With the temperatures dropping once again (you knew the heat wave couldn’t last) you’re probably eagerly counting down to Spring Break! Whether you’re heading to Punta Cana, to the beach, to the mountains for skiing, back home for a nice relaxing break, or staying here in South Bend, you’re bound to have some time to kill. After you’ve watched more hours of TV on Netflix than is strictly advisable (House of Cards!!!), why not pick up a book? I have suggestions for just about every type of reader, with some new releases and a few older favorites.
First, this list is by no means complete! If I haven’t read it, I won’t recommend it, so I apologize in advance if I’m missing some of your favorites. I consider my taste fairly diverse, but this list reflects by personal preferences. There are some best sellers on this list, but I tried to pick a few others you may not have discovered yet. Happy reading!
Beach Books for Babes
If you’re lying on the beach, soaking up some sun, here are some fun, light reads that fit with the setting and the weather!
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
This is the first of several Libba Bray novels I’m going to recommend, mostly because she’s a hugely dynamic writer and her books are incredibly entertaining and enjoyable. This book is laugh out loud funny at times. It’s a perfect mix of humor, sarcasm, and the struggles of being female. Everything you could want from a reality-show-esque book, with plenty of drama and girl power to go around.
Synopsis: The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.
What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program – or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan – or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?
Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
I would rank this as one of my favorite books of all time. The book is not quite as ridiculous as the synopsis sounds and it’s more endearing than you would expect. Going Bovine follows Cam on an epic road trip, which fittingly includes Spring Break! The cover gives you a good sense of the book (a cow holding a gnome), but the Printz Medal says it all. Be warned, this is a bit of a dark comedy and certainly not for everyone, but if you’re willing to give it a chance, it just may blow you away.
Synopsis: All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most. ~ Amazon
Adventures for All
If you like books that are more adventure centered, here are two polar opposite books. The second one is definitely a chick book, but the first is great for girls or guys.
SilverFin by Charlie Higson
This is a series about young James Bond. While I heartily recommend the original series by Ian Fleming, Higson writes a lighter YA version of the classic spy novels, which are just as compelling, if not more so than the originals. This is the first book of five in the series. Spring Break also appears in this book, making it extra fitting.
Synopsis: The name’s Bond, James Bond. SilverFin is a junior James Bond story packed with adventure and the mysteries behind project SilverFin. James is new at Eton Academy in England, and he’s just trying to fit in. But of course there are the friendly people, and the people that just want to start trouble. George Hellebore is one of these people. Ever since James came to this school he didn’t seem to fit in. That is until he met Mr. Merriot, then he found his fun in the boring English boarding school. He started to run cross-country with Mr. Merriot as his coach. It all led up to the big race so James could prove himself. He uncovers George Hellebore using short cuts, but can James still pull through and win this race?
Then comes vacation, James goes to visit his Aunt Charmian, and Uncle Max in Scotland. His Uncle isn’t doing very well so he is spending his vacation over there. During his trip he meets a boy named Red Kelly, and also discovers that the Hellebore estate is in the same area as his aunt’s and uncle’s house. Red has gone to Scotland in search of his missing cousin Alfie, and James soon gets pulled into the mystery and goes to the estate to figure out what is going on. They soon find out that Lord Randolph Hellebore is performing experiments inside his castle. His purpose is to create the perfect fighting machine and take over the world. He has been experimenting on human test subjects, and James is determined to find a way to shut them down. Will he be able to do it? Can James save the world by stopping this mad man? (from The Vandivere Post by David A. Bryant III)
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
This is another great book about traveling (and to Europe of all places)! For those of you who like some romance, this book should hit the spot. You’re bound to find yourself swept up in Ginny’s adventure and this book is a complete 180 from the kind of adventure you’ll find in SilverFin. I picked this up while traveling once and it was the perfect read for bus and plane travel!
Synopsis: Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it’s all because of the 13 little blue envelopes. (from Amazon)
Fantasy for Fanatics
I debated on how many books to recommend in this category, but I love A Song of Fire and Ice so much that I’m making it my sole recommendation in this category, because it is truly outstanding. As far as fantasy goes, Martin calls his books “epic fantasy,” which is more than fitting.
A Song of Fire and Ice: Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Whether you’re an avid watcher of the HBO series or you’ve never seen an episode, I highly recommend this adult fantasy series. Game of Thrones is the first of 7 books (the first 5 of which have been released). It is by no means a short book (the first book is 864 pages), but you’re highly unlikely to run out of story before Spring Break is over (a legitimate concern if you’re a fast reader). The series is full of adventure, magic, romance, sex (you’ve been warned), war, fighting, death (which can be quite gruesome and gory), plots of intrigue, suspense…the list goes on. I could honestly have put this book in almost any category, but decided on fantasy. It’s a masterful and complex story about the struggle for power. Also, Martin is not afraid to kill characters, so try not to get too attached (which you inevitably will). One last disclaimer: Martin is known to finish his books when he finishes them, so it has been 3 years since the most recent book in the series was finished, with no publication date in sight for the sixth. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, but this series is well worth waiting for!
