Hey guys, it’s Ariel, here with another blog post. I know I said yesterday that this post wasn’t going to be readathon-related, and it’s not (at least not directly). I had been planning to make this particular post today long before I knew I would be in a readathon during the time it went up, so it’s sort of a happy accident that it ended up happening this way.
As the title of this post suggests, today I am recommending quick reads. Specifically, I’m going to talk about five books and/or series that I personally read quickly, and that I think you probably would to.
Just as a side note, these books are not necessarily short books, but because of one reason or another—the formatting, the story’s content, etc.—they are books that, to me, can be read in less than a day, and maybe even in one sitting.
The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
I’ve talked about these books in other posts before, and I will probably continue to talk about them, because they’re incredible. The books look really long, but the way they’re formatted makes them such quick reads (unless you’re the sort of person who has to examine every little thing, then they will take you a really long time to read). They’re told through documents, like transcripts of video recordings and audio channels, emails, chat logs, pictures, and a bunch of other things. Somehow, though, even with the odd storytelling style, you get so attached to the characters and invested in their lives.
Basically, this series is like a space epic. It’s set in the far future, when humanity has spread out and colonized other planets besides Earth. Our story focuses on a fight between two mega-corporations over an illegal mining town, and the civilians who get caught in the crossfire. It’s got a little bit of everything: action, romance, friendship, family. It’s got some awesome female characters and some poignant moments. And now the series is complete, so you can marathon them all in a few days if you want.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Really, any of Selznick’s books would work for this recommendation. This is just the one I have read most recently, so it’s clearer in my head. I believe he has three books: this one, The Marvels, and another one called Wonderstruck which I have yet to read.
These books are quick reads for a similar reason to why The Illuminae Files are quick reads: there are a lot of pictures. In fact, I think Selznick’s books might actually have fewer words than an Illuminae Files book, because in most cases, the pages in those books have at least one word on them, whereas with Selznick, you can go several pages without encountering a single word. Instead, there are beautifully drawn illustrations which place you right into the middle of the world.
Warcross by Marie Lu
Marie Lu’s writing is so easy to read, and her stories are so action-packed that they’re hard to put down. I think this one is my favorite by her so far, though, and that’s saying a lot because I adore the Legend trilogy by her. We follow a girl named Emika Chen, a hacker who accidentally hacks her way into an internationally televised championship game of Warcross, the virtual reality game that has taken the whole world by storm. This accident sparks a chain of events that lands her in Tokyo, working for the game’s creator himself. From there, secrets abound, and Emika finds herself in the middle of it all.
I gave this book 5 stars when I read it. It was fantastic, and the second book in the duology is coming out soon, in September, which I cannot wait for.
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
These books are just so much fun and full of action. I think I probably read all of them in one sitting, and don’t worry, they have a ton of rereadability too. I have read this whole series more times than I care to count, and no matter what, I always love it. This one is especially nostalgic for me, because I loved it when I was a child, and I remained a fan of Rick Riordan all the way up until for recent years, when I haven’t really been keeping up with his books anymore. These books, though, and the Heroes of Olympus series, will always hold a special place in my heart.
They’re action-packed, each chapter bringing a new challenge to the table, but they’re also deceptively educational, which, being a nerd, is something that I love. I learned way more about Greek and Roman mythology reading these books than I ever learned in 9th grade, when we studied it, and I’ve retained that knowledge better than most of the things I learned during 12 years of mandatory schooling. Something about learning in a fun way just makes it stick better, I guess.
Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer
This one is sort of an obvious one; it is a graphic novel, after all. Of course it reads quickly. I just wanted to mention it because while everyone loves the Lunar Chronicles series, I feel like I haven’t seen very many people talk about this book, which is set in the same world and follows one of my personal (and I think a lot of people’s) favorite characters from that series, Iko. There is also a second graphic novel out in this series now, which I haven’t bought or read yet, but I really want to.
Iko is just great, and I think people should talk about this book more, because it’s also great. Plus, the world of the Lunar Chronicles is so cool, why wouldn’t you want to spend some more time there?
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That’s all for this installment of quick reads recommendations. Let me know if you guys want me to do more of these, or if you’ve read any of these books and whether or not you agree with my assessment.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you soon.
-Ariel