I never thought I would say this, but reading has become one of my new hobbies. I used to hate the idea of reading in any way, shape or form, but over the past six months, that has surprisingly changed. If you are just getting into reading like I am or simply looking for a good book, here are three books that have led me to enjoy a good read. 

“All the Bright Places”

You may have seen this book title on Netflix; it was a popular film for a short period of time. Let me tell you, the movie nowhere compares to the book. This book written by Jennifer Niven was a read that truly tugged at my heart and involved many wild adventures. The two main characters, Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, are both teenagers who have a hard time finding a purpose and happiness in life. They meet at a bell tower. Neither of them knows who saved who until they get to know each other on a deeper level. The year before, Markey’s sister passed away in a tragic car accident and Markey has not seemed to find a way to move on. Finch, on the other hand, is known as the “freak” at their high school and also struggles with problems at home. When they start working together on a school project, things get interesting and take plenty of turns. This book jumps back and forth between Markey’s point of view and Finch’s point of view. I recommend skipping the movie and instead head straight to the book. 

“It Ends with Us”

The best book I have read. Wow. This book written by Colleen Hoover is a very popular book that deals with domestic abuse, love and so much more. After the death of her father, Lily Bloom is looking for something new. She falls in love with a neurosurgeon named Rile Kincaid and thinks she finally might have everything in line. Everything gets very serious with this charming, rich man very quickly. Then when the homeless boy she once fell in love with comes back into the picture and she has the remembrance of her parents’ past in the back of her mind, Bloom’s life begins to slowly break apart. The intensity of the two love stories in the book will make you really wonder how it could possibly end. Warning: this book is a dangerous read. The number of powerful decisions and turns it takes will result in you finishing it in only a few days. It is hard to describe how good this book really is and my only suggestion to you is to find the time to read it for yourself. 

“El sueño de Berlín”

This Spanish read was a shorter story written by Ana Alonso and Javier Pelegrín. The main character Ana suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The parents are very protective over Ana and have tried everything to make her feel like a normal high school teenager. When classmate Bruno becomes more interested in getting to know Ana for who she really is, the story takes a turn. It is a very realistic narration of telling the hidden struggles that people face with extreme OCD and the effects it has on their life. Bruno wants to help Ana break through those uncontrollable side effects but it takes a lot from Ana, her parents and for Bruno to understand. His end goal for Anna is to have her come with him on a senior trip to Berlin. Will she go?