my bookish wonderland: Top 10 books to read this summer

So since summer is finally among us I thought I would recommend the top 10 books for the summer as well as the top 10 books I want to read this summer.
Personally, I don't usually pay that much attention to the season when I'm reading (I remember I read "When Santa fell to Earth" on the way to the beach once:)) but I thought about it recently and came up with some books I think are more fitting for summer than others.
From what I saw most people think of contemporary books as more "summery" but because I don't read that much contemporary, there are mostly other genres on this list. For some I have an explanation to why they are on this list and for others it just kind of felt right. Also there isn't a real order here so the first book isn't necessary my favorite. Anyway on to the actual list.

1. The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

This book was just amazing. It's really short and about Robie who, together with a boy named Max, has to survive in the middle in the ocean on a raft after a plane crash. Since I've read it, I've thought back multiple times and I think I might reread this soon. Since this book takes place in the middle of the ocean I think it would be a great book to read on the beach. It's length would also make it a great book for the beach since you can basically read it in a few hours. Just maybe don't read it if you have to board a plane anytime soon because that might stress you out a bit. I also wrote a review about it which you can view here: The Raft book review
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

2. The Martian by Andy Weir

I'm sure lots of people have already read this book but if you haven't definitely read it! This book is also rather short and follows the main character Mark Watney who has to survive on Mars all by himself with no rescue in sight (are you seeing the survival theme here?). You might think it's sad and depressing but it's actually really funny. Mark Watney is so sarcastic I just had to laugh uncontrollably every so often. I don't know exactly why I think this would be fitting for summer but I somehow think it is so here it is. Also I absolutely adore this cover (unfortunately my copy has another cover which I don't like as much). I haven't wrote a review for this yet but I might if I get to rereading it.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

3. The Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Summer should be hot and sunny, right? Well this book takes place in the desert so that already gives off summer vibes if you ask me. Amani desperately want's to get out of her small town Dustwalk and find a better life. She's a sharpshooter girl and a good one too. Even though it did have some flaws I enjoyed it and think it would also be great to read on a hot summer day.

There's a review for this book up on my blog as well: Rebel of the Sands book review

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

I'm not sure if anyone agrees with me on this one but I think The Young Elites would be a great book to read on holiday. It's not to long, really fast paced and it keeps you reading. I think it would be awesome to read on a plane ride or some other trip or even just at the beach. It's about Adelina who survived the blood fever but now has strange markings, like many other survivors. That makes her a malfetto and an outcast. Her father abuses her and because of that she escapes and crosses paths with some of the Young Elites. The Young Elites are malfettos who have powers and this particular group calls themselves the Dagger Society.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

Again, most people probably already heard about or read this one. I actually read the first book in summer and since it's summer in the books I also think it's a good pick. When Percy first hears about Camp Half Blood, it's actually described to him to be like a summer camp. For those who don't know, it's about Percy Jackson who finds out he's a demigod and has to retrieve a lightning bolt that someone stole from Zeus but he is made responsible for. I feel like this is a really crappy summary and doesn't describe the awesomeness that is this book at all but just trust me and give it a shot. (Sidenote: this is one of my favorite series of all time)

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

6. Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

This book might not be the book you should take to seriously but it is very entertaining. It's about Colette who is going to paris for a week with her school class. She is friends with basically mean girls and obsessed with staying popular. But after arriving in Paris she feels like she belongs but also notices weird things going on including her seeing a pale woman who looks like Marie Antoinette. Since it's not the most serious book, I think it would be great to read to read when you don't have time to focus all your time on it and just relax and read it every once in a while.

You can see my review for that here: Marie Antoinette Serial Killer book review

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars (but looking back I might even give it 3/ 3.5 stars)

7. Eragon

Ok, so this might be my favorite book/ series ever, maybe sharing ranks with Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. The reason I am recommending it here is a very different one than the previous books. All books in this series are massive and I think it's best to read them in summer when you can dedicate all your time to reading. I haven't read them in a while but I usually read these books in spring or summer and I kind of just connect the two now. Maybe you agree with me or maybe not but I think everyone should read this series regardless of the season so yeah :)

I don't even know how to summarize this book but if you like high fantasy with dragons and magic and other epicness give it a try.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

8. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red is a book I have read multiple times and enjoyed it every time. It's funny and entertaining and the perfect book if you want to relax and read a light book. Although it does have a medium amount of pages (324) it doesn't take long to read at all. The book follows Gwen, who realizes that she can travel through time even though her cousin Charlotte was the one who was prepared for it all her life. She now has to find out who she can trust and survive the whole adventure. She tries to tackle it all with a huge amount of humor and her best friend Leslie on her side.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

9. Night School by C. J. Daugherty

This is one of the few books I read because everyone in my class was obsessing about it. I haven't seen any hype around it on the internet though so I don't think that many people have read it. Night School is a series following the main character Allie who's a troublemaker and after getting arrested again her parents have enough and send her to an elite boarding school called Cimmeria Academy. Allie first doesn't want to be there at all but soon grows to like it. But she also has to realize that there are lots of hidden things going on that may endanger everyone. Sure, it's not the most original book and when I first heard about it I was really sceptic but it is better than it sounds and I really liked it in the end. This is also a book I think would a great light read for when you just want to read something fun and entertaining.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

10. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Most people probably just watch the TV show but Pll is also a book series. Although I don't think I'll read the whole series because just like the TV show this is a long series but I read the first few and really liked them. Especially the first book was really great in my opinion and I actually read it in summer (I'm not sure if I actually read it at the beach but I definitely discussed it a lot with my sister there). This to is a rather short and faced paced which I think is the perfect book to read in the summer. I feel like most people already know what it's about but basically it's about four girls who were all best friends with the most popular girl in school, Allison. When Allison disappeared they were devastated but also relieved because the only person who knew all there secrets was gone. But when they get messages about those secrets they start to panic and find out who this anonymous person is.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This turned out to be longer than I expected but if you're still here (congratulations!) here are the top 10 books I want to read this summer. I think some of them may even be more fitting but since I haven't read them yet, I can't recommend them yet either.