Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi
If you like dystopian fantasy such as The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner, you’ll love this series. And even if you’re not ready to commit to the whole series, the first book in the Shatter Me series is enough to bring you out of your reading slump. Let me give you one reason to read this book. Aaron Warner. If you haven’t heard of this guy on BookTok, let me just tell you he’s worth reading the series for. The first book follows Juliette, a young girl with uncontrollable powers, trying to escape from the asylum she’s been put in. She was taken out by no other than Aaron Warner, although the alternative isn’t exactly what Juliette had in mind. Held hostage at Warner’s base, she soon finds out he’s got plans for her. Warner plans to use Juliette as a weapon to destroy the Reestablishment. This series is by far my favourite and I highly recommend it.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
If you’re an angsty teenager, this book is for you. Although this book is sad, there are some hidden meanings behind it. We follow Charlie as he makes his way through high school. He’s a freshman but his sister and new friends are seniors. He quickly becomes close with these friends and cares very deeply about them, especially Sam, who has a boyfriend. If you’ve ever heard the quote “We accept the love we think we deserve,” that’s from this book. Charlie writes in his journal, makes mixtapes for his friends and mourns his aunt Helen. I watched the movie before I read the book and both were equally amazing.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The perfect pretentious dark academia book. This book follows six college students in an elite Greek class run by an eccentric professor. Richard Papen, the main protagonist, ends up joining this class and gets forced into their group. They end up crossing moral boundaries by killing one of their own and trying to cover it up. Each character is more pretentious than the next, but that’s what makes the plot so amazing. These characters don’t feel guilt for what they’ve done, if anything they’re happy they did it. As you step inside the twisted minds of the six students, you begin to see why Richard should have stayed away after all.
She Gets The Girl by Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott
A beautiful enemies to friends to friends to lover’s troupe. This book is the epitome of a sapphic slow burn, and I loved every minute of it. Every touch, glance and laugh causes these two friends to fall in love. These two freshmen in college could not be any different however fate thinks otherwise. Alex helps Molly try to get the girl of her dreams by teaching her how to flirt. She may have taught her a little too well because Alex soon catches feelings for Molly. While still trying to keep her cool, Molly realizes she doesn’t think she and her crush Cora are that much of a match after all. I think you can see where this is going.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
I recommend these two books to everyone. Whether you’re an avid reader or haven’t read a book since middle school, these two books will entice you and at the very least teach you something. The insight these books create changed the trajectory of my life. If you’re looking for a way to see life from a different perspective, read these. The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a beautiful book that makes you think about how you’ve impacted other people’s lives or in return, how somebody you meet once in your life can end up having the biggest impact. Tuesdays with Morrie follows two men in different stages of their lives. The protagonist’s old professor from college is now sick and about to die. The previous student now realizes that he must let his professor know the impact he made on his life. Every Tuesday, the two meet and discuss how old times reflect the future.