I AM QUEEN OF LIGHT, SUGARY CONTEMPORARY READS.

Just bow down to your leader and thank me later. (By showering me with chocolate and bookstore gift cards, preferably.) In fact, just Tuesday night my best bookish friend Brooke (who is Queen of action-packed fantasy and dystopian books) came to her Queen begging for recommendations. (It’s a symbiotic relationship, Brooke and I. She makes me read action books I wouldn’t normally read, and I present her with a tear-worthy romance.)

Since March and April (thus far) have held horrible book slumps (I mean, just horrible really — I blame my severe case of spring fever), I was thinking that maybe I’m not alone. As much as I love a dystopian or fantasy or sci-fi crazy adventure, sometimes they get so overwhelming that I need a brain break. And contemporaries do the trick.

#1: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West: I confess, I’m slightly biased considering this gem is fresh on the mind – it’s the last book I finished – but it’s so darn cute I had to share. I finished it on Sunday afternoon, in two or three sittings because it was the easiest book to fall into. To be honest, it’s not a book I’d prefer to be seen in public reading (the cover and title are just so cheesy, but you know what? Everybody needs a little cheese in their life), but gosh it’s adorable! The main character is hilariously sarcastic. There’s a quirky doll shop and mysterious mother and a boy who brings the girl hot chocolate on a daily basis. (Um. Yes please?)

#2: ONE by Sarah Crossan: This one in particular is much heavier content-wise than the rest of the books on this list, but nonetheless every bit as contemporary and sweet. I’m an official self-proclaimed fan of Sarah Crossan. Everything she writes is pure poetry; which is ironic because this is, indeed, written in prose! It’s very fast since the pages are short and snappy (the book is in prose), but if I haven’t convinced you yet? The main characters in this book are sixteen-year-old CONJOINED TWINS. Interesting, no?

#3: SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson: Prepare yourself with tissues before delving into this one, mm-kay? If you looked up “summer read” in the dictionary, this is the book that needs to be featured in the definition. What I loved most about this one is the family dynamics; the father/daughter relationship is so refreshing to see in a young adult book.

#4: ALSO KNOWN AS by Robin Benway: If you’ve ever read or heard of the ever-popular Gallagher Girls series (the first book is known as I’d Tell You I’d Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill you – whoo, what a title!), this is very similar. Teenage girl spy meets normal boy, wishes for a “normal” life, falls for said boy, and wow there’s your plot. I remember reading this one in a day last September, because it’s definitely a fun one you can fly through. Maggie’s personality and narration is sassy and sarcastic, and there were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. There was some language and a few scenes I found unnecessary, but other than that, I loved this book! (and if you’re interested, there’s a sequel – Going Rogue, also plenty cute.)

So there are my favorite picks for a fluffy read. READ ALL THE FLUFF, BOOKWORMS. 

I will gladly accept any other contemporary recommendations, because really good ones in this genre are hard to come by. What books do you read when you’re in a book slump or in a summery mood? Have you read any books on this list? Any by the authors? Don’t keep things to yourselves, bookworms. Tell all in the comments!