Must Reads: My List of Recommended Books
I've read tons of books, and not all of them are *amazing*. So I've scrounged up a list of some of my personal favorites. This list will explain why I can never choose just one favorite book whenever anyone asks me. (; By the way, the newest recommendations are at the bottom!
Now.. On with the list!
Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben: It's basically about how Daniel and Krista used to be inseparable as little kids, but as they grew older, it became uncool for boys to have a girl as his best friend, so they drifted apart. But right before they started middle school, Daniel was temporarily paralyzed by an accident caused by Bobby's father, Daniel's best friend after Krista and Daniel "grew up". Krista had a crush on Bobby, but Krista's father is also Daniel's therapist. Krista doesn't know whether she should help Daniel or not since Bobby didn't visit Daniel at all while he was in the hospital, and she didn't want to "lose" Bobby - not that she had him anyway.
TTYL and TTFN by Lauren Myracle: TTFN is the sequel to TTYL. TTFN is all written in the format of instant messaging conversations between three best friends, Maddie, Zoe, and Angela. Angela moved away in the middle of her junior year all the way across the country because her father got a new job. Zoe started to date Doug, who had a crush on Angela the past year, while Maddie met an older guy and got caught up in drugs. Will they be able to patch things up soon, or is their friendship going to be pulled apart? Great if you like a book packed with drama and secrets.
Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen by Lauren Myracle: I love Lauren Myracle's books. They're awesome. Each book starts out with Winnie's birthday in March. It's basically a month-by-month account of Winnie's life as ages 11, 12, and 13. I'd recommend this mainly to girls who like drama, secrets, and learning to grow up. Read as Winnie encounters many issues most of us girls have been through.
Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld: The books are about people in the future, and they're totally eco-friendly and have way more advanced technology. At the age of 16, all teenagers get this surgery where they turn "pretty," and they live in a separate section of the city. Basically all they do is have fun and party. It's really stereotypical how they portray the "Pretties," but Tally and her friend, Shay, rebel against it, and uncover a valuable secret about the surgery. The books in the series are Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras. Full of daring adventures, scandals, and lies, it's great for sci-fi and adventurous readers.
The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie: Jenna has lived all her life being overprotected by her single mother and outshined by her best friend, Bea, who has gold curls and a blue eyes, while Jenna has brown hair and eyes. And then Jenna landed a role in a movie as a princess who she has a strikingly similar resemblance to. When Jenna gets kidnapped, she uncovers her mother's secret. I'd recommend this book if you like mysteries and suspense.
All-American Girl by Meg Cabot: She's an amazing writer, and I love her books. This book is about a girl named Samantha, the middle child who never gets paid any attention. But then she saved the president's life and all of the sudden she's got news reporters camping out on her lawn. Great if you love humor, drama, and adventures. (There's also a sequel, but it's a bit inappropriate for younger readers.)
Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer: I've read all the books in the series, and they're all amazing. It's about an 11 year old criminal mastermind (who is 14 in the last book), who find out about fairies living underground on Earth. There are all these adventures as Artemis tries, at first, to expose them, but they all end up helping each other's troubles as the series goes on. Magic, science fiction, deception, brains, and adventures rolled into one helluva series. Definitely recommended. (I'm not sure I've got it in order, but these are the books in the series: Artemis Fowl; The Arctic Incident; The Opal Deception; The Eternity Code; The Lost Colony; The Time Paradox)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan: It has a lot to do with Greek mythology. It's about a boy named Percy Jackson, who's a demigod, which means that he's half-god and half-human, and he goes on these wild quests with other demigods to save Olympus and the Gods. However, on the quests, he has to fight Greek monsters, such as Medusa and the Minotaur. Percy can control the water and do other pretty cool things in the water because his father is Poisedon, the god of water. The books are full of adventure, riddles, and maybe even love for Percy. (; I heard the first book was going to be made into a movie, too! The books in the series are (in order): The Lightning Thief; The Sea of Monsters; The Titan's Curse; The Battle of the Labyrinth; The Last Olympian.
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester: As the title implies, the book is about a girl named Piper McCloud who could fly. When people other than her parents found out that she could fly, Dr. Hellion, who ran I. N. S. A. N. E. (the Institute of Normalcy, Stability, And NonExceptionality), whisked her away to I. N. S. A. N. E. At the institute, there are all different creatures that are abnormal--humans included. The only abnormal humans other than Piper herself were also kids. Dr. Hellion seemed nice at first, but what exactly is Dr. Hellion doing to the abnormal creatures? And how far will she go to make sure that there are no abnormal creatures left?
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar: Hilarious book. I absolutely loved it. It's about a 14-year-old boy named Scott Hudson who's just started high school. His mother is pregnant, so Scott decides to write some sort of journal/guide book for his little sibling. That way, his sibling would be prepared for high school. He has a crush on this girl he's known since kindergarten, but of course she's pretty, and he's more of a dork. He does a lot of things to get closer to her, like joining the newspaper staff at school, the student council, and stage crew for a play. The book is generally good for laughs, though it does talk about bullying, peer pressure, and teenage suicide.
Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard: It's about five friends. In 6th grade, one of the friends (Ali) was murdered. Basically, the whole series is about trying to figure out who the murderer is. There's also a person called "A" who sends the other four girls text messages about secrets only Ali knew about. Full of scandals, lies, and, of course, secrets. Great for mystery lovers. (There are 8 books in the series. The books in order are: Pretty Little Liars; Flawless; Perfect; Unbelievable; Wicked; Killer; Heartless; Wanted.)
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins: There are three books in the series. I only read the first two books, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but I loved them both. It's a bit sci-fi-ish. It's in the future, and there were 13 districts in the ruins of North America, but there was a war (this is before the events in the book) where the districts revolted against the Capitol. District 13 was destroyed while the other 12 were defeated, and the Capitol came up with the Hunger Games to remind everyone of it. Basically, anyone between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district has to enter a slip of paper with their name. Then on the day the Hunger Games starts, they randomly chose 2 tributes, one girl and one boy, to participate. They are taken somewhere. The kids have to kill each other and the last one to remain wins the Hunger Games. Katniss, a 16-year-old, is basically the main character, and she lives in District 12, one of the poorer, if not THE poorest, districts. Her 12 year old sister was chosen as one of the tributes, but Katniss volunteered to step in her place. There's adventure, romance, and a bit of suspense, too. It made me cry a little. (The two books that are currently out are: The Hunger Games; Catching Fire. The one that's coming out in August 2010 is Mockingjay.)
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook: Near the end of eighth grade, Lauren betrayed her best friend, Helen. Eighth grade was their last year in middle school; they would start high school the following year. Lauren lied and humiliated Helen to get in good graces with the popular seniors at the high school they were going to attend. Helen moved away that summer, but she never forgot about Lauren or what she did, and ends up moving back to town three years later for her senior year. Apparently ditching Helen was worth it, because Lauren had gotten everything she wanted -- she's the cheerleading captain, the quaterback's girlfriend, and the queen bee. Helen comes up with a plan to take down her ex-BFF. She registers at the high school with a new name, and she has a new look. In the end, Helen does bring down Lauren. But at what cost?
The list was last updated on July 9, 2010.