Remember how all year long you couldn’t wait for summer, but now that it’s here you’re not completely sure what to do with your time? You probably don’t particularly want to be back in class, but having a constant schedule and an endless list of tasks to do is starting to look pretty good now compared to being bored all day every day during the summer.

Fun fact: You can still have an endless list of tasks to do (that’s way more fun than a school list of tasks to do); it’s called a reading list! The best part? A reading list is even better in the summer because you have more free time to indulge in every word with pure satisfaction. Even if reading isn’t your first idea of a good time, please try! Go to a Starbucks, sit outside, set up a hammock, sit by the pool, or just lay on your couch. No matter where you go, no matter if you’re a fast reader or a slow reader, no matter if the last book you read was "Twilight" or "Animal Farm," no matter if you haven’t read a book “for fun” since you were in middle school, everyone can still enjoy the experience that a good book brings during these long summer days.

Here is your Summer 2016 reading list! I tried to make these a little more light and playful, but there are still some darker and more challenging ones on this list as well.

1. "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Written in breath-taking beauty and detail, this story is about two people who live during the time of World War II and how their separate stories end up crossing paths as they each find their way through life.

2. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling

Need I say more?

3. "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes

I know the movie looks a little cheesy, but this book will steal your heart -- plus you can picture Sam Claflin in your head the entire time you’re reading it.

4. "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed

Another good book turned movie. The one crucial element that the movie is missing though (nothing but love for Reese Witherspoon) is that it is a personal journey, so you’re not as able to get inside her head in the movie as you would with the book. Problem solved.

5. "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace

The world is so wrapped up in its own selfish ways. This book reflects on the entertainment society feels it needs today and how it dominates our lives. However, it answers such a difficult question with comedy and fiction in this novel, which makes us take a second look at what the true idea of the pursuit of happiness should be in America.

6. "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Again. Good book. Good movie. Read it.

7. "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

This one is a little bit more challenging, but hey — you have all summer to tackle it. You can do it!

8. "Room" by Emma Donoghue

Hollywood was just on a roll with all of those books turned movies this year. You know what? At least you have something else to do this summer — go see all of the movies to the books once you’re done reading them.

9. "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

An odd story about a boy who checked himself into a mental hospital. Endearing, quirky, sweet, emotional, painful, powerful. It has all of the feels.

10. "The Truth About Forever" by Sarah Dessen

A little young adult fiction to help ease some of the seriousness. However, Sarah Dessen is truly gifted with making stories that have to do with teenage girls “finding their way.” She’ll take you straight back to the good old days when we were clueless and simply figuring it all out.

11. "Along for the Ride" by Sarah Dessen

One of Sarah Dessen’s newer ones. A little cheesy, but also touching.

12. "My Sister’s Keeper" by Jodi Picoult

The book is better. The book is always better. Read it.

13. "Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life" by Shauna Niequist

I’ve talked about this book before in another Odyssey article. It’s still one of my favorites though, so I have to repeat it. Shauna hits it home in her book about life, love, and God. She makes her reader think about how they view the world and how they view their relationship with God.

14. "Nice is Just a Place in France: How to Win at Basically Everything" by The Betches

It’s a little harsh. Not all of it is true. However, in all honesty, they have some good lessons in here about being a strong, powerful, confident, no bullsh*t-taking woman.

15. "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein

This book is from the viewpoint of an incredibly insightful dog who looks back on his life and remembers all the good, the bad, and the sad about his time on earth.

16. "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Okay, I’ve always been a diehard Potterhead, but I have to admit, I just finished watching these movies (the extended editions!) and they were amazing. So, I’m sure the books will be just as good!

17. "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Classic. A little tough, but worth it.

18. "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

This one is a little out there, but ultimately amazing. Winner of the Newbery Medal and several other awards, this book is about Ivan, a gorilla, (stay with me) who lives in a cage at the mall. He befriends Ruby, a baby elephant, who tries to change his small perspective of the world for the better.

What are you waiting for? Get reading!