The best captivating and addictive books that are impossible to put down

Why am I passionate about this?

I juggled being a mom with two kids and my career, as a teacher, so I had no time for myself. When I did get the chance to pick up a book, I craved stories that whisked me away from reality—books that were full of action and kept me turning the pages. Even though I enjoy other types of genres, my heart always goes back to dystopian books, which is why I eventually wrote my own series.


I wrote...

ISAN

By Mary Ting,

Book cover of ISAN

What is my book about?

Meteors devastated the Earth. World governments developed plans to help surviving citizens. The United States disbanded and salvageable land was divided into four quadrants - North, South, East, and West - governed by The Remnant Council.

Struggling to survive, 17-year-old Ava ends up in juvenile detention, until she is selected for a new life - with a catch. She must be injected with an experimental serum. To receive the serum, Ava agrees to join a program controlled by ISAN, the International Sensory Assassin Network. While on a training mission, she's abducted by a rebel group led by Rhett and told that her entire past is a lie perpetuated by ISAN to ensure her compliance. Unsure of who to trust, Ava must decide if her strangely familiar and handsome captor is her enemy or her savior.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Maze Runner

Mary Ting Why did I love this book?

My favorite type of books are ones that blend dystopian, science fiction, and scientific facts together, and a lot of mystery.

In Maze Runner, a teenage boy wakes up in a box surrounded by a bunch of other boys that he doesn't know. Then they have to work together to find a way out of the maze before things become even more dangerous. Yup, a lot of suspense and mystery, and the author had my heart pounding.

The Maze Runner has such an interesting premise and though it's a YA book, readers of all ages will enjoy it.

By James Dashner,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Maze Runner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze
Runner series - now a series of major movies starring Dylan O'Brien!

SEE THE FILMS. READ THE BOOKS. ENTER THE MAZE ...

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers
is his first name. But he's not alone.

He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a
walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone
maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to
be there - or what's happened to the world outside.

All…


Book cover of Divergent

Mary Ting Why did I love this book?

As a former teacher, I loved the idea of the aptitude test, but of course this test is different.

Divergent follows the story of Tris, who has a choice to make among the different factions of her nation. I love this plot. I also enjoyed the twist and turns of the day of her choosing. I might not have been brave as her. LOL.

Also, I appreciate that Tris and Four had a slow-burn romance. The world felt believable, and Tris learns her decisions can bring consequences, not just to herself but also to those she cares about. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that as well.

By Veronica Roth, Nicolas Delort (photographer),

Why should I read it?

13 authors picked Divergent as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

The explosive debut by No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

DIVERGENT - a major motion picture series.

For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.

Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead....

A debut novel that will leave you breathless.


Book cover of The Hunger Games

Mary Ting Why did I love this book?

The Hunger Games have everything I love in books: action, romance, friendship, suspense, and most importantly, strong female characters.

Katniss is the epitome of strength and determination. She volunteers the games knowing her young sister would not survive if her sister enters. Something I would do too. Once she enters the games, a whole new world opens, a world where survival depends on cunning and courage. The trope—fight to survive—reminded me of Lord of the Flies.

By Suzanne Collins,

Why should I read it?

43 authors picked The Hunger Games as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in a future with unsettling parallels to our present. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever...


Book cover of The Union

Mary Ting Why did I love this book?

This book hooked me from the first page, and The Union has all the exciting elements I love in a book—fast-paced, danger, action, and romance.

I didn’t want to put the book down, so I stayed past my bedtime, especially since I wanted to know about the protagonist’s love interests. It was easy to get lost in the book. The author did an amazing job with the details of the characters and the world-building.

By T H Hernandez,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Union as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving…


Book cover of Fourth Wing

Mary Ting Why did I love this book?

Fourth Wing was my most recent read and boy did I devour this one. To me, the book is a mixture of Divergent, Hunger Game, Ember in the Ashes, and How to Train a Dragon, but steamier, and there is nothing wrong with that.

If you’re not into college romance and enemies-to-lover books, then stay away from this one, but for all the fantasy and romance lovers, you will be glad you read it.

By Rebecca Yarros,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Fourth Wing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book

"Suspenseful, sexy, and with incredibly entertaining storytelling, the first in Yarros' Empyrean series will delight fans of romantic, adventure-filled fantasy." --Booklist, starred review

"Fourth Wing will have your heart pounding from beginning to end... A fantasy like you've never read before." #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history.…


You might also like...

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time

By PJ Davis,

Book cover of Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time

PJ Davis

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Featured in "Best Middle Grade Fantasy Books" - Reedsy Discovery

"Fun & Fast Paced, This is Middle Grade Fantasy at its Best!" — Shaun Stevenson

"If you know any middle-grade readers who enjoy science fiction/fantasy with a mix of action, danger, and humor - recommend this book to them, or just go ahead and give them a copy." — The Fairview Review

“With elements of adventure, exploration, other worlds, and fantastical science, Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time is an exciting middle-grade novel with plenty of suspense… Behind the adventure are important messages about believing in oneself and finding inner strength.” — The Children's Book Review

"The plot of Nemesis and The Vault of Lost Time is a tapestry of surprises characterized by its unforeseen twists and turns. It’s this element of suspense that grips the readers, while the vivid descriptions create immersive visual experiences. Beyond its adventurous core, this mystery novel delves into themes of friendship and the nuanced dynamics of father-son relationships, offering a multi-layered reading experience." — The Literary Titan

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time

By PJ Davis,

What is this book about?

Thirteen-year-old Max is a daydreamer. It gets him into trouble at school, but his restless curiosity really turns problematic when he runs into a mysterious professor at his uncle's bookstore.

The old man informs Max that time is being sucked out of the planet by invisible bandits, stolen from unsuspecting people one breath and one sneeze at a time, and is being stored in a central vault. Once full, the vault will fuel a hungry horde of invaders looking to cross into earth, and cross out all its people.

What's more, the professor claims he knew Max's missing scientist father.…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, amnesia, and utopian?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about survival, amnesia, and utopian.

Survival Explore 189 books about survival
Amnesia Explore 50 books about amnesia
Utopian Explore 66 books about utopian