As we kick off the 2024 season, you all might be wondering what the best way to begin this new year is. We found that the only way to start off this year really strong is by diving into the new world that has endless possibilities. That world is the world of books. Reading a good book is a great way to wind down after a very stressful or long day. Not only is it super relaxing, but it is a great habit to create and one that many of you and your friends have. That is why we found and curated a list of our top 10 favorite books to get you into that we know all of you will enjoy!
10. The Lake by Natasha Preston
If you want to start off the new year with reading a good mystery, this is definitely the way to go. The Lake by Natasha Preston is about two teen girls, Esme and Kayla, who are childhood friends that are returning to the camp they went to together when they were 7 and 8-years-old. This time, however, they are not returning as campers; they are returning as counselors. Unfortunately, they do not go back to the camp excited, but instead with a lot of fear and nervousness because they had gotten into a horrible situation the last time they were there, which is why they had not returned for so long. Up until now…that is.
9. The Giver by Lois Lowry
The next book we recommend that will make you want to continue turning the pages is The Giver by Lois Lowry. In The Giver, Lowry unfolds the story of a society in which memories of the past are erased from the people’s minds, leaving only the Receiver of Memory with the burden of holding and preserving gathered history. In this restrictive community, freedom and choice are stripped away so that no one will understand and feel true feelings such as sadness and war.
All of this is shown through the journey of a young 12-year-old boy, Jonas, who is experiencing and navigating a world that is full of dullness and emptiness. In this world that the story is set in, every aspect of not only Jonas’s life, but everyone’s lives, are already planned out in every aspect, from their jobs to their personal relationships. The Giver shows readers what life is like when every choice is made for you and what its consequences are. As well as, what good human nature and freedom can really do for the human spirit.
8. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Another one of our favorite books to cozy up with and enjoy is The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee. This book is set in Atlanta in 1890 during the Reconstruction Era and follows the story of Jo Kuan, who is a Chinese American girl secretly working under the pseudonym “Miss Sweetie” as an advice columnist. Kuan is portrayed as a young girl navigating different societal challenges, racism, and discrimination, whilst also offering advice to others on different issues.
7. 500 Words or Less by Juleah del Rosaria
The book 500 Words or Less is a great piece of writing to pull at your emotions. This story follows the journey of Nic Chen, a senior in high school, who is determined to shake off the label of the girl who cheated on her charming boyfriend. In order to reconfigure her image amongst her Ivy-League focused peers, Nic begins to write college admissions essays for her schoolmates, but in the process she begins to question and lose who she truly is within. Throughout this process, she begins to try to navigate and find out who she is really becoming and the actual direction of where her life is going.
6. One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn
In this thrilling page turner that is set in 1918 during the Spanish Infuenza pandemic, newcomer Annie is claimed by Elsie, one of the schoolgirls who is a liar, thief of the class, and a tattletale, as her best friend. Despite Annie wanting to become friends with some of the other schoolgirls, she is persuaded by becoming Elsie’s friend. As the story progresses, Elsie succumbs to the Spanish Influenza, allowing Annie to finally feel free from the person who was tormenting her. However, the story takes a turn when Elsie’s, or her ghost rather, comes back from beyond the grave, looking for revenge on Annie and her friendship.
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
It is 1939 in the tense atmosphere of Nazi Germany. The idea of death is being held over everyone’s heads. Amidst this chaos, Liesel Meminger, a foster girl in Munich, survives by stealing books. Driven by the irresistible urge to read, Liesel, along with her accordion-playing foster father, learns how to read. In a courageous act amidst danger, she shares these stolen books with the Jewish man that her foster family has concealed in their basement, as well as with the neighbors who had to hide in the basement with them during bombing raids. Liesel’s story grows as she faces the hardships of war, becomes very courageous, and the altering power of literature in the toughest of times.
4. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah tells the stories of two sisters—in German-occupied, war-torn France —separated by time, a multitude of experiences, ideals, passion, and circumstance, each embarking on her own perilous path toward survival, love, and freedom. This novel not only praises the resilience of the human spirit but the durability of women as well.
3. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black is an illustrated series that follows the main character, Cardan Greenbriar, during the various stages of his life. As the readers go along Cardan’s journey, we see how he slowly develops and is shaped by the qualities that made him into such a cruel prince.
2. The Maid by Nita Prose
The chilling and thrilling story The Maid by Nita Prose, talks about how Molly Gray stands apart from the crowd and utilizes her late grandmother’s uncomplicated, simple rules to navigate life. As the 25-year-old faces the hardships of life and deals with the recent passing of her grandmother, Molly engulfs herself and excels in her job as a hotel maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.
However, her fairly normal life takes a turn for the worst when she discovers a wealthy Charles Black dead in his bed in his suite at the hotel. Before she can make sense of the situation, the police target her as a lead suspect due to her unusual manner. Luckily for Molly, unexpected friends that she never knew she had team up with her to solve the mystery and uncover the real murderer before the time runs out.
1. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, consists of seven fantasy novels that goes through the lives of Harry Potter – a young wizard – and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From the first book, it is shown the hardships Harry encounters as he lives with his long deceased mom’s sister, husband, and child, and long deceased father’s sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew.
Soon, Harry discovers that he is a wizard and is eventually taken to Hogwarts, where he meets Hermione and Ron who become his best friends. Subsequently, in the proceeding books, Harry encounters many other challenges with other wizards and creatures, and lives up to his name as “the boy who lived.”