What's up Rad Readers!
When life gives you lemons, read a book to forget about said lemons. While isolated and losing our minds, you can try to hold onto what is left of your sanity by making gallons and gallons of lemonade in literature! So much lemonade is on the line right now, so make the most of your time, and in between washing your hands every 15 minutes. Read these quarantine approved books. I included some series because what better time to binge a series than when the country is in a state of emergency?
Easy answer, there is no better time!! Read on!
1. Re-read a banger.
I'm thinking, like, The Fault in Our Stars, Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc. (Twilight is definitely not a banger, but more for the nostalgia?)
I know this is not a specific recommendation for a specific book, but I think that this is a good suggestion in general because there is nothing in this world quite like rereading a heater. Dare I say it is almost as great as reading a newly discovered heater.
If you are thinking about an apocalyptic preparation type of reread my personal go-to for that category would be The Hunger Games. You get the pointers, the fun, and the feels all in one trilogy! I just reread the series to prepare for doomsday and Mockingjay made me cry, but otherwise I would say I am fully prepared for the worst!
Obviously, I am joking about the doomsday preparation (kind of), but in all sincerity, reread an old fun book, and honestly I do recommend The Hunger Games most out of all the reread possibilities. Every time I read that series it gets better. (4 times and it still hasn't gotten old)!
2. Get the book that you aren't too excited to read out of the way.
Once again, not a specific rec, but still a good idea. Read it in tandem with another book though, so you don't waste your time.
To relate to my suggestion above, I would also recommend that if you are reading a book that you aren't excited about, then read it in tandem with one that you have already read because then you won't be distracted with two story lines that you are taking in at once. If you are already familiar with one I find it a lot easier to give both books a fair shot and really give it my full attention. I cannot fairly trash a book or say that I love a book if I haven't given it my honest attention yet. So ya, though this is not a specific book I think this is good advice.
Also, you may be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
I finally knocked Delirium by Lauren Oliver off of my TBR. The only reason why I had the book was because the lady at the GoodWill bookstore gave it to me for free and I would be a fool to turn down a free book. I read the back cover when I got home and was like UGH, I COULD NEVER LIKE THIS BOOK. So, I didn't read it but one of my goals now is to not buy anymore books until I complete my TBR. I found myself in a sticky situation. To read or not to read, that is the question. Then here I was in quarantine. I picked up Delirium and I actually found it pretty good. It wasn't great, but it was pretty good.
3. The Selection (Series) by Kierra Cass
Yes, that was no typo... the entire series. These books are such quick reads and so fun and immersive that you can crank out the three main books in the series in three days, and if you are up for it you could even read the last two companion novels in one day. Even check out the novella "Happily Ever After." You could dedicate an entire week to exploring this world and I could not say enough positive things about the core three books. (The 2 companion novels were trash but that's okay, sometimes you just have to read a bad book, ya know.)
Here is what "The Selection" is about:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To escape the binding caste system. To live in a palace and compete for a marriage to Prince Maxon. However, America Singer is perhaps the only one who sees the idea of being Selected as a nightmare. It means leaving Aspen. It means leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. It means befriending the people that have oppressed her, her family, and her friends her whole life. It means living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then, America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself, realizing that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never even considered to be possible.
4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I have a lot of opinions about these books, but when it comes down to it they are really just entertaining at a surface level. The controversies behind them are pretty wack, but if you just want to read a super fun story that will hook you from beginning to end then READ THIS BOOK! You are going to need to be physically and mentally prepared to invest your entire life into it because once you start it you cannot put it down. It is a rather long-ish book and a rather long-ish series, so if you plan on starting and finishing it on Coronacation it really might take you two weeks. I actually can't remember how long it took me to finish it. As the series progresses the books get longer and longer and I believe City of Heavenly Fire is more than 800 pages? I am not saying they are long as in they are slow, but they are literally just very long books. Definitely worth the read though. So, you know what? I am just going to say start it, definitely read City of Bones. Right. Now. See how far you can get from there! City of Bones is a phenomenal book, there is definitely a second book slump in City of Ashes, but after that every book is better than the last! Give them a shot!
Here is what "City of Bones" is about:
When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder, much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and wielding bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's also hard to call the police when you are the only one that can see the murderers, and when there is nothing ―not even a smear of blood― to show that a kid has died. Or was he actually just a kid? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's (one of the Shadowhunters she sees in Pandemonium) world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know too.
5. Illuminae by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff
Reading this book is an entire experience. You feel like you are watching a movie. It would take wayyy too long to explain why that is the case in this short post, so I would just say check out my Rad Reads Book Talk on this. I cover a lot. Essentially the main reason I am recommending it during the quarantine is not just because it is one of my favorite books, but also because... drum roll please... there is a pandemic in this book! How relatable am I rightttt?? Nothing like reading about a dystopian novel that is a little too similar to what life is actually like... ;)
6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Let's put a classic on here for the fun of it! While reading this book, not only did I seriously enjoy it, but I felt really smart while reading haha! I have read many classics due to the S word (school). I have disliked nearly all of them immensely and so I went on my own quest to find if there was a Classic on this planet that I could in fact tolerate. The answer is yes, but thus far only one. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen is a baller. Here at Rad Reads we love some strong feminist themes from a 19th century author. All in all, certified banger.
7. Read all of John Green's novels!
I just completed this a few days ago when I read Turtles All The Way Down. (C8's Take coming on that soon by the way...) And it has been a long time coming, but I am truly proud to say that I have read all of his books. He is such an incredible writer and there is not a single one of his books that you just forget about after putting it down. The messages and themes really stick with you and I think about them long after I finish reading them. Personal favorite are An Abundance of Katherines and Paper Towns. Paper Towns literally has... like... shaped my outlook on life. Not to be super deep, but trust me, should read it.
8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
BEST. BOOK. I'VE. EVER. READ. That is all that needs to be said. Just read it. (Nike. Lol. Okay. Not funny... sorry...)
9. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
So, I read this book last year for AP Lang and I really enjoyed it. If you aren't that into fiction, this is a biography about Louis Zamperini. He was an olympian who joined the Air Force during WWII. His plain crashed and he was captured by the Japanese and made a prisoner of war. His story is genuinely incredible and the book is very well written. If you are looking for a more impactful and educational read, this is the way to go.
10. Read a book and watch the movie adaptation.
There are a few reasons why I recommend this.
1: That way you can see that the book is always better than the movie (except for The Vampire Diaries, terrible book, great show).
2: To get a good laugh at how bad and different the movie is in comparison to the book.
This is one of my favorite things about reading, when you finish the book and get to laugh at the horrid misrepresentation of it in a film. Genuinely hilarious stuff. I just finished reading The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, and that book was great and that movie was just horrid! So so so many things that were so important in the book just didn't happen in the movie that I couldn't stop laughing, even during the most serious scenes.
Okay Rad Readers! I would like to send you off with this quote from the book that I am currently reading, Throne of Glass. I think that it is very relatable to what we are all going through right now...
"I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material."
-Sarah J. Mass.
Happy reading,
- C8 ;)