This summer, I went back to my five week sleepaway camp for my fourth summer. I was even busier this summer than the year before, as I discovered a love for mountain biking that kept me outdoors for much of the session. However, I always find time to read. These are my top picks from the books I borrowed from friends or read on my kindle while at camp. 

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

The Midnight Library is one of those books that makes you stare into space for a solid minute after finishing it. The writing is witty, poignant, and truly makes you think about what you’re doing with your life. I loved this book because it asks the universal human question of “what if?” and ends with a semi-perfect answer. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

Reading Perks as a rising sophomore in high school was, in my opinion, the perfect time to read it. Charlie’s letters are thoughtful, honest, and I loved the letter format of this novel. This book was something unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I adored it. Sam, Patrick, and Charlie are far from perfect people, and in my opinion, that is what makes them interesting.  

The Anthropocene Reviewed – John Green 

Essays on hot dog eating contests or gingko trees are not things I’d usually read, or expect to enjoy. But John Green is such an excellent writer that even in his essays about QWERTY keyboards I’m fascinated and curious. I give The Anthropocene Reviewed 5 stars. I’m beyond excited to see John Green speak in September! I’m seeing him talk about his newest novel (his first work of adult fiction) Hollywood, Ending.  

Red Rising by Pierce Brown 

When I started Red Rising, I will admit, I thought it was going to be just another Hunger Games rip-off desperately clawing at originality. But this book turned out to be just as good as the Hunger Games, if not a bit better. Red Rising takes themes of Appalachian-style mining colonies and puts those themes on Mars. There’s Greek mythology masterfully woven into the futuristic sci-fi world, and especially for mythology nerds like me, easter eggs from more obscure myths throughout. Red Rising was incredible, and I’m looking forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy. 

Beneath a Scarlet Sky – Mark T. Sullivan

Beneath a Scarlet Sky tells the story of Pino Lella, who was a teenager in Italy during WWII. The novel is based on an insane true story: Pino led people fleeing from the new Nazi regime in Italy over the Alps into Switzerland and to freedom from Nazis. He also went undercover as a driver for one of the Italian Nazi regime’s top generals. The story  was beautifully written, and I didn’t know much about WWII in Italy before reading this novel, but it’s a fascinating side of the war.