Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Written by: JK Rowling

First line: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Why you should read this book: Voldemort is absolutely, positively, definitely back, his Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in the wizarding and muggle worlds, and Dumbledore's willing to give Harry just enough information to keep him on his toes without really understanding what's going on. Between extra-curricular activities with his favorite professor, learning to apparate, and having his best-ever year in potions (thanks to a usefully glossed second hand textbook and Snape having finally gotten his coveted Defense against the Dark Arts post), Harry's got to deal with his nagging certainty that Malfoy's a Death Eater and that people around him seem to be in slightly more than the usual amount of danger. Bad things are happening, and despite what everyone around him keeps saying, Harry's certain that it's up to him to make them stop.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Spoiler alert! Beloved pet murder.