Today is my first official day of summer, which means I must sit down and carefully consider which books I plan to take with me on my numerous adventures in the next few months. Here are a few I have my heart set on starting, finishing, and rereading.

1. "Harry Potter"

Shamefully, I have never read any of the books beyond the first two. I love fantasy novels and very much look forward to becoming engrossed in J.K. Rowling's complex world of witches and wizards. Many of my friends have told me that the incredibly relatable characters and the magical elements of these books have changed their lives forever. One of my goals is to have all of them read by the end of this summer.

2. "Atlas Shrugged"

After falling in love with Anthem, I decided that I need to pick Rand's most famous novel. It follows the story of wealthy industrialists as they manage to be successful while the whole world seems to be jealous of their accomplishments. It asks many questions about society regarding wealth, success, charity and the economy. Over a thousand pages, this brink of a book is also on my list to finish after having picked it up a few months ago without the time to finish it.

3. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians"

I have loved these books since my teacher read my class the first one in 6th grade. I instantly adored the goofy yet brave main hero as well as his equally lovable friends. Adding new twist to Greek mythology, Riordan spins five amazing tales that both follow and modernize classical myths. Between the year I picked them up, and those horrendous movies that were made (that we do not talk about), I have forgotten a lot of the story line and characters that I still love.

4. "The Shining"

Suspense/thriller is probably my favorite genre of movie, which first brought me to Stanley Kubric's film adaption of the Stephen King classic. After seeing the movie for the first time this year, I was excited about comparing it to the original written text. However, I foolishly started when professors were handing out final exam study guides, so I was not able to finish the novel. Taking place in a secluded hotel where people notoriously fall ill with "cabin fever," this nightmarish tale can't end well.

5. "Tales of Mystery and Imagination"

I have spend a lot of time reading Edgar Allan Poe's poetry, but I definitely need to get back to reading more of his short stories. I love Poe with all my heart, but I feel like I won't truly know him until I read more of his famous tales of horror and mayhem. Full of suspense, brutal death and mystery, its no wonder people refer to Poe as the master of modern horror.

6. "1984"

I read this a couple of years back and loved it. The main character, Winston Smith, takes us on a journey through his post WWII totalitarian society where "Big Brother is always watching." Winston finds in peace through keeping a secret journal of his accounts, an act punishable by death. It has one of the most sinister endings of a novel that I have ever read. It's certainly not a cheery read but, in my opinion, a very important one. Many of my classes this year have dealt with material that reminds me a lot of this book, so it will be good to refresh my memory.

7. "Macbeth"

This is one of the many plays by Shakespeare I have yet to read. I wish my Shakespeare class could have been two semesters, because now I'm lucky to be dating someone who loves Shakespeare as much as I do. Shakespeare is always better when you have someone else to read lines and discuss it with. I look forward to reading lots of his plays together this summer, but especially Macbeth.

8. "Animal Farm"

Because I love "1984" so much, I feel like it's about time I pick up Orwell's other most famous novel. It takes many of the concepts from "1984", such as tyranny and government control, and attributes them to animals living on a farm where one of the animals begins to wonder what their world would look like without human masters.

9. "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"

The novel begins in an insane asylum and is narrated by a schizophrenic man who fakes being deaf so that others will ignore him. As a psychology major, I've been fascinated by this one for a long time, and it seems like a pretty important read.

10. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead"

Rereading "Hamlet" for a third time this year made me want to read one of the most beloved contemporary plays based on the minor characters from Shakespeare's classic. The play is performed from the perspective of Hamlet's childhood friends, who were summoned by the king to spy on Hamlet in hopes that they can diagnose the cause of his madness. As the original play moves around them, they carry on a lengthy conversation about free will and predetermined fate, two concepts central to the plot line of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

I am sure this list will expand and change as the summer progresses, but for now this is a pretty good start. If anyone needs me for the next 3 months, I'll be the one sitting in the corner with my nose in book. Have a great summer everyone!