Summer Reading

I know there are some of you who would rather swallow swords than read during your summer. And that's okay. (Well, it's NOT okay, but I don't feel like ranting right now.)

Anyways:

For those needing inspiration: my recommendations on what to read this summer.

Now, I'm going to sound like a fashion magazine and say that the new trend this season(at least on Amaranthine Forever) is...Narration!

All the books I'm going to recommend today have a common factor, and that is witty, effortless, fast paced, often hilarious narration. Narration is sometimes overlooked as a major factor in writing. Sometimes it seems so forced and dry, it squashes brilliant characters and amazing settings.

So. Narration. Let's go.

Topping the list:

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Rick Riordan

This first-person narrated series is one of the best series out there. There are five of them(the last one isn't pictured) and they are very popular among kids and teens. They're easy reads and marketed on the younger side of the teen market, but the sarcastic narration and setting is worth it.  Plus-the second book in the spinoff series of this(The Heroes of Olympus) is coming out in October! So you'll be in the loop. :) Fantasy lovers will love this.


Artemis Fowl series(books 1-7)
Eoin Colfer
You knew this was coming. Come on! Eoin Colfer is considered one of the most brilliant authors alive, and this series is simply stunning. I must have(counts on fingers)..eight Artemis Fowl books upstairs in my room. The narration is fantastically funny, and the characters are so real and endearing they jump right off the page and live lives of their own. The plot wildly jumps from continent to continent, and even forwards and back in time. This is a great place for non-fans of Science Fiction to jump in.



The Mysterious Benedict Society series(1-3)
Trenton Lee Stewart

This series is a sweet, classic series that wavers on the edge of science fiction. The narration is suspenseful and the characters, though flat at times, will drag you in. It's like an older version of those chapter kid-power books you read when you were younger.


The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams

This is for older readers who already like science fiction(they'll appreciate it more.) This is a classic and the narration is dryly hilarious(I need to find some more synonyms for funny.) Absurd situations are mixed with wry narration, and you never really know what's going to happen next. One minute you're sitting drinking tea on Earth the next minute you're about to be tossed out a viewport while listening to poetry and then a blue whale falls on your head.(This actually happens.) If you enjoyed the first book, go on the the rest of them(there are six! The last one is written by...Eoin Colfer! Oh yeah!) but if you didn't like the first one then you should move on, the series isn't for you.


Those are my top recommendations! Most of you are Star Wars fans, so I would recommend some Star Wars novels to round out your summer. Do a long series! NJO or LOTF perhaps. You know what they are!

Now here is MY summer reading list. I'm hoping to avoid rereads.

1. Harry Potter series, JK Rowling. I confess to not having read these. It's a shame, I know. I have the first one already and am looking forward to it!
2. Maximum Ride series, James Patterson. Read the first chapter. It sounds really awesome(and a break into the paranormal genre.)
3. The Chronicles of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander. On Abby's recommendation. i trust her.
4. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins. I normally don't do dystopian but I want to be in the loop when the movie comes out.

And maybe A Series of Unfortunate Events. The narration sounds funny but I really don't like books with sad endings. They depress me. So maybe, if I'm really bored. What's on your list this summer?