Everyone has a favorite type of book … it could be the genre, a certain style of writing, a particular setting or book theme. The Read Harder Challenge asks you to step out of your comfort zone (or as I like to call it — my rut) and try a different type of book. One of the challenges is to read the first book in a new-to-you young adult or juvenile series — a collection that I have never been drawn to, except for Harry Potter, of course! (Don’t ask me how many times I have read those books!) I have selected a few for you to try out. You can also look at the list in our catalog for other options.
Whether or not you are a fan of fantasy, Maggie Stiefvater’s first novel in the Raven Cycle series is sure to please. One of my struggles with fantasy is often the characters don’t seem believable. However, it was easy for me to connect with Stiefvater’s characters and the plot line in the first book of the series, “The Raven Boys.” Blue, the main character, comes from a family of clairvoyants with her only talent being that she can increase the gifts of others with her special energy. The story takes off when she meets Gansey and his group of friends who attend a private boy’s school in town. She is drawn to Gansey and his quest to find a specific ley line to the resting place of Glendower. It is rumored that if he wakes Glendower one wish will be granted. Also central to the story is Blue’s curse: if she kisses her true love he will die, which makes her attraction for Gansey fraught with tension.
I can’t let this opportunity go by without recommending the Harry Potter series. For those adults who think it is strictly a children’s series, think again. J.K. Rowling’s writing alone is enough to draw you into her stories. Her writing is whimsical and rhythmic, with lots of irony and good flow. She pays great attention to detail, yet this does not become boring or distracting. The first book in the series is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” It starts with Harry finding out that he is a wizard, not the ordinary muggle (non-magical human) he thought he was. Thus begins the next seven years of his journey at Hogwarts, the wizarding school he attends, and his perpetual effort to defeat Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard attempting to take over the wizarding world. Every book is filled with the wonders of this magical world as Harry and his two best friends journey through the struggle between good and evil. The stories are extraordinary.
“Cinder” by Marissa Meyer is the first book of The Lunar Chronicles, a series that has its origins in the fairy tale, Cinderella. Cinder is a young cyborg girl who lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters. Sounding familiar? Not so much, as Cinder is a cyborg and renowned mechanic that mostly fixes androids and port screens. As in the original story, Cinder is reviled by her stepmother who also takes all of her earnings. One of her stepsisters is incredibly mean to her, but she has a good relationship with the other one. Her life is mundane until she meets Prince Kai, who comes to her with an android in need of repair. Suddenly she is thrust into an intergalactic struggle that is mixed with an evil queen, romance and lots of inventive surprises. Although futuristic, there is also an underlying tone of the old world charm of the original fairy tale.
If you’re interested in participating in the Read Harder Challenge but want to know more, you’re in luck. On March 27 there will be an in-person meet-up at the Columbia Public Library at 6 p.m. in the Friends Room. This meet-up will be a great chance to get any questions you have answered, as well as be a chance to meet with others participating in the challenge.
Image credit: Abhi Sharma, Books HD via Flickr (license)
