Fun Summer Reading for Teens

 When was the last time that you read a book for the fun of it?

So it has been summer vacation for a few weeks already and chances are that we have all had our time to relax and settle down from the difficult year at school. If you are still in school, then that sucks for you  hahah =P  So besides homework, video games, sleeping, traveling, and hanging out with friends, one of the things that some teens like to do over summer is read. There is barely enough
time during the year to read any books other than
those assigned for school. It is sad but true.
School keeps students so busy that sleep takes
priority over almost every other activity. But
summer is here now with about three months of
vacation, more than enough time to pick up a few 
books and plunge yourself into a new world of
adventure and excitement. Here is a list of
books that I recommend and that are great for
summer reading.

The Sword of Truth Series

This series has been my leisure reading for the last year or so. I read most of it over last summer and it was quite a read. There is 11 books in the series, each one between about 700 and 1000 pages. The beauty of these books is that once you start reading, you are immersed into the magical and ancient world of Richard and Kahlan and 200 pages can go by instantly. I think that this series is better than Lord of the Rings, but it is the same genre of book if that helps explain it. The books explore philosophy and human nature in addition to just telling an amazing story. You will be entertained and learn something in the process. Do not let the 700 page minimum deter you from reading these books. Prices are around $8 each in paperback edition. Author: Terry Goodkind

  

The Belgariad and The Malloreon

I read these 10 books in the summer going from 8th grade into my freshman year of high school. Again, like the Sword of Truth series, each book is long and there are a lot of them, but the series is definitely worth it. The story takes place in a magical world with wizards and warriors much like other fantasies, but in my opinion, this is the best one that I ever read. What makes this one stand apart is the constant humor. One of the main characters, Silk, drips of wit and sarcasm, a quality which characters in other stories lack. Ironically, he is also a gymnast, the best and sharpest merchant in the land, and a trained assassin. I recommend this series the most out of any other book on this list. It is simply the most fun to read. This is actually my favorite series that I have ever read. Each book is about $8 and there are larger books that combine 2 or 3 books into one. Author: David Eddings.

A Tale of Two Cities

I actually read this book for school over the summer going into my sophomore year and the plot is amazing. The biggest downfall with this book is the rhetoric and language that Dickens uses. It shows that he was getting paid by the word. He takes an entire paragraph to describe almost everything. He makes it hard to read and there are times when you will want to put the book down, or need to re-read a paragraph because it did not make any sense, but at the end, you will be happy that you read it. Although the language is difficult to sift through, the reader can appreciate much of it nonetheless. It truly is brilliant and the story and characters are superb. Dickens is famous for a reason. I think that this is his best novel. Cost varies by edition, but it should be around $7. Author: Charles Dickens.

The Sun Also Rises

Everyone should read something by Hemingway during their lifetime. The man won a Pulitzer Prize for literature, so his writing is pretty good. I don't really recommend reading Old Man and the Sea, the book that won the prize, because I read it in 7th grade for a book report and had a bad experience with it. It resulted in my lowest book report grade of the year because I did not understand anything from the book. It is a difficult read. I liked the Sun Also Rises much better. You get everything that Hemingway is famous for in a story that makes sense. I actually think that the story is amazing and it changed my view of bullfighting forever. It is astonishing how a good author can make something so brutal as bullfighting look so beautiful. There is also plenty of good realist stuff in there too if that is more your thing. There are so many reprints that the price always changes, but I think the average is around $11. Author: Ernest Hemingway.

These books should keep you busy for the summer. There are plenty of other great books out there, but these are the first ones that came to my mind, so obviously they were among the best. Enjoy your reading and have fun over summer! If you stumble upon any other great books, make sure to let me know.

Other articles that you should read:
The Summer Before Senior Year
Vacation is For Relaxing
Activities Outside of School