By: Katie H.
As everyone knows by now, Covid-19 has got us all stuck in our homes for the time being. Quarantining is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus after all! Washing your hands, sanitizing your house every now and then, wearing masks in public- these are all things that you can do to keep safe during this pandemic. Some students are going to school online, and a lot of adults work from home as well.
Yes, it’s true that all of these things are solely to keep everyone safe and lower the spread of this disease, but you have to admit- it’s kind of boring. For people around the world, an absurd amount of free time has been added to our days, and we don’t really know what to do with it all. Some people have used this extra free time to take up new hobbies such as exercising, yoga, cooking, arts and crafts, and a lot of other things they couldn’t do before. But for many bookworms, such as myself, this has become some sort of a problem.
With nothing else to do but stay inside and eat snacks, we resort to picking up one of our favorite books and spend hours upon hours reading. More and more books are being taken off our shelves, more and more books being finished, more and more worrying about what we will read next. Running out of books to read is always a scary, daunting thought to process, and that is exactly why I have made this article. I will be giving out my top 10 suggestions on things you could read during these scary times, including fantasy, adventure, mystery, and more, all straight from my bookshelf!
•Remember that these are all my personal opinions, and the order does not necessarily mean I like them any more or less than the rest.
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First on the list is the World of Solace trilogy by New York Times bestselling author, Jaleigh Johnson.
The first book in this trilogy is The Mark of the Dragonfly and was published back in October of 2012. It is a bit on the longer side, ending at roughly 400 pages, but in my opinion is definitely worth the read. The Mark of the Dragonfly is a fast-paced adventure book that takes place in the fascinating yet magical world of Solace.
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“Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn't remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she's from the Dragonfly Territories and that she's protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible.
Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.” -Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077836-the-mark-of-the-dragonfly
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The second book in the World of Solace trilogy is the The Secrets of Solace. This amazing book was published in March of 2016, and is also a long read, stopping at about 380 pages. I remember when I first started the book it seemed like it would never end, and the large number of pages seemed discouraging, but when I finally reached the end, I was almost disappointed that it was over! This is a very great book, with a lot of different genres such as fantasy, mystery, adventure, drama, and suspense. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!
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“Lina Winterbock lives in the mountain strongholds of Solace. She’s an apprentice to the archivists, the wise men and women whose lives are dedicated to cataloging, studying, and preserving the objects that mysteriously fall from the sky in the scrap towns. Lina should be spending her days with books, but the Iron War has changed everything. The strongholds are now a refuge, and the people Lina once counted on no longer have time for her, so she spends her days exploring the hidden tunnels and passages of her home. The strongholds are vast and old, with twisting paths, forgotten rooms, and collapsed chambers, some of them containing objects that have been lost and forgotten even by the archivists.
And in one of the forgotten chambers, Lina discovers a secret.
Hidden deep in a cavern is a half-buried airship like nothing she has ever seen before. She’s determined to dig it out and restore it. But Lina needs help, and she doesn’t know anyone she can trust with her secret.
Then she meets Ozben, a mysterious boy who has a secret of his own — a secret that’s so dangerous it could change the course of the Iron War and the world of Solace forever.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25738896-the-secrets-of-solace
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The third and most recent book of this trilogy is The Quest to the Uncharted Lands and was published in June of 2017. It is a bit shorter than the others, but still quite long as it ends with almost 350 pages. This was the first book I had ever read of this author, after being required to read it for a school club, and I 10/10 recommend this to people who might enjoy adventure, mystery, and fantasy novels! I could barely put the book down and read it every second of my free time in class!
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“Stella Glass dreams of exploring worlds beyond her home of Solace, but when her famous parents are sent on a historic mission to the Uncharted Lands, it's simply too dangerous for her to join them. By order of the king, she is left behind.
Missing out on the excitement is one thing, but Stella is devastated at the thought of her parents flying into the unknown. So she takes matters into her own hands. Instead of staying with family as planned, she steals away and — right before takeoff — sneaks aboard the airship.
