. Sebold writes from the point of view of her murdered teenage narrator who, while in the afterlife, experiences the pain of her loss on her loved ones as well as enduring heavy and dark issues in her own mind. While seemingly morbid, this story is intelligent and an overall riveting tale that leaves the reader with resonating emotion that lasts far beyond the covers of its binding.

3. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Once again this novel is more on the feminine side, but how much better can a love story get than being set in the colorful and sensual world of the circus directly following the darkened world of the Great Depression. This is the romantic and action packed story of Jacob Jankowski and the Ring Leader's wife as they struggle between what is right and what is easy. This story is one that will have you reading cover to cover in a day's time and I would highly recommend it.

4. "1984" by George Orwell

This story from George Orwell that is set in the dystopic future is a little darker than the previous titles, however it is filled with symbolism and controversial topics that will leave the reader questioning not only the society in this novel, but their own. While following the protagonist, Winston Smith, the reader is thrust into a monitored world run by control and obedience. This was more than likely the book that you actually enjoyed or heavily thought about reading in high school and it is inexplicably worth every moment of your time.

5. "The Help" by Katherine Stockett

This title was made famous by its cinematic showings, but when is the movie ever as good as the book? This is the story of Skeeter, an aspiring journalist, who has just come home from Ole Miss in the year 1962. Racial tensions are high in the deep south and the maids have honestly had enough. This story is historically accurate and filled with humor and deep emotion. It is a recommended read for anyone who is willing to grow mentally and open their heart to a book that is sure to become one of the classics.

6. "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen arrives home to discover a package filled with recorded tapes of a dead girl's last words. However, Clay isn't the only one to have received these tapes that reveal her reasons why this girl has committed suicide. Each tape has to be listened to until the reason that this recipient's role in her demise is revealed. The tapes are then meant to be passed on to the rest of people on her list so that everyone knows exactly what they've done. This story, while deeply moving, is intensely morbid and is not for the faint of heart. Yet, it pulls on the reader's heart strings like nothing else I've ever read.

7. "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers

This novel is a retelling of the story of Hosea from the Bible set in the 1800's gold rush. This is the story of a determined, devout man, and a woman who rejects love and yet needs nothing more in her life. I won't reveal any secrets that this book possesses because it's honestly one that can only be explained through reading it.

8. "The Hobbit" by J. R. R. Tolkien

What can I even say about this book except that everyone has got to read this classic tale. Into the world of Tolkien we must go. This is the story of Bilbo Baggins and his discovery of courage, friendship, and adventure while also including something about a ring, a rising dark lord, elves, and absolute brilliance! It's not everyone's cup of tea, but even if you think that you don't like fantasy this is an easy read to learn more about yourself than you could've imagined coming from one small book.

9. "Without You, There is No Us" by Suki Kim

This is very serious non-fiction novel on the haunting memories of a teacher who taught the sons of North Korea's elite during the Kim Jong-Il's reign. This insight is highly recommended for those who want to challenge themselves and begin to have an understanding about the world that we know very little about.

10. "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

This is the very dark and malevolent tale of a young black girl named Pecola who detests herself because of her eye color and skin. Following the Great Depression, this changes perspective between child and adult versions of the story's narrator and is filled with controversial topics such as racism, incest, and molestation that puts this book on the banned list, however it is a critical title for the developing reader that will leave them wanting more.

11. "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

If you didn't read this in high school then you really didn't miss out on much. However, reading it now would definitely be worth your time. Hemingway, the eternal optimist, develops a romance between a World War I soldier and a nurse that can only end in flames and which leaves the reader in pain. Fortunately, it's the good kind of pain that wakes up your heart to more than just yourself and those around you. It's a kind of pain that connects you to the rest of the world and makes you feel as if you are a part of something much larger than yourself.

12. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

This novel is hilarious take on the classic love story that battles more than just English social classes. Elizabeth and her four sister take safety in their countryside home, in an alternate world filled with menacing zombies, while being trained as zombie fighting machines by their father. All is running smoothly until monster hunters move in closer to their land and their hearts. This is a favorite turned into something even more awesome with its innovative revival of a Jane Austen masterpiece.

13. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury

This is another dystopian favorite of mine, filled with more control over the mind through tactics that seem insane now, but, with the right enforcement, must be correct. Look through the eyes of another protagonist that questions society, questions existence, and leaves the reader doing the same. This is a thought provoking tale that forces the reader to critically analyze the world around them and can be used as an aid to develop mentally as much as possible.

14. "The Opposite of Loneliness" by Marina Keegan

If you read anything on this list then it needs to be this one. This is a collection of short stories and poems written by the author while she was still in college. Shortly after graduating she passed away tragically while going to visit family. This is a memorial to her and her works. Somehow knowing that she died young makes every story, every printed word, hold a heavier meaning. This meaning once again connects the reader to the world around them through the purging of emotions that will leave each page feeling as if it is more difficult to turn, but you will want nothing more than to keep going. It's an excellent read for anyone about to be in college, in college, or just graduating college. This is especially true if you're like me and take everything to heart so that you feel each sentiment expressed in this book. It will leave you speechless.