With the countless required reading assignments given in high school, many are soured against required reading and miss out on the fantastic experience of devouring really incredible books. So, here are five quick and easy reads to help you rediscover your love of reading, all of which can be found in our school library. 

• The Poet X by  Elizabeth Acevedo

Written in verse format, The Poet X follows the story of fifteen year old Xiamora as she writes about her struggles with family, friends, and identity through her powerful poetry. With each chapter a little over a page, anyone could speed through this book within a day while still getting to experience the beautiful world of Xiamora. 

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Simplistic and beautiful, The Little Prince is a fairy tale for all ages. With only 110 pages, this book reads as easily as a children’s book; yet, it still tells an incredible story with memorable quotes on every other page and a great message about growing up.

• Me, Earl & the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

If you aren’t normally interested in traditionally written books, Me, Earl & the Dying Girl is the book for you. Written from the perspective of seventeen-year-old Greg Gaines, ex-filmmaker and comically sarcastic narrator, this book is relatable and real and almost sure to make you both cry and laugh as Greg recounts his experience befriending his leukemia-ridden classmate Rachel. Though this book is slightly on the longer side, the writing is so simplistic and the format so unique that anyone could read this book within a week. 

• The Martian Andy Weir

Written in diary entry format, The Martian is a funny and gripping science fiction survival story of a charismatic botanist astronaut who has found himself stranded on Mars. With short and readable diary entry chapters, this book makes science fun and captured the attention of people all across the country after it’s release in 2011, quickly becoming a New York Times bestseller, Winner of goodreads choice award for science fiction, and getting turned into a major motion picture.

• Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky

This book is presented as a series of letters addressed ‘dear friend’ and written from the perspective of socially awkward Charlie Kelmackis as he makes his way through his freshman year of high school and recounts tales of meeting new friends, going to parties, coping with family stresses, and everything else high schoolers do. With Charlie’s childlike and endearing letters, he writes about what it’s like to be young, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with both him and his story.