This summer, I went to a five week sleepaway camp. While that may sound daunting to some, it’s always one of the best parts of my summer. I made some of my best friends there, and one of the things that was always a conversation topic in our cabin were books. I borrowed at least three people’s entire camp book collection, one book at a time, while I was there. Some genuinely changed my thought process and how I saw the world. Here are some of my favorites. 

For the sci-fi fans: The Martian by Andy Weir. I don’t usually read much sci-fi as a genre, but this is such an incredible concept. An astronaut stuck on Mars alone, invisible to and unreachable by NASA. It’s a terrifying idea, but makes for an incredible novel. This plot, paired with Weir’s witty and dark humor, made The Martian easily one of the top ten books I’ve read this year. 

For the horror fans: My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, the first novel in the Indian Lake Trilogy. About a girl, Jade Daniels, who is obsessed with 80’s slashers, and who is convinced her town is on the cusp of being attacked by a murderer, just like the ones in the movies she loves. It’s suitably gory, with some fantastic slasher and horror movie dissections, in the form of essays written by Jade scattered throughout the book. But be warned, this book is not for the squeamish, because there are quite a lot of body parts, human and…otherwise.  

For the fantasy fans: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This duology has some of the most detailed world-building I’ve ever seen (the Grishaverse), and I’ve read quite a bit of fantasy. It’s about six outcasts planning a heist, and everything that, of course, goes wrong. It’s a well-written but faster paced novel, so if you like slower action, you’ll love my next rec. 

For the mystery fans: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. A classic suspenseful romance novel, it’s a little strangely written. The narrator’s details remain a mystery, which makes for a fantastic hook. It’s fairly slow-paced, but that only helps build the tension, culminating in an ending that will immediately make you reexamine the beginning of the novel. It’s a novel you read with a suspicious gaze, since nothing is as it seems at Manderley, not even the narrator. 

For the historical fiction fans: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I read this as one of the final books before my summer break, and it really changed my understanding of German civilian life during WWII. It’s narrated by Death, which is possibly my favorite narrative choice. It is quite depressing, as is most often the case with novels about WWII, but it is also absolutely beautiful. I’ve re-read the book multiple times, each hurting more than the last, because, of course, now I know how it ends. 

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these books, and what you thought of them! If you have any books that you would recommend, I’d love to hear the titles. I’m always on the lookout for my new favorite book.