Four Brilliant Back-to-School Books

I lied on Friday when I said this would be the last post of the Big Blogging Bonanza. Just not on purpose. It is the last-but-one post, and I realised that when I looked at my schedule yesterday.

Yay! You get one more daily post than you thought you would! (I'm not going to stop blogging after these Summer Holidays have finished, by the way. It'll just be a little less regular.)

So today, I would like to talk about going back to school. I don't know about you, but I've got my pencils sharpened, my bag packed and my P.E kit ready - I can't wait. My favourite thing to do when getting ready for the new term is to pick out my reading book, which always seems to help me calm down and get back into the school routine. I also like to pick something reasonably classic / well-known, so I can impress my English teacher!

Here, therefore, is a list of four books which are brilliant 'school reads'. They're really interesting, but won't get you too emotionally involved, so you'll hopefully be able to put them down when it comes to actual lessons. However, we are all bookworms. I can't promise anything.

#1 - The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple novels are about a little old lady called Jane, who solves crimes using her knowledge of human beings. She's lived in the small town of St. Mary Mead all her life, and she's met almost every type of person, so she knows what her suspects are likely to do. She'll need to: The Body in the Library is not your typical Cluedo-style murder. Because no-one knows who the victim is.

I love Agatha Christie, particularly Miss Marple, and this book is my favourite of all of them. They're hard-boiled, thrilling crime novels which won't distract you while you're studying, but are enthralling the moment you crack open the spine. As classic British novels, they're bound to impress your English teacher, and the other great thing with both the Marple and Poirot series is that all books are stand-alones, so if you don't like the look of a particular plot, or your school library doesn't have the next one (which has happened to me more than once) then you can chop and change as much as you like. Plus, there are twenty Miss Marple novels and short story collections. TWENTY!

#2 - GingerSnaps by Cathy Cassidy

Ginger Brown always suffered at school. People bullied her for her red hair, unfortunate name and her weight, so she was dreading starting Secondary school. But then she met Shannon.

Fast forward to the beginning of Year Eight, and Ginger's popular. All the boys tag after her best mate Shannon, and she's just happy to be along for the ride. After all, no-one bullies the confident girl. But then she meets Sam, a saxophone-playing, trilby wearing enigma who seems to hate everything she's become. Mix in an old friend, Emily, who knows who she used to be, and Shannon's new crush, a teacher, and things soon become complicated. . .

I love this as a back-to-school read because the characters themselves are starting a new term, and the popularity-isn't-everything vibes really gave me a confidence boost when I read it. We could all do with reassurance at this time of year.

#3 - Carrier of The Mark by Leigh Fallon

This is one of those books that was so fabulous I can barely speak coherently about it, so you will probably get emotionally involved, but it's so amazing I can't resist. ADHNHDT! DITYJ B!

I told you I struggled to speak coherently.

Carrier is about Megan, a sixteen-year-old American girl who moves to Ireland, thanks to her Dad's ever-changing job. She's already dealing with a new country, a new school (see what I did there) and a new crush, but then she realises everything isn't as it seems. Her feelings for Adam are more to do with fate than simple teenage attraction, and her mark ties her to a power as ancient as Ireland itself.

#4 - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

College! FanFiction! Twins!

That's Fangirl in three words, but if you'd like a longer summary, I'll try my best to oblige. It's basically about a new-to-college girl (Cath) who's always been in the shadow of her twin sister (Wren) and is now struggling to step into the limelight, so she writes FanFiction instead. It's good for back-to-school because although she's starting college and not school, there's still anxiety, timetables and a popularity hierarchy. Sounds like school to me!

Gah! Just read it!

Read all of these when you get back to school. You'll love them, I promise.

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What books do you guys recommend for when you get back to school? And are you as excited about returning as I am? (I joke, of course. No-one is as enthusiastic about school as me.)