10 Summer Reading Recommendations

Anyone who knows me for more than 30 seconds can tell I'm a book worm.
I will read, and pretty much enjoy, anything, but I tend to stay in the comfort of young adult fiction, dystopian novels, or science fiction.
Also, that's not something I usually tell people, because of the dirty looks I get. 

So here's a list of books/series I would recommend if you've got some time to read this summer, on the beach, on a road trip, or just on your couch.

1. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare 

These are the books in order from top to bottom

Series - 6 books
This is my favorite series of all time and one of the few I've read as the author was publishing them. I had to wait and worry over these books for 5 years till they were finished.
This is the series I recommend to any and every person who asks.
AH, I LOVE THEM!

They take place in modern day New York City, and are about a group of half-angel, half-human people called Shadowhunters. These Shadowhunters fight demons, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and wizards.
The characters are fantastic, the story twists and turns, and it will keep you engaged throughout the 6 books.

2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Series - 3 books
This is my second favorite series of all time, and it is written by the same author in the same universe. This story takes place about 100 years before the one above, so it's technically a prequel, but not really.
This one will rip out your heart and then make you happier than ever before.

The ID takes place in 19th Century England and has the same kind of angel/human hybrids in it. These characters are just as gripping, but the plot line suffered a bit for me. I still love it though, that's why it's on the list.

3. Paper Towns by John Green 

Okay, so I'm going to be honest, I'm wasn't a huge fan of John Green. I thought he was overrated, and I still haven't seen TFIOS, and I don't plan to.
THAT BEING SAID, this book gives me life. I love it so much that I would read it again (something I don't do very often).

This book is all about our perceptions of people and how sometimes when we have created those perceptions they are completely inaccurate.
It's a love story, a coming of age story, and a "things aren't always what they seem story".
Seriously I love it.

4. The Maze Runner 

Series - 3 books and a prequel
So these books are like the Hunger Games on crack. They kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There is death and danger around every corner from the minute you pick up the first book.
The beginning is a little hard to understand because the main character had his memory wiped, but once you get through the first chapter or so, you won't be able to put it down.

Thomas, the main character, can't remember anything and wakes up in a gigantic maze with a bunch of other young men. They try to find their way out, but with monsters around every corner, it seems something else is going on here.

                     5. The Host by Stephanie Meyer 

Okay, so I know you're thinking, "Syd, why is Stephanie Meyer on your list?" Okay, valid observation, but this book is no joke. I really, really liked it and it has nothing to do with sparkly vampires.
The first couple chapters are rough, but once you get to the meat of the book, it's a wild ride.

This story takes place in a future where aliens have taken over the earth and inhabit human bodies. The main character, who is an alien, gets a human body whose soul doesn't want to be silenced.

                                 6. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen 

I've read this book 3 times, which, again, doesn't happen. It's a feel good book for the ages. It's such an easy read that I can read it in two days. For a teen romance novel, it actually has some pretty developed characters and the love story is just too cute.

The girl is rude, loud, outgoing, and protected and the boy is adorable, honest, and funny. It's a good combination and a story I always come back to.

7. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 

This is one of the more haunting books on the list.

This is about a girl who has already committed suicide, but leaves behind 13 recorded tapes with the 13 people who brought her to this point. Her last demand is that the tapes get passed around to each of the 13 people so they can know how they've effected her life. It's a tragic story of what "little" things can do to a person who is breaking.

It has you cheering for her to triumph, even when you know the ending, that she is dead.
It makes you think about the way you treat others and it's definitely a good read.

     8. A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin

This is a historical fiction about the social change in America during World War II.
It's a story of 4 women who meet in a weapon's factory who come from all different backgrounds. They are forced to address things they never had to before because of the shifting culture of the 1940's. I really enjoyed it because it kept asking the question, "what was a woman's role in this changing time?" Each woman walks away from this experience with a completely different answer to that question.

It's a great read and it's written by a Christian author so it's overwhelmingly clean, which is something I enjoy.

9. Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver 

Series - 3 books
I just finished up these books a few weeks ago. These are another set of dystopian novels in which the world is screwed up. In this particular world, love is a disease and at the age of 18 you get "cured" from it.

Here comes the classic plot of:
     girl, who is an outsider, meets boy who shows her what love is like. Blah, Blah, Blah. 

I know it's an overused plot, but the books are actually very interesting and entertaining. The world its set in is exactly the same as ours, but with no love. They weave in old stories from the Bible and from our country   and use them to teach "lessons". Each book follows the same main character, but they each have a different feel to them so the character develops very nicely throughout.

10. Vampire Academy 

Series - 6 books

I read these books sophomore year of high school, and when I think of books I loved, these ones are always at the top of the list.

Yeah they're vampire books, but it's a completely new take on them. Add a compelling set of main characters, a love story for the books, and lots of actions, it's a great read.

The story is about a boarding school for high school vampires but more is going on than what can be seen on the surface. The "good" vampires are wimps and rely on their half-human, half-vampire bodyguards to fight the "bad" vampires, who are extremely strong, fast and vicious.
There's also magic, two amazing male characters, and lots of twist and turns.

There are my 10 recommendations for the summer,or anytime, reading. 

I have many more that I've loved, and many more that I've hated.
But each were worth the journey.

-S

My Summer So Far

Well currently I am listening to some country music and chilling on a couch at my Aunt and Uncle's house.

I know that doesn't sound all that exciting, but it actually is. I've been moving more this summer than in most of my summers.

Earlier in May, I got to visit my family in West Virginia and have a blast with them, doing absolutely nothing. They are the greatest people to be around and I love that feeling of traveling, but still feeling at home. Ah, can't wait to see them again.




Last week, I had the privilege of going to OBX with one of my very best friends and her wonderful family. The week was filled with so much laughter, reading, chocolate, water, and late nights watching Supernatural. We saw lighthouses and the Lost Colony and took way too many pictures. We chased (or in my case, ran from) crabs on the beach at night and found a whole hoard of seashells.

The Lord has blessed me tremendously with people in my life that understand me and want to live life with me. The week at Outer Banks with them allowed me to appreciate that all over again.
















Well I got home from the beach, packed up my things, slept in my own bed for one night, and left for my internship in Richmond the next day.

Currently I am finishing up my first of two weeks interning at the Virginia Capitol Foundation. Anyone who knows me well knows I love museums and all things history (and no I don't do reenactments). This internship is a really fascinating way to see what all has to go into keeping a historical sight, artifacts, and monuments relevant and maintained. This foundation does most of the fundraising for the Capitol building, Capitol Square, and the Governor's Mansion.



As an intern, I do what I can to help the VCF by setting up social media, transcribing their visitor movie script and assigning Virginia Standards of Learning to it, and brainstorming ways to bring new people into the Capitol.

I have truly enjoyed working with them and, honestly, seeing what being a real adult might look like for me. Haha. University is ending soon, so I am happy to get this experience under my belt.

(To the left is the inside of the building I work in, it is the Old City Hall for Richmond. To the right is a picture, 18 stories high on the building a work in. The gray castle building is where the office is and the white building is the Virginia Capitol.)







I am spending the rest of these two weeks with my Aunt and Uncle as they show me what Richmond really has to offer. I get to experience a city and see the museums, visit old buildings, and eat at new restaurants. In the middle of next week, I am even going to some guy's political party that is running for the VA Senate.

It's all very new, but I am loving every second of it.
This summer has been awesome so far, and I know I have been truly blessed.

-S