As summer nears and finals are almost over, many of us need something to fill the time that was once spent studying and writing papers. Of course, one of the best ways to settle boredom is to read a good book or two. So, with that in mind, here are seven books across different genres that you need to read this summer.

1. Anna Karenina

“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” -Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina, written by Leo Tolstoy is considered a classic novel that focuses on the chaos of Anna Karenina's family set in the late-19th-century feudal Russian society. The book is full of romance and thought-provoking ideas. The book can be quite the read as it is fairly long but is worth every page.

2. The Bell Jar

“I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo." -Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar is a rather well-known novel written by Sylvia Plath, the novel focuses on the life of Esther Greenwood. But is seen to be semi-biographical about Plath's life, and her handling of mental illness something Sylvia dealt with till her death. The novel is considered quite dark but it's quite interesting and one will find themselves sucked into the book.

3. Ender’s Game

“If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault.” -Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game is a science fiction novel written by Orson Scott Card that follows the story of Ender Wiggin that is set in the future. The novel is the first in a series of five that then also has a parallel series to go with it. It is a gripping read that will keep the reader interested the whole time, and even for those who do not care for a science fiction series will find something in it that is worth reading it.

4. I Wrote This For You

“You can be in love and you can be in a relationship. But they’re not always the same thing.” -Iain Thomas

I Wrote This for You is a book of contemporary poetry written by Iain Thomas who goes by the pen name "pleasefindthis." The book has a series of poems that have pictures to go with them, and each word and image can be seen as thought-provoking. Beautifully written, this book has a high chance of making you cry.

5. Looking For Alaska

“Thomas Edison's last words were "It's very beautiful over there". I don't know where there is, but I believe it's somewhere, and I hope it's beautiful.” -John Green

Looking For Alaska by John Green is a realistic young adult novel that focuses on the school life of Miles Halter. The book is raw and realistic towards some of the struggles of just being a teenager and trying to figure out who you are.

6. The Virgin Suicides

“In the end, the tortures tearing the Lisbon girls pointed to a simple reasoned refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws.” -Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides is a book that focuses on the Lisbon girls, all five of them and the story of how they cope with moving to a new area as well as just dealing with life in general. The novel can be a bit dark, but it does have a good meaning behind it and is worth reading.

7.The Chronicles of Narnia

“Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy.” -C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is an amazing series that has seven books within it. To the shock of some The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is not the first book in the series. The series is amazing with hidden meaning and motifs in ever chapter it is a book anyone call fall into and not want to come out of.

So, there are seven books that you need to check out this summer. If just for fun or for the sake of curing your boredom, these books and the series that go with them are more than likely to keep you entertained, through the long warm months before school starts back up.