Everyone has a hobby or a passion that fills their life with excitement and purpose. Whether that's playing a sport or an instrument, we all have our "things." There is one thing that isn't as popular or widespread as it used to, and that is reading. Reading is something that plays a gigantic part of my life and something I could not live without. Yes, that may be a little exaggerated, but if I could choose to do one thing for the rest of my life, I would choose reading.

It can take you to worlds other than our own, which is something that I find marvelous, and there are also lessons and morals we can learn from reading a book, even a fantasy one. I try to get as many of my friends reading as I possibly can. I tell them to start with something that will grab their attention immediately for first-time readers so they don't have the option of putting it down.

Here are some books I find outstanding:

1. "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell

This contemporary teen fiction novel changed my perspective on love.

In all of the books, TV shows, movies these days, the people getting the spotlight or getting the girl or boy are the popular or the well-known ones. This book gave me the chance to see that the outsiders have a story to tell, and they can be the ones that get the boy or girl. This book will take you on a journey through a series of ups and downs. There are scenes in the book that really make you think, as well as some that will make you visibly cringe from the awkwardness, showing the unlikely romance between two outsiders and their journey to discover who they truly are. I highly recommend this book.

2. "Half-Blood" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This book is part of a fantasy series called "Covenant."This book takes a turn on the classic Greek mythology, turning it into something different from anything I have ever read.

With the basis of Greek mythology, the author puts in some aspects of her own which really impressed me. This book and series taught me a lot about sacrifice and how your love for someone can lead you to do almost anything for them — even risking your own life. In this book, we follow soon-to-be daemon hunter Alexandria on her journey to defeat the forces of evil, find her love and even discover important aspects of herself she never took into account before.

3. "Gone" by Michael Grant

"Gone" was a book that I could easily relate to, given the fact that the main characters were 15 years old, as I am.

The small town known as Perdido Beach is taken by surprise when a large dome-like wall suddenly appears around the town. The one thing that makes everyone stop in their tracks is that there are no adults present inside the town. As expected, chaos is the ruling part of the town until high school freshmen Sam, Edillio and Astrid, realize that they need to mature in a split second, because they are going to need all the luck they can get to survive. This book can reveal to anyone that even the youngest of kids can reach adult maturity. Just put them in the right situation and someone like Sam will come forward. But... there is always darkness trying to seep through.

4. "The Problem with Forever" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Another contemporary young adult novel takes the stage. Right when the book is opened, everything begins moving forward. This will hook you from the first chapter.

Mallory, who is scarred from her past, has taken four years to get her life together, and now she is finally ready to be a real teenager. The thing she least expects to happen is to bump into the person she hasn't seen in four years, which makes her heart melt. This book tells us that sometimes we have to let go of the past, but before that, we must accept that the past has affected us in ways we need to admit to. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster, going up the highest mountains and falling down the highest cliff.

5. "Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway is someone you do not want to mess with. In a world where vampires exist, the good and the bad, even school drama is a concern.

Rose's job is to protect her friend Lissa, a vampire from a royal line. Although obstacles and other people may try to tear them apart, friendship is one of the strongest barriers ever. From this book series, I learned that even though someone may be strong physically, that may not mean they are invincible. However, is there something that could rip apart all of Rose's relationships in her life? Plot twist after plot twist will have you sitting at the edge of your seat wanting more.

Want more recommendations? Well, maybe you will have to wait and see...