As an avid reader, I find myself foisting my favorite reads upon my friends constantly, so here is a list of five books I highly suggest picking up and reading ASAP for an enjoyable summer full of stories from horror to fantasy. These are in no particular order, but they represent some of my more recent favorite reads and rereads. Plus, stay tuned for a few bonus novels at the end of this list.

1) "The Lost World" by Michael Crichton:

While the movie was a major flop when it comes to the "Jurassic Park" sequel, but the book blows both films out of the Mosasaur pool. The plotline almost entirely differs from the film in all of the best ways possible. With more thrills, better dinos, and an amazing gas station scene featuring a dinosaur still yet to grace the silver screen under Spielberg's helm. Get out your dust brushes and don't miss out on uncovering this buried gem.

2) "The Martian" by Andy Weir:

A bestseller of course, but it's a book for more than the average space nerd. Anyone can relate to the humanity of a botanist attempting to survive on Mars all alone. The daily journal model helps put you in the crazy Mars road trips first hand. Sure it has a movie, but it's NOWHERE near as good! Nothing beats a good ole adventure novel, especially when it comes to pioneering life on Mars.

3) "Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine:

A delightfully odd retelling of Snow White, "Fairest" takes you on a trip through a world where beauty is defined by more than just your looks. Although the novel is intended for preteens, readers of all ages can enjoy this novel that twists in the end in such a way that you may question when Lewis Carrol came in to write a chapter or two. With the added perk of taking place in the same world as "Ella Enchanted," this very obscure version of a classic fairytale is miles and miles away from any other Snow White tale.

4) "The Kingmaker's Daughter" by Philippa Gregory:

The fourth novel in a series written about the generation before the famous King Henry VIII of England, this novel focuses on a girl who often missed the spotlight, the mousy wife of King Richard III, Anne Neville. So much of Anne's life is skipped over by most readers of historical fiction, yet her life was full of as much drama as a Shakespeare tragedy. I highly suggest reading the other five novels in this series, but no worries about the order, because almost every single one backtracks and focuses on other characters during the same time frame. By the end of this series, you won't know who to root for!

5) "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn:

By the thrilling author of "Gone Girl," this novel takes a much darker spin on a mystery. Based on a very disturbing nursery rhyme involving axes and shotguns, a cold case is reopened by one of the victims herself. It's so much better than "Gone Girl," so grab a copy this summer and read it in the bright sunshine!

I hope these novels inspire as many imaginative adventures as I enjoyed while reading them. The following titles are some of my other favorites that I highly suggest:

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, "The Exorcist," by William Peter Blatty, "The Pact" by Jodi Piccoult, "The Kane Chronicles" by Rick Riordan, "Goose Girl" and "Princess Academy" by Shannon Hale, "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, and finally "Looking For Alaska" by John Green.

Happy Reading!