The Amazing, Wonderful, Perfect Summer Reading List

So, I've been getting a lot of requests on Tumblr and Twitter for book recommendations...I had no idea my taste was in such high demand (haha- just kidding).  Since it's the beginning of summer, and basically just a wonderful time of year to kick back and get some reading done before the hectic school year starts up again, I thought I'd finally make an enormous master post of all of my all-time favorites, recent gems, and other amazing books that have caught my fancy.

ALLONS-Y!

 1. I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg-Sloan: I read this book recently, and it was absolutely fantastic.  It's intense, though.  It's about two homeless boys dealing with an abusive father and a sudden obsession with a suburban family as well as a normal life after the older boy falls in love.  It's amazing, it made me cry and pound the table and all that good stuff and I'm not explaining it very well.  

2. Jane by April Lindner:  I don't usually like retellings of classic stories, mostly because it makes me feel like I'm giving myself an excuse to miss out on the original novel.  However, this adaptation of Jane Eyre is absolute perfection- the writing is stunning and the storyline is flawless.  Mr. Rochester is now Nico, a handsome and brooding rock star who falls in love with Jane, his attentive, independent nanny.  I loved Jane in this novel, and her character makes me want to read the original.

3. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen: Dessen has always been one of my favorite authors, ever since I was in middle school.  I reread this book my sophomore year of college and it made me so happy in the weirdest way.  Weird, I know, but reading Sarah Dessen is like coming home to me- it has the same emotions wrapped up into it.  Just Listen is tied for my number one favorite of hers (with #8) because it's absolutely beautiful.  There are so many adolescent conflicts in this novel- anorexia, rape, bullying, etc- that are approached with patience and tenderness.  The romance is also far from being sickly-sweet.  Like all Dessen novels, it's so enticingly genuine that it makes me long for my very own Owen.

 4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: OHHH this book.  It tugs on my heartstrings.  I can't tell you how many times I passed it in stores and in the library thinking it wasn't the kind of read that was up my alley- after all, it's written in letters.  Weird...except it's not.  It works perfectly with the storyline and I love all the characters, despite the fact that there are so many.  I found out that my dad read this around the same time I did, and I was so surprised since he's a science fiction nut...and yet he loved it, and we both geeked out over it, and that made me really happy.  This book makes me really happy.  Read this, ASAP.

 5.  An Abundance of Katherines by John Green: This is usually the first book I recommend to anyone, no matter who they are- young, old, smart, moronic, hipster, lover, fighter, whatever.  This book reaches everyone in some way, I feel.  It's written with that classic John Green wit, the one I love so very much.  He's got a way with words, and he's so damn smart- the algorithms and equations in this book just blow my mind.  There's something about little details that John Green pays attention to.  He knows how important they are.  This book is funny and quirky and smart and well-written and anything I could ever ask for in a novel.

 6.  Looking For Alaska by John Green: It took me a while to read this one, mostly because I had been warned by everyone how sad it was and how intense and all that stuff.  At the same time, the intensity is warranted.  This book is...gah, I can't even describe it.  It's so meaningful.  I feel like everyone in high school should be required to sit down and read this, because it will change your life.

7. The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

I'm just going to go right out and say it- I am getting real tired of YA dystopian fiction.  I read it all: I've read Divergent, I've read The Uglies, I've read All These Things I've Done and so much more.  I'm sorry, I know people are going to jump on my back about this, but those books really didn't stick with me as much as The Matched trilogy did.  I don't know what it was about it- maybe it was the fact that in the first book, the love story is so grown-up and intense.  There's not really a love triangle (I HATE love triangles) until the last novel, and even then, Cassia's love is undeniable.  They're like that couple in the mall that you hate because they're so damn perfect for each other.  It's like that.  Also, I like the fact that this series touches on the fact that revolutions aren't perfect: sometimes, the most important thing is to believe in yourself rather than an institution.  

8.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: Like I said before, this is my other favorite Sarah Dessen novel.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the first one I ever read by her.  I've read it at least 3 or 4 times already, and every time I do I experience it in a different way.  The characters are so insanely lovable,  especially Wes- he is fictional, you're right, but in my mind he is crazy bangable.  There.  I said it.  Was that weird?  Well, I just don't care anymore.
Also, the whole storyline with Annabelle and her crazy dad who passed away just makes me tear up, and while this is also intense, it's also an amazing beach read.  It's perfect, and I love it, and you need to read it now.

