A few weeks ago I gave a rundown of the movie must-sees of the summer. Personally, if I’m not watching a new blockbuster over summer break, I can most likely be found by the pool with a good book. I’ve always liked to read, and I enjoy a variety of genres. There are some books that any reader, myself most definitely included, comes back to again and again. Whether re-read for some childhood nostalgia, the moving narrative, the relatable characters, or to freshen up on the story before the newest movie adaptation, these books have become the staples of my childhood. While I’m sure you’ve at least heard of most of the books on this list, I encourage you (if you’ve somehow not done so already) to take a load off and check out these 8 must reads during your summer break.

1. The "Harry Potter" Series

Even if you haven't read the books or seen the films, I bet you know something about The Boy Who Lived. This series of seven books written by J.K. Rowling are widely credited with reinvigorating reading in the younger generations. And if you think you’ve seen the movies and that’s enough, I would strongly disagree. Like most book-to-film adaptations, plot points had to be left out and edited to adapt the books better to screen. Don’t misunderstand me, I love the films! I think they’re a great addition to the Wizarding World; however, if you liked the movies, the books are well-worth the time investment.

2. The "Infernal Devices" Trilogy

I read these books by Cassandra Clare last summer, and no spoilers, but I cried reading the epilogue. This trilogy is actually the prequel series to her “Mortal Instruments” series which you may be more familiar with from the film and “Shadowhunters” TV show on Freeform. Personally, this trilogy is my favorite. I loved the Victorian England setting, the strong female lead, and how well the trilogy fed into the original series. If you make your way through these nine books this summer, be sure to read the follow-up trilogy “The Dark Artifices” as well!

3. Like... any John Green book

If you want emotional, John Green is the author to read. He gives excellent voice to difficult situations such as teen death, cancer, and mental illness. Some of his books have been adapted into films, but I would urge you not to stop there. Some of my personal favorites are “Looking for Alaska,” “Turtles All the Way Down,” and “The Fault In Our Stars.”

4. "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda"

When I read this book, it caught me completely by surprise. It is very similar to John Green books, but what makes this YA romance most notable is it focuses on a LGBTQ+ relationship. Regardless of your feelings on this subject, I would highly encourage everyone to take a chance on this book because of its heart and relatability. Plus, like most YA these days, it’s been adapted into an acclaimed film titled “Love, Simon” that came out this past March.

5. The "Maze Runner" Trilogy

This might be my personal favorite YA trilogy. James Dashner is excellent at pacing, and the narrative throws so many curveballs you never know what is coming as a reader. He doesn’t hold back from making you wonder if your favorite character will make it through to the end. *RIP “Death Cure” page 250* He also uses a lot of creativity in a post-apocalyptic world built on the remains of one recognizable to us and creates his own language and slang used by the characters. It's a WICKED awesome story!

6. The "Legend" Trilogy

This series is probably the least known that I’ve included on my list. It has a “Hunger Games” meets “Maze Runner” vibe to give you some context, but Marie Lu really writes a story of her own. Day and June are excellent narrators, and the politics, economics, and romance in the trilogy makes for an excellent story. If this doesn’t sell you, according to the author, she was inspired by “Les Miserables” and wanted to make a teen-centric version of the story.

7. The "Percy Jackson" Series

This is the series that started it all for me. I remember reading the first book on a plane when I was in sixth grade for spring break, and I was happy when break was over just so I could get my hands on the rest of the series. This series is probably the closest to “children’s” books on my list, but I still read Riordan’s publications as they are released (and I’m twenty years old). Percy’s narration in the original series is witty, sarcastic, and some of the most relatable teen narration available. Once you power through the original series, read the follow up series “Heroes of Olympus” which has all your favorite characters from the original plus new demigods as well. In addition to the Percy Jackson series, Riordan has also written “The Kane Chronicles” trilogy, “The Trials of Apollo” series, and the “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard” series. Altogether, this gives you more than twenty books to delve into this summer!

8. "The Outsiders"

This YA novel by S.E. Hinton is my favorite assigned reading that I’ve ever had. I read it as a literature class novel in eighth grade, and have since re-read the book twice for my own pleasure. After we read the book in class, we also watched the movie which has some recognizable Brat-pack stars like Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillion, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise. If you don’t think you have time to delve into a whole series this summer, I would highly recommend checking this book out!

There's plenty of other good books out there... these are just some of my personal favorites. So make sure you take a "me day" this summer to relax and consider cracking open the cover of one of these fantastic stories!