The Magicians

Written by: Lev Grossman

First line: Quentin did a magic trick.

Why you should read this book: Despite being among the smartest teenagers in New York, with a bright future ahead of him, Quentin has always been secretly and desperately unhappy, until the day that he finds himself testing into Brakebills, a highly competitive school of magic. Now, maybe the world will open to him, as it does to the kids in his favorite fantasy series about the magic land of Fillory, but, as he soon learns, magic is plodding, and difficult, and potentially dangerous, and soon his old disappointment jeopardizes what should be a remarkable future. Drowning in hedonism and self-hatred, Quentin throws caution to the wind and accompanies a group of young magicians on a journey to world that may or may not be the magical Fillory of his dreams.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're still waiting for your Hogwarts letter.