But Stella isn't the only stowaway. In the cargo bay is a boy who is also desperate to get to the Uncharted Lands. And someone else who's determined to keep the ship from making it there at all...” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/25081301-the-quest-to-the-uncharted-lands
Extra note: These do not have to be read in order to follow the story, These books are a series but have no relation to each other except for the world they are in!
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Coming in at number two is the Silverwing trilogy written by Canadian children’s writer Kenneth Oppel.
The first book in the Silverwing trilogy is, as you might have guessed, Silverwing, with the two other books being named Sunwing and Firewing. This series must be read in order, each book is the direct continuation of the last. Silverwing was originally published in 1997. The first book was actually given to me as a Christmas present, and I ended reading the entire book in only a couple of hours! All three books in this series are just as exciting as the last, and always have me reading it whenever I have the chance!
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“Shade is a young Silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. Desperately searching for a way to rejoin his flock, Shade meets a remarkable cast of characters: Marina, a Brightwing bat with a strange metal band on her leg; Zephyr, a mystical albino bat with a strange gift; and Goth, a gigantic carnivorous vampire bat. But which ones are friends and which ones are enemies? In this epic story of adventure and suspense, Shade is going to need all the help he can find -- if he hopes to ever see his family again.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/857920.Silverwing
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Let it be noted that there is actually a fourth book that takes place in this world and is a prequel to the “Silverwing” trilogy. It goes by the name of Darkwing and was written in 2007, with a page count of roughly 330- I definitely recommend this book too!
Extra note: There’s also a television series based off of the Silverwing novel. The show is a mix of 2-D and 3-D animation! Personally I have never watched it, as I only discovered it when doing more research for this article, but I definitely recommend checking it out if you enjoyed the book!
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Coming in at number three is the Warriors series written by Erin Hunter
The Warrior Cats books are some of the first books that got me into my love of reading. This is an ongoing book series that started back in 2003 and currently has 85 books (Not counting the 6 field guides) as of the year 2020. This certainly will keep you busy in quarantine! There are seven different arcs to the series, and they each contain six books, plus the newest arc which only has four books at the moment. There are 13 stand-alone super edition books, 17 mangas, and 15 novellas. You do not have to read any of these to understand the main series. This amazing series is a mix of many different genres, like fantasy, adventure, romance, mystery, fiction, and suspense! It is single-handedly one of the best sets of books I have ever read!
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“For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying-- and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.” – Goodreads.com www.goodreads.com/book/show/111332.Into_the_Wild
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Number four, is the Survivors series written by the famous author, Erin Hunter.
This is another series from the author Erin Hunter! The first book was released back in 2012 and follows the story of Lucky, a lone dog who always wandered the streets of his city by himself. The full series contains 12 books with two arcs, six in each one, and four separate novellas. When I saw these books in my local library, I couldn’t believe what I had seen; more by Erin Hunter! I immediately went to grab the first three I could find and checked them out. I managed to finish all of them within a month. This book series always kept me on the edge of my seat and had such a captivating start that I hadn’t even realized I was nearing the final page! There is never a dull moment in these books, and always has something new happening, something that will leave you dying to know “What will happen next?”
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“The time has come for dogs to rule the wild.
Lucky is a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. He has always been a loner—roaming the streets of the busy city and relying on his instincts to get by. Other dogs have Packs, but Lucky doesn't long for the days he spent with his littermates. He stands alone.
Then the Big Growl strikes. Suddenly the ground is split wide open. The Trap House is destroyed. And all the Longpaws have disappeared.
