It’s hard to remember during the school year that reading can be fun, but admittedly it often takes the right book to make a student spend even more time reading. But reading can be an escapism, a relaxer, a break in mundane. If you’ve been telling yourself time and time again ‘Oh I’ve been meaning to do some reading’ then maybe some first hand recommendations might help get you started.
I Hunt Killers trilogy by Barry Lygba
As Jake Peralta of Brooklyn 99 would say, “Good news for all of you murder fans.” I Hunt Killers follows teenaged Jasper “Jazz” Dent who’s pretty much your average small town high school teenager, with one glaring exception: his dad is one of the most prolific serial killers ever caught. The first book follows Jazz as he takes it upon himself to figure out who’s killing people in his hometown again before people start to suspect that he’s a little too similar to his father. The following books get progressively more twisted as we learn more about Jazz’s childhood and his family. What makes this series shine is Jazz’s narration as he himself is forced to question how far the apple falls from the tree.
A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab
As the title suggests, this is no fairy tale story of magic. In Schwab’s expertly crafted universe, there exists four earths designated only by a color and their affinity for magic (although the story never really leaves London in any world). Largely, these worlds are unknown to each other except for the royal family and Kell, adopted son of the royal family of the magical red London and one of the extremely rare who can travel between worlds. Enter Lila Bard of gray London, the London that seems much like our own (albeit in the past), who has been given very little in her life but remains determined to take everything for herself. As these characters, and world’s, collide, Kell and Lila both must work together to save their worlds before they meet the same fate as the mysterious black London.
Vicious duology by VE Schwab
I know, I know. Repeat author, forgive me, but VE Schwab deserves it. Vicious tells the tale of Victor and Eli, the epitome of the friends to enemies trope. After some college self experiments go right and horribly, horribly wrong, Victor and Eli both find themselves with powers over pain and death respectively. When Victor gets sentenced to prison after the fall out of their experiments, he swears to exact revenge on his old friend. Ten years later, Victor has escaped prison intent on doing just that. If you’re looking for heroes, you won’t find them here. These characters want vengeance, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it.
Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo
My love for this woman and this story knows no bounds. Basics of Six of Crows? Magical heist book. Except even better. Take six teenagers who shouldn’t exist, shouldn’t work together (a mob boss, a thief, a war criminal, the criminal’s ex-love with the ability to affect emotions, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem, and an explosives expert with a mysterious past) and tell them all of their wildest dreams can come true if only they manage to break into the world’s most secure prison and leave with a prisoner. Bardugo manages to create a world to rival the best of the best.
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
World so dark that you want some light? I gotchu. Not only is Mafi’s writing beautiful, borderline lyrical, in every work I’ve read of hers, but she knows how to have fun and be whimsical. Furthermore, and it’s sequel Whichwood, have a very Wonderland-ian feel, presenting to you a world so strange and foreign, yet offers few explanations other than “That’s just how it is here.” Furthermore follows Alice as she works to prove herself to her village and find her father along with Oliver, who is not always as trustworthy as he should be. While Alice’s town of Ferenwood uses magic as currency and finds flowers delicious, she isn’t prepared for the strangeness of Furthermore.
DC Icons by various authors
Okay, stay with me, but I figured this ‘series’ is worth a quick mention given how popular superhero movies and TV shows are. I’ve written about these before, but I wanted them on this list. Basically, big name authors (including Leigh Bardugo!) are being signed to write retellings of major DC heroes (so far Wonder Woman, Batman, and Catwoman, with Superman due later this year). They aren’t origin stories, you won’t see any costumes donned, and they aren’t movie-to-book adaptations. They’re fresh and read like a solid YA novel. No previous comic book knowledge needed, but maybe if you’re a huge superhero movie fan, it might be a good idea to start with similar books.
I know it’s hard to motivate yourself to read, but the great thing about great stories is that all you have to do is start and, as long as you’ve found the right novel, you’ll find time to finish. And it’s okay if it’s just a few pages a day or every few days. What matters is that you find something to read that you enjoy. Hopefully I’ve helped.