One of my goals for the new year is to read more books. So far, I’m off to a pretty good start, having read 3 books over Winter Break. Despite my already long To-Be-Read stack, I am always interested in seeing what books other people are loving, so I polled my friends to see what they read over Winter Break. Here are some of their favorites if you are looking for some new recommendations for your TBR pile!
Starting off with a look at what I read over Winter Break and how I liked these books:
- The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: If Jennifer Lynn Barnes has 1 million fans, I am one of them. If Jennifer Lynn Barnes has a #1 fan, it is me. You may recognize this author’s name from the BookTok-favorite series The Inheritance Games, which is the series that made me fall in love with her writing style. This earlier Barnes novel is also packed with loveable characters and an addicting plotline. Think Shonda Rhimes’s Scandal but in an elite D.C private school where the students have just as many scandals as their high-profile parents. The Fixer follows Tess, who suddenly moves from Montana to Washington, D.C to live with her sister Ivy Kendrick, whose name precedes her. Tess finds herself intertwined with scandal, and learns that many of the country’s government officials are not what they seem at all.
I absolutely loved this book and tore through it in just a few days. (Content warnings: death, kidnapping)
- The Long Game: A Fixer Novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: In this sequel to The Fixer, the story picks up after a suspenseful conclusion to the first book. The character development continues in this installment, as do the scandals. If you enjoy conspiracy theories, I really recommend this series. The only complaint I have about this series is that it wasn’t long enough! Unfortunately, the series did not gain enough of an audience upon its initial release, so Barnes’s contract was not renewed for a third book. Nevertheless, this second book does a pretty good job and ties up as many loose ends as possible. (Content warnings: gun violence, death, violence, alludes to sexual assault).
- Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo: I’m late to jump on the bandwagon with this series, but I am so glad I did. I picked this book up at the library because I accidentally borrowed The Long Game first before realizing it was a sequel. I had heard good things about this series as well as Six of Crows, so I decided to give it a shot.
Now, I’m not one for fantasy books. My fantasy era ended sometime during primary school when I couldn’t keep up with all of the names and made-up places the genre was throwing at me. But Shadow & Bone has made me willing to give fantasy a second chance. The story follows Alina Starkov, who – while on a harrowing trip with her military regiment – discovers she is more powerful than anyone would have predicted.
While there’s a lot of discourse online about how the characters in these books are shallow and poorly written, I honestly love the characters. The world building is great and really immerses you in the story, and there’s a love-triangle between the main character, the “good” guy, and the “bad” guy.
I’ve always been one to enjoy fun, YA books, more than books that are so-called great literature. The Shadow & Bone series is perfect for an easy but exciting read.
Now here is a list of books some of my friends read over break and loved:
- Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michealides
- Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Roberts
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass
- Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
- Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
- Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
- One August Morning: The True Story of Lizzy Borden by Troy Taylor