Almost everyone’s views are different when it comes to reading, and sometimes it can be hard to find a person with the same interest for books. But when it all comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter which books may be considered better than others, the common factor of finding joy in reading will always be there. 

For some, reading might not be a passion or hobby, but something they don’t really enjoy and are just forced to do for classes. But reading may not seem so boring if you can find a book about a subject or subjects you actually enjoy.

No matter which of these two people you may be, a book lover or hater, this list is made to help out with picking a next good read to get hooked on. Also, bonus, all of these books have sequels in case they leave you wanting more and have movies for those who would prefer watching over reading.

Book number one- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

This the first book in a series of seven books. There are eight movies made after these books. You may have heard someone talking about this series before or seen an advertisement for it somewhere. Here is the book’s summary:

Harry Potter was raised as a normal boy. He is ignored by the family he lives with, always considered strange and lives under the house stairs in a room no bigger than a closet. But the fact of the matter is, Harry Potter is not anywhere near a normal boy. He is a wizard living in the Muggle world. Both of his parents were wizards who died too soon to tell him who he really was. So through a series of hundreds of letters and a half giant bursting down his door, Harry finds out he is famous in the wizard world and everyone has been wondering where he disappeared to. Suddenly becoming a wizard throws Harry’s life upside down as countless adventures, friendships and dangers follow Harry throughout his new side of life.

Harry Potter is a personal favorite of mine, as I am a huge Potter head and read this in my eighth grade year. It is a magical series full of adventure and plot twists that will hold tight to the imagination while still letting it run free. This book has a great way of conveying exactly how the characters are feeling, and makes you feel it as well. One warning, this can be a lengthy read if you decide to read the entire series.  So if magic, adventure and suspense interest you, try giving Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone a read.

Book number two – Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This is the first book of five, and the first series of five series as well. There are two movies of the Percy Jackson series, but a fair warning, they don’t follow the book’s plot more than getting the characters’ names right. Here is the book’s summary:

Percy Jackson doesn’t have the best record at his school. Learning doesn’t come easily to him, and he always seems to be in the worst place at the worst time. And even worse, his home life has become a living nightmare with his step-father “Smelly Gabe” at home. Percy didn’t think things could become any more complicated, but the fates were determined to prove him wrong. After turning a so-called “school teacher” into dust at a museum, Percy finds out that he is not exactly human. There was a reason school was so hard for him and a reason as to why danger always seemed to follow him. Percy Jackson is a demi-god, and just as he finds out, he is accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt. Now he has to save himself, others and recover Zeus’s lighting bolt while everything is out to kill him.

I read through the whole Percy Jackson series in under a month in my seventh grade year because I fell in love with it. Rick Riordan, who wrote Percy Jackson, is now one of my favorite authors, and I’ve almost read every book of his. This book is in Percy’s point of view and that makes the story more relatable in a way you almost feel like you’re living it out, even if it may not be real. If Greek mythology, adventure, diverse characters and sarcastic humor are things you enjoy seeing in a book, Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief may be your next great read.

Book number three- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the first book of three. There are four movies that go along with this series. Also, I have not personally read this series yet, but I have all three books and plan to soon, as it has been recommended to me many times before. Here is the book’s summary:

One shining Capitol lies among the ruins of a past country and twelve surrounding districts. The Capitol is very harsh in how to rules and keeps the other districts in line by holding an annual Hunger Games. Each district is forced to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to compete in the competition of survival to the death that is broadcast on live TV. Katniss Evergreen knows what she is getting into when she volunteers to take her sister’s place in the Games when she is nominated. But Katniss knows survival and relies on it as her main instinct. She will have to balance between survival and humanity and love and life.

I’ve heard many good things about this book and it leaves me dying to read it. It is a story that brings in huge problems for Katniss to face without much of a chance of survival. It could even be used as a comparison to today’s problems the world may face. She has to be quick and sharp at all times and can’t let her guard down. How will it all play out in the end?

Romance, danger, suspense and action surrounding this book if that is what grabs your attention in a good book. Try The Hunger Games for your next read.

Fantasy and fiction books can be really fascinating genres, even though not everyone may like them. Fantasy and fiction allow for readers to imagine a whole new world instead of real life. It can give people a place to escape to that will always be there, waiting to be imagined again and again. These books especially make for a strong image of the world the characters are in and makes it easy to find yourself in that world too.