12 Books for an Epic Summer Escape

Book List

12 Books for an Epic Summer Escape

July 20, 2017

Summer is by far my favorite season. For me, it means enjoying the sun, spending time by the pool, playing volleyball on the beach, hanging out with friends, and eating lots of dairy-free ice cream (shout out to my fellow lactose-intolerant people)! But summer isn’t without its faults. When I was younger, I occasionally found myself alone because a majority of my friends were either away on vacation or working as counselors at sleep-away summer camps. The sun becomes infinitely less fun when you find yourself without anyone to enjoy it with. Luckily, I’m an optimistic person by nature, and I always took that time as an opportunity to catch up on my for-fun reading. Specifically, I looked for books that would take me AWAY (I mean far far away, both in time and space). I liked the opportunity to escape and go on a completely non-contemporary adventure! It was my way of running away…you know…without any actual running. It’s still what I do when I find myself bored with my everyday life, which is why I have a recommendation list a mile long. So whether you’re working the worst summer job of your life, missing your friends, or just want to ignore the realities of life, here are some books that are sure to give you an epic escape from the ordinary!

P.S. Be sure to bring this with you on your next bookstore run!

Order of Darkness Volumes I-IIIby Philippa Gregory

In Changeling, the year is 1453 and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Forced to face the greatest fears of the dark ages—witchcraft, werewolves, madness—seventeen-year-olds Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destinies, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure who defends the boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.

Lord of Shadowsby Cassandra Clare

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

The Last Magicianby Lisa Maxwell

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Wantby Cindy Pon

Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits, protecting them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city, while those without suffer illness and early deaths. Frustrated by his city’s corruption and still grieving the loss of his mother who died as a result of it, Zhou is determined to change things, no matter the cost.

Blacksoulsby Nicole Castroman

Nicole Castroman brings the dangerous pirate ports of the Caribbean to life in this vibrant sequel to Blackhearts—the reimagined origin story of history’s most infamous pirate, Blackbeard. Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty, and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined.

The Diabolicby S. J. Kincaid

Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this epic novel about what happens when the galaxy’s most deadly weapon masquerades as a senator’s daughter and a hostage of the galactic court. A Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.

The Programby Suzanne Young

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Let the Sky Fallby Shannon Messenger

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

The Impostor Queenby Sarah Fine

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule. But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

The Scorpion Rulesby Erin Bow

Greta is a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. This is how the game is played: if you want to rule, you must give one of your children as a hostage. Start a war and your hostage dies.

Scytheby Neal Shusterman

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.