Now Lucky is trapped in a strange and desolate new world with no food, foul water, and enemies at every turn. He falls in with others left behind, including his littermate Bella, a Leashed dog. Relying on other dogs, and having them depend on him, brings new dangers that Lucky isn't prepared for, but he may not be able to survive on his own. Can Lucky ever be a true Pack dog?” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455534-the-empty-city
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Extra note: The name, Erin Hunter, is actually a collective pseudonym used by seven different authors! Victoria Holmes, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Inbali Iserles, Tui T. Sutherland, Kasey Widhalm and Rosie Best are all people who help to work under that name. Some of these authors have even written their own books, or write under other collaborative pen names!
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At number five, the Guardians of Ga’hoole series written by the American children’s writer, Kathryn Lasky.
The Guardians of Ga’hoole series is one of my personal favorites by Kathryn Lasky. It has 31 books in total, but only 16 that pertain to the main story, the rest being spin-offs and companion books. The first book was published in 2003 and the series finished in 2013, but is still an amazing story that is very much worth the read. It will always have you at the edge of your seat with all of its plot-twists, shocking revelations, and breathtaking scenes that will leave you wondering how the author even managed to put it all into words!
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“Pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, barn owl Soren is rescued from certain death on the forest floor by agents from a mysterious school for orphaned owls, St. Aggie's. With a new friend, clever and scrappy Gylfie, he uncovers a training camp for the leader's own nefarious goal.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35805.The_Capture
Extra note: This series also has its own movie adaptation that is made with 3-D animation! It can be found on HBO, Netflix, and Hulu, along with other streaming networks.
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Coming in at number six, the Wolves of the Beyond series written by the Newbery Honor-winning author, Kathryn Lasky
This series was the first I had ever read of Kathryn Lasky! It was originally published back in 2009 and ended in 2013, and it contains a total of six books. It was made as a spin-off to the book series Guardians of Ga’hoole and it is set in the same lands of Ga’hoole. The way these books are written is absolutely breathtaking, and in a unique style. The writer can display emotions in different scenes like no other, and make you feel as if you’re really there. The story delves into the lives of the wolves of Ga’hoole and has a perfect mixture of the serene and the thrill. The books are not too rushed, nor are they too slow-paced and they are just overall great books to read in your free time.
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“Spinoff from owl Guardians of Ga'hoole introduces Faolan, newborn wolf pup with a twisted leg. Harsh code of the pack demands such weakness be abandoned on a desolate hill. But alone in the wilderness, Faolan does not perish - a tale of survival, courage, and love triumphant.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6838961-lone-wolf
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Number seven is the Bears of the Ice series written by the author Kathryn Lasky
I first got this book at the Scholastic book fair in 4th grade. I remember using up all my money to buy just one book, solely because I saw that it was written by the famous author, Kathryn Lasky. While everyone else was getting cool erasers and invisible pens, I went home with my one book and read all the way up to Midnight. I couldn’t put it down! I woke up super early the next day to get a head start in my reading before school and I did end up taking it to read during lunchtime. By the end of the day, I was on the last page, and I couldn’t wait to get back home and tell my mom I needed the next one right away! (Only to be severely disappointed when I figured out the next one wasn’t released yet). This series only has three books in it as of February 2021, the first being released in 2018. This series is also set in the lands of Ga’hoole, the same world as the author’s other two series The Guardians of Ga’hoole and Wolves of the Beyond.
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“For generations, the noble polar bears have ruled the Northern Kingdoms. But now, their society is on the brink of collapse. A group of power-hungry bears has seized control, and darkness is creeping across the snow.
Cubs First and Second don't know any of this. Although they're twins, they couldn't be more different. First loves imagining stories, while his daring sister, Second, wants to live them.
When their mother is taken prisoner, the cubs' world falls apart. They know they have to rescue her, but how can two cubs who've barely learned to hunt survive a treacherous journey across the ice? Their only chance is to learn to trust each other and ,even more important, trust themselves.
