By Chelsea Korn
Summer is a great time to go to the beach, catch up with friends, be with family, and just have a great time. With no school, many of us are left with a lot of free time. Sometimes though, this free time is a thinly disguised formula for boredom, and we end up wasting our time sleeping in super late or vegetating on the computer. This summer, if you find yourself dying of boredom, don’t waste your precious summer doing nothing! Read a book! The only way reading can be boring or dull is if you haven’t found the right book for you. So take a look at this list, and see if you can find a title that catches your attention.
1) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
This is a great read for summer, because the story follows four best friends as they share their very first summer apart. When Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget discover a pair of magical jeans that fit them all perfectly on the eve of their first summer apart, they know it was fate. Told in alternating points of view, the book tells a unique story of how four girls learn to be together, even when they are apart. It’s also a four-part series, so if you like the first novel, check out the other three as well. I’d recommend this book to girls who are interested in finding a read that is funny yet poignant, both serious and lighthearted, and is about love, loss, travel, family, finding yourself, and friendship. 
2) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl—Beautiful Creatures is a fantasy-romance novel but with a twist—it’s written from the point of view of a boy, Ethan Wate, who falls in love with the mysterious new girl, Lena, in his unchanging, small Southern town. Ethan learns the secret Lena is keeping, as well as a whole new side of his hometown and the people he thought he knew best. I’d recommend this book for both girls AND boys who are looking for an extremely original story with many twists and great characters. Like the Sisterhood, Beautiful Creatures is the first novel in a series that can keep you reading all summer long. The movie adaptation was also just released this February if you’re looking for new movies to watch this summer too.
3) It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini—It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a novel about the ambitious Craig Gilner, a New York City teen whose ambition and type-A personality is able to get him into a prestigious private school—where everything soon goes downhill. At his new school, Craig realizes he isn’t as brilliant as he once thought compared to his classmates, and as stress starts to overwhelm his world, Craig stops eating, sleeping…and one night tries to kill himself, getting him checked in a mental hospital. Author Ned Vizzini (who spent time in a psychiatric hospital himself) weaves a moving tale that although it’s about depression, is a very funny story. Anybody who is into the drama-comedy type genre should definitely pick up this book for the summer. 
4) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare—This is another series that starts off with the very popular book, City of Bones. City of Bones is the debut novel of the series, telling the story of Clary Fray, who when she witnesses a strange murder, gets whisked into the dangerous world of the Shadowhunters, warriors determined to rid the world of demons. An energetic story full of twists, turns, and suspense, The Mortal Instruments books are sure to keep your heart pumping as you dive into Clary’s fantastical world.
5) Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin—George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series has been hailed a classic already, and is one of the most popular fantasy series of the generation. Starting with book one, A Song of Ice and Fire, the Game of Thrones series has several books, perfect to keep you busy during the summer and also has a television series based off of the books. This series is great for any fantasy lover who wants something a little more original and less formulaic.
6) The Maze Runner by James Dashner—Imagine waking up one day and only knowing your name—and nothing else. This is what happens to Thomas in the novel The Maze Runner. When the doors of the lift Thomas is in opens, Thomas finds himself surrounded by the kids who live in the Glade, an open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Thomas isn’t an abnormality—the other kids expect him. But the next day, a girl arrives at the Glade—the first girl ever, and her surprising message changes everything. Full of suspense, The Maze Runner is a quick paced story for anybody who enjoys a mystery.
7) The Diviners by Libba Bray—Another debut novel in a series, Libba Bray’s The Diviners takes place in 1920s New York City. Combining the genres of horror, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction, The Diviners is a story of seventeen year old Evie O’Neil who, while staying with her Uncle Will in New York City, uses her unique powers to help solve the mystery of a diabolical killer loose in the city. This book is very unique because of all the different genres that influence it. There’s something for everybody in The Diviners, and it’s told in different points of view, both boys and girls, making The Diviners equally enticing for both genders. 
8) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky—Perks is one of those novels that was a classic the moment it was published. Recently made into a movie directed and written by the author himself, this novel tells the struggles of a high school freshman named Charlie who is not only trying to survive high school, but also deal with his own past as well. When Charlie meets Sam and Patrick, two high school seniors who take Charlie under their wing, Charlie finally feels like he belongs somewhere. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is funny, relatable, poignant, sad, and very real. It’s a great read for anybody, especially those who don’t like extremely long books. Perks is one of those stories that stays with you forever. 
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