 9. Something Blue by Emily Giffin: This is the sequel to the novel Something Borrowed, which was made into a movie a while back.  That book is good, too, but the sequel is better, mainly because it makes you hate the protagonist to your very core and then love her unconditionally.  Darcy is so vulnerable and gets taken down a peg when she finds out she has to face her pregnancy alone, though I love the fact that she makes sure she doesn't have to.  She finds solace in the one person that never really liked her but is the only one she has left- Ethan- and their story is one of amazing friendship and unstoppable love.  I couldn't put it down.

 10. Somewhere A Band is Playing by Ray Bradbury: To be honest, I picked this up in the library because I wanted to seem more cultured.  I never expected to fall so in love with this novella.  The only way I can describe it is magical: the setting, the characters, the premise- to think, a bunch of writers hanging out in an abandoned town and making their living...it's amazing, and it's a quick read, too.

11.  Rurally Screwed by Jessie Knadler: I never read autobiographies.  Never.  I prefer fiction.  Not that there's anything wrong with autobiographies or biographies, for that matter, but they don't get me in the same way.  This was the exception.  This story just seems too amazing to be true, but it is- Jessie Knadler even has the real-life blog to prove it (rurallyscrewed.com).  It's not a fairy-tale, it's a real life romance and a real life marriage and real life sacrifices being made.  It reminds me so much of my family moving from Texas to the boonies of Colorado, which may be why I love it so much.

 12.  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: The book is better than the movie. I'm just going to say it.  It's much more all-consuming: the plot, the characters- they're more alive in the book.  I think it was Reese Witherspoon who did it for me in the movie, to be honest- she was not the Marlena I was hoping for.  Anyway, this book is extremely interesting and so, so touching...perfect for any animal lover out there.

 13.  The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien: This was required reading for one of my english classes in high school, and I ended up reading it all in one sitting during the PSATs.  After that, I had a freaking existential crisis.  This book is a collection of stories about soldiers and life during Vietnam, and it's crazy intense.  I learned a lot about the time period and what our veterans went through, even though most of this stuff is made up and (apparently) sensationalized.  I don't care.  This book is amazing and is great for anyone who needs a reevaluation of their life.

14. Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: This book is supposedly a children's book, so if you decide to read it, it'll be fast and easy for you.  However, the message behind it is neither FAST nor EASY, and the plot and ending of this book will stick with you for a long time after you finish.  "All grown-ups were once children...but only few of them remember it."

15. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: I've heard lately that a lot of people don't like this book- maybe because of the way it's written, or the subject matter?  No matter what people think, I've always felt a very strong connection to this novel.  I read it my freshman year of college, when I felt super lost (as many college students do) and though I could never claim to know what Charlie is feeling or going through, it felt good to hear such a clear and honest voice.  This book is perfect.

 16. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin: Honestly, I'm not sure why I didn't put this book first on the list.  This is my favorite book of all time, maybe.  It's about a girl who dies and goes to the afterlife- Elsewhere- and it always, ALWAYS makes me cry.  The way it's written is so beautiful and I can't help but wish that we all will go to Elsewhere when we pass...it seems like such a lovely place to pass the time.

 17. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: This book is so magical.  If you're looking for an escape during summer, then this is the novel for you- every detail is beautiful and every character is rich and exciting.  I wish the Night Circus was real, and it's the perfect setting for such a story.

18. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld: My yearbook advisor, the lovely Mrs. Brown, suggested that I read this and after I did, I had a whole new perspective on youth.  It's such an interesting novel, mainly because I never went to prep school, but I got sooo attached to every character.  I swear, I almost read it in one sitting- it's that good.

19. Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange: It's honestly ridiculous how many spin-offs of Pride and Prejudice there are today (seriously- walk through the fiction section of Barnes and Noble and you'll see what I mean) but this one- *sigh*- this one rules them all.  Mr. Darcy is eloquent, wistful, and in denial- and so, so in love.  I love him maybe even more than Lizzie does.  Maybe.

20. Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs: I'm going to end on this fabulous book.  I read it in one day- it's that amazing.  It's got all of my favorite chick-lit staples: a road trip, a silly heroine, a swoon-worthy piece of man candy, and an enticing small town.  This story is a lot more intense and earth-shaking than I thought it would be, but it's perfect and you all need to read it RIGHT NOW.  Like, as soon as you finish reading this sentence 









Books you should have already read and shame on you for missing out on their loveliness: 
-Harry Potter series (I've read them all at least three times, and each time I get swept away).
-The Hunger Games (Finnick.  FINNICCCCCKKKKKKK).
-Everything else by John Green and Sarah Dessen.

Happy reading!!! If there's anything I've so shamefully missed, please put it in the comments or message me on Tumblr: the-maincharacter.tumblr.com.

Au revoir,

Madi