But survival is only the beginning. And soon, these two unlikely heroes find themselves at the heart of a battle unlike anything Ga'hoole has ever seen.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35849451-the-quest-of-the-cubs
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Coming in at number eight, the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series written by the #1 New York Times best-selling author, Rick Riordan
I discovered this absolutely amazing series when I was forced to read it in 5th grade as a literary assignment. I was so bummed out that I was assigned the longest book out of my entire class! But of course, I ended up finishing it in three days. This series contains five main books with 10 stand-alones including three graphic novels, three guide books, three extras, and one coloring book. The first book was published in 2005 and the last one was published in 2009.
The series follows the story of young Percy Jackson as he goes on a quest of a lifetime. This series is a must-read, as it has such a great story line and amazing plots and characters. Despite so much going on at once, it is incredibly easy to understand and will always have you dying to read more! Each and every one of the characters all have such unique and interesting personalities, and are all great additions to the story. These books merge the worlds of fantasy and reality and make it into something much more interesting and exciting!
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“Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about his past and that he goes to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods on Long Island, where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (SPOILER: located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187.The_Lightning_Thief
Extra note: There are actually two movies based off of the events of the first and second books! They can be found on Hulu and Disney +, and other streaming services.
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At number nine, is the Spy School series written by American children’s author, Stuart Gibbs.
This ongoing series contains a total of eight books as of right now, and was first published in 2012. I cannot say I remember how I came across this book, but let me say that I am thankful for whatever invisible force that led me to it. This series is definitely worth the read as it takes place in the life of a young boy named Ben Ripely, who is about to have his world turned upside down when he is scouted out for a super-secret spy school. This mind-blowing novel will have you reading non-stop, as the plot- twists and adventurous missions will have you on the edge of your seat!
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“Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate math skills, Ben isn't surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy. Could the C.I.A. really want him?
Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover agent, the kind that always gets the girl. And through a series of hilarious misadventures, Ben realizes he might actually be a halfway decent spy if he can survive all the attempts being made on his life!” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11750648-spy-school
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Coming in at number 10, the Wings of Fire series written by the famous author, Tui T. Sutherland
One of my most favorite book series of all time would be Wings of Fire. It consists of 22 books, in which three of them are graphic novels, and the first one was released in 2012. First of all, It has an eye-grabbing beginning that immediately got my attention. The first book was filled with so much of…everything… that I couldn’t even begin to imagine what the other books would be like. (Of course they were all amazing!) It was filled with so much adventure, discovery, and excitement that I physically could not stop myself from reading. I have pulled several all-nighters reading this series. It's so amazing. All of the characters have such unique personalities and contribute to the events in such unique ways that there are never dull moments in these books! Every scene convays some sort of emotion and shows it in such a way that you feel like you’re right there with them! Sadly, I cannot put it into words how much I recommend this book!
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“The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice.
Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war.
But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .” – Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13228487-the-dragonet-prophecy
More sources:
A link to Jaleigh Johnson’s homepage, where you can find all of her books, along with links to buy them online. https://www.jaleighjohnson.com/index.html
A link to Kenneth Oppel’s website, where you can find all of his books, along with all three books in the “Silverwing” trilogy and the stand-alone prequel, “Darkwing”. There are also links to buy the books online. https://www.kennethoppel.ca/silverwing
A link to Erin Hunter’s website, where you can find all of their books and all of their series (Warriors and Survivors), plus links to buy the books online. https://warriorcats.com/ (Warriors) https://warriorcats.com/survivors (Survivors)
A link to Kathryn Lasky’s website, where you can find all of her books and series (Guardians of Ga’hoole, Wolves of the Beyond, and Bears of the Ice), and links to buy them on Amazon. https://www.kathrynlasky.com/
A link to Rick Riordan’s website, where you can find all of his books and series (Percy Jackson & The Olympians). https://rickriordan.com/
A link to Stuart Gibbs’ website, where you can find all of his books and series (Spy School), along with links to buy them online. https://stuartgibbs.com/
A link to Tui. T Sutherland’s website where you can find all of her books and series (Wings of Fire), along with links to buy them online. http://tuibooks.com/wordpress/
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