Stress. It's something we all deal with: at school, at work, in life—there's always something to worry about, something weighing on the mind and shoulders. Although it may be tempting to power up your laptop and escape to the realm of Netflix at times like these, reading a book or two can provide the same amount of entertainment and distraction while keeping your brain alert enough to focus when it's time to buckle down. Here are five book series and worlds that provide what we've all been searching for: a place where you may go and none of your problems can follow.
- Zodiac by Romina Russell
This brilliantly intricate intergalactic universe is set far in the distant future; long after the Earth we know now has collapsed. The galaxy is comprised of twelve planets, each based off a separate sign such as Aries or Cancer, and each bringing a different strength, such as military or innovation, to the Zodiac. The planets are each separate worlds in their own right, offering different ways of life to their people and operating under different forms of government.
Within this world, Rho Grace, a 16-year-old girl from House Cancer, is sent reeling when a seemingly natural disaster strikes her home, causing her even more distress when she is suddenly named House Cancer's new leader. When disasters start striking all over the Zodiac, Rho suspects that something, or someone, is hiding behind the darkness in the sky causing the mayhem—but who would believe her?
- The Selection by Kiera Cass
America Singer is a caste Five, three castes up from the bottom. In Illéa, what caste you are determines your social and economic status, what you do, and how fairly you are treated. When America is accepted into The Selection (a televised process very similar to The Bachelor) and given the chance to compete for prince's heart, she agrees, but only to help her family out of financial hardship. There's just one problem: she's already in love—with Aspen, that is, a boy from the caste below hers. America is prepared to join the Selection and stay in just long enough for her family to reap the benefits—but what she isn't prepared for is the charming Prince Maxon.
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
This goes without saying. Every aspect of this magical world has been thoroughly thought out by none other than J.K. Rowling; from the classes the students take at Hogwarts to the magical plants and creatures and how to handle each one, this world seems so detailed and realistic that it almost seems to coexist with us Muggles (non-magical people). And who's to say that it doesn't? The world has even been expanded on multiple platforms, giving it a rich magical history and fully fleshed out main and minor characters.
Though it is a fairly long series (seven books strong!) every word is well worth the read, and rereading never hurts, either. Harry Potter is always a valid, and effective, escape.
- Matched by Ally Condie
In a dystopian world where everything from who you love to when you die is controlled, art is censored, limited, and all choices are predicted, deception reigns supreme behind the Society's perfectly manufactured façade. When Cassia, the protagonist, is matched with her best friend, she can practically feel the pieces of her life falling into place. But when the wrong boy's face comes up on the screen, Cassia begins to question the Society she has always trusted before.
- The Alchemyst: The Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
Subject of a mysterious prophecy, twins Sophie and Josh Newman find their lives turned upside-down when the immortal alchemyst Nicholas Flamel pulls them into a millennia-long battle against the Elder Race, a power-hungry race older than humankind. The secret to Flamel's immortality lies in one place: the Book of Abraham the Mage, which in the wrong hands has the power to destroy the world—a power the Elder Race desperately wants. Myth and magic run rampant in modern day San Francisco, making it the perfect place to read yourself away to.
Want to share your fave books and why you think Candy Girls should read 'em? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
From The Candy Bulletin Community
