If You Like This Book, Then Read…

BY BLUE KAUFMAN

We all have that one book: the one you’ve read five times and still can’t get enough of. You own the special collectors edition of each of the movies, religiously listen to the audio books and are the peerless champion in every associated trivia game or “scene it” amongst your friends and family. In your mind, no other book could ever compare. If you fit this description, you are only hurting yourself. Other good books do exist; you just have to find the right place to start. Read this list if you want to snap out of that perpetual re-reading cycle and take a look at some fresh new pages.

If you like Harry Potter…Read the Artemis Fowl series

The Basic Plot: In a world teeming with hidden mystical creatures, 12-year-old Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind who uses his intelligence to build his family fortune. After his dad disappears, Artemis is determined to follow in his footsteps and prove that fairies really do exist. In the first book, he and his bodyguard kidnap the fairy Captain Holly Short and demand a hefty ransom.  In the later books, he works with fairies to defeat villains and save both the human and fairy worlds.

Why you should read it: There’s something intriguing about having the main character in the story be the initial bad guy. At first Artemis appears pessimistic and distant, but throughout the series he proves compassionate toward the ones he loves. Just like Harry Potter, it’s an action-packed seven-book series that attracts all types of readers.

If you like The Hunger Games…Read Looking for Alaska

The Basic Plot: Miles “Pudge” is tired of his dreary life and has decided to seek a Great Perhaps. He goes to Culver Creek High School where he meets Alaska Young: a wild carefree girl who captures Pudge’s attention and heart. With their friends Colonel and Takumi, they pull of some of the greatest pranks Culver Creek has ever seen. Everything is going well until one day a single event changes their lives forever. Now Pudge must find his way out of Alaska’s legendary Labyrinth of Suffering.

Why you should read it: You could form a list a mile long about why Looking for Alaska is a must read. It’s well written, insightful and insanely funny. However, the most compelling part is that it’s so relatable. Any teen will enjoy Looking for Alaska as the author John Green explores friendship, suffering and loss. Just like the Hunger Games, it has a realistic, captivating romance story that doesn’t make readers queasy, a miraculous feat that is hard to come by in today’s literature.

If you like the Chronicles of Narnia…Read a Wrinkle in Time series

The Basic Plot: After the mysterious disappearance of her father one year ago, 13-year-old Meg Murray and her younger brother are visited by three strange and powerful beings from another planet. They travel through a tesseract, a fifth dimension that is a sort of “wrinkle” in time and space. Together they must embark on an unforgettable journey to rescue her father from the clutches of the “IT,” an evil brain that controls the planet.

Why you should read it: This excellent science fiction adventure contains many exhilarating aspects that will make your imagination run wild.  A Wrinkle in Time has a sort of magic in it that reminds you why you love reading in the first place. Overall, this Newberry Award Winner is a classic and certainly a must read.

If you like the The Lord of the Rings series…Read His Dark Materials series

Basic Plot: In a parallel world ruled by the Magisterial, people’s souls are connected to their animal form. It’s an easy life, though protagonist Lyra seeks greater things. After overhearing her tutor Lord Asriel talks about the powerful existence of “dust,” she is eager to go searching for it. However, there are some who seek to destroy it, and Lyra now must accept her fate and confront dangers that she was never prepared for. She teams up with polar bear warriors and supernatural witches to attempt to unite the worlds.

Why you should read it: This heroic tales blows the world of Mordor right out of the water. Just like JR Tolkeins novel, His Dark Materials is beautifully written. However, unlike The Lord of the Rings, which spends a good 10 pages describing the trees and another 5 pages describing the leaves that connect to the trees, the Dark Materials series is very fast paced and to the point. It’s captivating, original and the perfect definition of a page-turner.