This year, plenty of students are finding themselves hanging out in the library with nothing to do. Reading is a great way to fill that gap in time and the library is full of things to read. Regardless of whether you like to read or not, with the roster of books the library has to offer, there is definitely at least one book that will catch your eye.

“Kiss and Tell” by Adib Khorram is a story following the life of a boy band star named Hunter Drake. The story follows his life as he experiences a messy break up, an attempt at recovery and a major tour around America and Canada all while trying to understand what being gay means to not only himself but also to the society around him.

The themes of the story are handled very well, especially the sensitive ones. The modern setting makes the story very easy for any reader to visualize. The characters of the story are very well written and all seem like they could be real people we see in our everyday lives. Everything from their flaws to their growths are incredibly realistic. Lastly, the overall message of the story is one that can definitely resonate with plenty of people regardless of their sexuality. The idea of trying to understand who you are to yourself as well as the people around you is something that everyone faces at some point in their lives. Not to mention the hardships and obstacles you have to go through throughout that tough journey. If you want a really dramatic yet genuinely intriguing and upbringing story, “Kiss and Tell” is the one for you.

“The Dark Matter of Mona Starr” by Laura Lee Gulledge is a story about a girl named Mona. Mona struggles with crippling depression and anxiety. These dark emotions fill her up to a point where she begins to call them her matter, which tends to manifest in the physical form of a black hole or fog and even take on a ghost-like form. The story goes on to follow her as she attempts to improve the condition of her mental illness.

Almost any high school student can relate to this book in one way or another. Waves of sadness and anxiety can happen to any student and the story does a great job of putting these feelings into words. The drawings in the book also add even more to the feeling and emotion given off by the words. A captivating, beautiful and heart wrenching story, “The Dark Matter of Mona Starr” is a great read for any high school student but will be an especially good read for anyone that consistently experiences similar feelings to Mona Starr.

The final book to read for me would be “Sorcery of Thorns” by Margaret Rogerson. The story follows a girl named Elisabeth. Elisabeth was raised in a library filled with magical books called grimoires, always dreaming of becoming a warden that can protect her kingdom. After she is accused of a crime involving the library’s strongest grimoire, she is sent away from the library for punishment in the capital. This sets her away on one grand adventure that allows her to learn more about new people, herself and the mysterious library she grew up in.

The thing that really makes this book is the characters. Every character is written with great care and they all undertake great development throughout the story. The interactions between the characters are also very entertaining, making reading this book worth it on its own. All this added to the incredibly well structured world that surrounds our characters makes this the perfect book for anyone that loves a good ol’ bit of fantasy.

All three of these great books can be found in the Neuqua library. I definitely recommend taking a walk down there during your option period to pick up a story worth reading.