As the summer of 2016 comes to a close, many of us are preparing to go back to school...which means lots of idle time spent in buses, planes, cars and trains. Don't use that precious free time scrolling through your twitter feed or liking Instagram photos until your thumbs fall off. Instead, crack open a good book and feed your imagination while expanding your vocabulary. However, this is where most people get stuck. Which book do you read? Well my good friend, this is when I swoop in to save you from the bear trap of mind-numbing social media and Netflix shows. Here are 11 books of all genres besides horror and murder mystery (I can't take the suspense) that should be on your shelf:

1. "Deadline" by Chris Crutcher

Crutcher's storyline follows the life of 18-year-old Ben Wolf who is diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease. However, instead of receiving treatment and telling people about his condition, he decides to live out the remaining months of his life being treated the way a normal high school senior would. Along the way, he gets the girl of his dreams, meets an ex-priest, becomes a football star, and ticks off a lot of people.

2. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Although many people would say this book is a total snore-fest, personally, I thought Huxley's account of the 2540 dystopian society was very interesting and somewhat applicable to modern times.

3. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

I thought this entire series was fantastic. If you thought the movies were great, just wait until you read the books. My personal favorite is the series' final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." However, I strongly recommend reading the series in sequential order to get the most out of your Harry Potter experience.

4. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

In this young adult novel, a boy obsessed with famous last words attends a new boarding school, fueled by his pursuit of the "Great Perhaps." There, he meets some interesting people...including a girl named Alaska. I love John Green's style of writing because he isn't afraid to twist the story and throw unexpected plot developments at the reader..both of which are prominent in this book.

5. "Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder" by Claudia Kalb

In this exceptional work, award winning journalist Claudia Kalb carefully examines the behavioral and psychiatric disorders of 12 of the most influential people in history from Albert Einstein to Marilyn Monroe. Did Charles Darwin have anxiety? Did Howard Hughes suffer from obssesive compulsive disorder? In this book, Claudia covers it all and backs her prognoses with tons factual support derived from studies done by doctors and professors at prominent institutions.