For the month of September at Seymour High School, a total of 3,400 books were checked out. That is about two books per person. Two books per month isn’t a bad amount of reading for a student but not every student is checking out books and reading. There are so many good qualities about reading. It can help with imagination, vocabulary, improves memory, helps prioritize goals, and even helps to solve personal problems.

Reading is something everyone should do. I personally try to read at least two books a week. It takes a lot of dedication to find time to read while being a student and doing things outside of school, and not everyone enjoys reading but teachers and parents push for their kids to read. Reading 20 minutes a day can change so much in how a person thinks. There are  many young adult books that involve issues teens face and how to overcome them. My top two favorite books both involve serious and dark topics, but they can really help someone who needs help.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky has been one of my favorite books. The protagonist’, Charlie, is writing in a journal format. He is a freshman who has no friends. He ends up meeting two seniors, Sam and Patrick, and eventually falls in love with Sam. Charlie asks his English teacher about why she chooses all these awful guys over him. His teacher gives him one of my favorite quotes, “We accept the love we think we deserve.” It explains so much as to why we never chase the people we want but think we can’t have. I am in a relationship I thought would never happen. I always thought he would never go after someone like me and then for some reason he did. This quote shows our idea of ourselves can sometimes stop us from achieving something amazing and beautiful.

Believarexic by J. J. Johnson is another beautifully written book that can hit many high schoolers straight in the heart. This book is written from the author’s experience along with some fiction. The protagonist Jennifer comes out to her parents and tells them she is bulimic. Her parents don’t believe her but they still set up an appointment for her. They believe this is all for attention but still sign her away to the hospital. Jennifer has to figure out who her true friends are and what is allowed in the hospital. The first day she was there they had weigh-ins. The nurse called her out and asked if she tanked. Jennifer had a breakdown. She didn’t want to be there anymore and she couldn’t stand being called a liar. I love this book so much because it shows that bad situations can become a life lesson to share with others. I know a few people who are anorexic and I recommend this book to them. It shows what could happen if they don’t get help.

Even though these books have their dark and deeps twists they are worth a read. They are both short and easy to read. If you are someone who wants to get into reading these are some books for you. They both have a meaning and a story that you won’t forget.