Synopsis: Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. ~ Amazon
Historical Fiction for Flights
In favor of putting some bounds on this huge category, I’ve limited my picks to World War II (my favorite historical time period and one I’ve recently binged on). These books are some of the heavier spring break options, but must reads!
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Zusak is an Australian author, who I stumbled across when I took a book out in high school called I Am the Messenger (another one of my all-time favorite books). The Book Thief (recently released as a movie by the same name) is set during World War II near Dachau. The narrator is Death and he offers an intimate commentary on the humans whose lives he watches and takes. This book, a fictional account of life in Germany during the war, can deservingly be deemed profound. This book has also won a Printz Medal.
Synopsis: It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. ~Amazon
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This book follows the story of a female pilot and a female spy during World War II. It is undoubtedly one of the more unique books written about World War II and I was instantly drawn into the stories of the two protagonists. If you like planes, or even just girl power, I heartily recommend this book.
Synopsis: Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it’s barely begun.
When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? ~Amazon
School Stories for Students
Don’t let the name of this section fool you, these books are set at school, but they are by no means the type of books you will get assigned in class.
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban
I’d say this is another one of my favorite books, but you’re probably starting to wonder how many favorite books I have (answer: a lot!). I would argue that this is the best book I’ve ever read about writing a paper. The different perspectives keep this book interesting and the romance adds to the story.
Synopsis: The Tragedy Paper follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old albino and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim’s surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.
Jumping between viewpoints of the love-struck Tim and Duncan, a current senior about to uncover the truth of Tim and Vanessa, The Tragedy Paper is a compelling tale of forbidden love and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets. (from Amazon)
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
If you’ve seen the movie, the book’s even better and if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, what are you waiting for! This is a great book about finding yourself, falling in love, making friends, and dealing with the struggles of growing up. The book is fairly short, written in the form of unaddressed letters, and a quick read. Despite being set in the 1990s, this book only occasionally dates itself and its message far transcends the passage of time.
Synopsis: Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective…but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over three million copies in print, spent over one year at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and inspired a major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. Of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. ~Amzon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
There’s probably some rule requiring lists of books for young adults to include John Green, so here he is! If you don’t quite know what you’re getting into with a John Green book, I’m not sure what to tell you besides pick one up as soon as you can. His writing is profound and he has a unique talent for capturing emotions in a vivid and moving way. This book has some amazing writing and is a piece of art in its own right.
Synopsis: Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . .
After. Nothing is ever the same. ~Amazon
Romance for Readers
I will be honest, romance is not my favorite genre, so my two picks probably aren’t ones that would make a top 10 list. The first is about romance from a male perspective and the second is set in the 1920s. I enjoyed both books and tried to pick two options that were fairly different. Many of the other books I’ve recommended have romance as a subplot as well, so if you don’t love these recommendations, try one of my earlier picks!
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak
This is another book by Markus Zusak, but completely different from The Book Thief. Getting the Girl is the second book with these characters, but this book stands alone and can be read easily on its own. This book is told from the male perspective and is about the aches of falling for someone you can’t have. As much as this is a story about falling in love, it is also about the importance of family and sibling relationships.
Synopsis: Cameron Wolfe’s life gets very complicated when he falls for his brother’s girlfriend in this winning, wise novel from the dynamic author of FIGHTING RUBEN WOLFE.
Cameron Wolfe is the quiet one in his family, not a soccer star like his brother Steve or a charming fighter with a new girl every week like his brother Rube. Cam would give anything to be near one of those girls, to love her and treat her right. He especially likes Rube’s latest, Octavia, with her brilliant ideas and bright green eyes. But what woman like that would want a loser like him?
Maybe Octavia would, Cam discovers. Maybe he’d even have something to say. And those maybes change everything: winning, loving, losing, the Wolfe brothers, and Cameron himself. ~Amazon
The Flappers: Vixen by Jillian Larkin
This book is deliciously scandalous and set in the Roaring Twenties. It certainly qualifies as historical fiction, but is full of romance and intrigue. If you liked The Great Gatsby this is another great book set during that time period and definitely not “required reading.” Another light book, with plenty of drama and glamour.
Synopsis: Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination. Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?
Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .
Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . .
There you have it, a diverse assortment of books for your travels! Hopefully at least a few of these peaked your interest. I promise that all of them are great break companions, no matter where you spend Spring Break. Safe travels with lots of relaxation and happy reading!