While three of the books mentioned here are actually the first of longer series, every book on this list can stand on its own in both story and interest. That's why they're perfect for summer — most of us are busy with jobs or friends or internships or parents for the next few months, and we don't have a time to read an entire book series. Instead, these novels can offer immersive and quick plots that are compelling, and yet still easy to read in a short amount of time.

1. "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon

Haddon brings you into his narrative through the honest and observant perspective of Christopher Boone, a young boy who is in the wrong place at the wrong time from the start of the first paragraph. Christopher's challenges involve a murder mystery, a seemingly dead poodle he eventually names Sandy, learning what really happened to his mother, and navigating a world in which most people don't understand what he's really trying to say or why he needs to do certain things. Haddon handles the first-person perspective of an autistic young adult surprisingly well, and the book is appealing to many readers for the humanity that comes through in every page.

2. "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card

While I can't speak for the movie, since I never actually saw it, the book "Ender's Game" is an addictive and turbulent coming-of-age story that can apply to someone in their early teens or someone in their late 20s. The risks in this book are real, or at least the writing is done so convincingly that the reader truly feels as if they're being taken along for the ride right next to Ender Wiggin. This is a science fiction novel, but the action and emotional density of the plot has attracted a much greater audience than the usual sci-fi geek, and for good reason. If you like aliens, psychology, fight scenes in space, "Lord of the Flies" or war strategy games, you will definitely enjoy "Ender's Game."

3. "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

"Stargirl" is one of those rare stories that makes you feel completely nostalgic for someone you've never actually met. (Sidenote: the sequel "Love, Stargirl" is equally as good, if not even better than the first book in this short series.) Susan Caraway is a transfer student to an Arizona high school. She prefers to go by the name Stargirl, cheers for both teams at all sporting events, wears eccentric and unflattering clothing and is treated with growing hatred and resentment from her peers. What makes Stargirl different from the overused "manic pixie girl" trope is that her so-called love interest and the book's narrator, Leo, is a small part of the story. The meaning of the book is all taken from Stargirl's actions, which are ultimately not affected by Leo in the slightest. Stargirl makes a conscious choice to be kind to those that despise her, not because it's easy, but because she knows it's right.

4. "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

Okay, you'll want to skip this one if you're not into terrifyingly labyrinth-like stories that you'll need to sit and think about at 2 a.m. to fully wrap your head around. Honestly, this book is the most intimidating on the list. But it's also kind of worth it. "House of Leaves" is like nothing you've ever read — I'm not sure there's really a genre to cover it. The plot is elaborate, complicated, unreal, difficult to follow and yet grossly intriguing. It's like a 662 page thriller movie that you're not sure that you totally understand. Instead of me trying to describe what exactly is going on, let's pull some quotes from "House of Leaves."

"Can Navidson's house exist without the experience of itself?"
"Is it possible to think of that place as 'unshaped' by human perceptions?"

What the hell is he talking about? I don't know! Each of these quotes are on otherwise completely blank pages, by the way. That's not unnerving at all.

5. "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" by Steve Earle

This book is all about realism. From the characters, to the setting, to the plot, everything in this book could conceivably happen in real life. Explore topics like drug addiction and abortion in 1963, music history, San Antonio, the main character's nervous and begrudging journey into spiritualism, poverty-stricken Catholicism, Mexican immigrants in the 1960s and the overwhelming feeling of being trapped in a life that you don't control anymore. At only a little over 200 pages, this book is a quick read that'll stay with you long after you're done reading it.

6. "Peter and the Starcatchers" by Barry Pearson

If you're one of those people that likes high-stakes re-tellings of classic Disney stories, fantastical and deadly villains that are honestly kind of scary, heartfelt characters that make you want to go on adventures in your backyard again and the historically accurate grime of Victorian England, you'll enjoy this book. While this one's also part of a series, it still stands on its own as a memorable and full story. The fantasy element of the plot is very high, although truthfully many parts of it bleed into a kind of science fiction. This is definitely not the Peter Pan story that you're familiar with, and it'll leave readers both pleasantly surprised and unexpectedly engaged.

7. "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

If you haven't read "Good Omens" yet, you kind of have to. It's brilliant, hilarious, charming and an enjoyable parody of everything apocalyptic and angelic. In the spirit of the 1999 movie "Dogma," Aziraphale and Crowley are an unlikely pair of friends that are on a quest to top the end of the world, even if they have to piss off their bosses in Heaven and Hell to do it. Pratchett and Gaiman were a perfect duo to write this story, and the novel showcases both of their voices beautifully.

So, have a favorite from the list? Got any other summer reading recommendations? Please comment and let me know, because I probably shouldn't just read "Good Omens" again, for the twentieth time.