It’s chilly outside, and you’re sitting by a crackling fire, buried under a heap of blankets, a furry friend sleeping peacefully beside you. The air is warm and comforting, and there’s only one thing that’s missing: books. Books, especially young adult, have risen in popularity due to the wide expanse in sub-genres for every reader, filled with enchanting worlds and thrilling adventures. Here are some top picks from staff and students at Woodbridge High to add to your reading list.

Praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense,” A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, the first in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, tells the story of a high school senior, Pip, who dedicates her senior project to find the truth about a long-forgotten murder case. 

The suspect and Pip’s childhood friend, Sal Singh, was accused of murdering his girlfriend Andie Bell. But as the investigation continues, startling facts and motives begin to uncover, and Pip starts to see beyond her innocent hometown and the people in it. 

Woodbridge High sophomore Catherine Guertin expresses her love for Jackson’s writing style and “how she incorporates true crime things into this horror story and a little romance on the side, it’s a nice blend.”

The debut novel from award-winning author Celeste Ng, Everything I Never Told You sets the scene for a heart wrenching, profoundly moving story in which a tragic turn of events breaks the delicate structure of a family. According to the author’s website, it “uncover[s] the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.”

“[Ng] writes about a range of topics from a complex perspective and in beautiful prose,” English teacher Sabreena Beneville said.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book of The Folk of The Air series, a cult favorite for fantasy lovers. According to the author’s website, “Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.” 

“I really liked it because of the way [Black] wrote accurate fae unlike Sarah J. Maas who writes not mythologically-correct fae,” freshman Lisa Polkanova said.

All of these books have been awarded multiple awards and recognitions. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was nominated for its Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction in 2020. Everything I Never Told You topped Amazon’s list of “Best Books of 2014” and The Cruel Prince was nominated for Goodreads’ Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction in 2018. 

“I believe there is a book or an author for everyone. If you think you aren’t a reader, I’d say you just haven’t found what makes you tick yet. Don’t give up. Keep sampling new titles, genres and writers until you find one that resonates with you… books can make you laugh, cry, build a new understanding—the possibilities are endless,” Beneville said.