December is Read a New Book Month, and chances are, your parents might be buying you a book this Christmas, whether you want them to or not, so now is the perfect time to discover your next favorite book! Good books are hard to come by, which is why sometimes we need help finding one. Nobody wants to read a book that doesn’t interest them. Not that there’s anything wrong with Harry Potter, but if you’ve already tried reading that and failed, here are some other books that you can try. 75,220 people were surveyed for their favorite young adult novel. Of all those surveyed, these were the top ten novels chosen: 1. Harry Potter series (J.K. Rowling) 2. The Hunger Games series (Suzanne Collins) 3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) 4. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) 5. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien) 6. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) 7. The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien) 8. Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) 9. Looking for Alaska (John Green) 10. The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) Now, many people may be wondering, is this list even accurate? Well, according to students, the list seems pretty accurate.

“I’ve read 4 of the 10 books on the list and heard of 9 of the 10 books. I would 100% agree that this is an accurate list,” said junior Maeve O’Malley.

Many students said they have read at least two of the books on the list, and most said they had heard of at least half of them. Another student with the same opinion was freshman Bryce McDonnell.

“I believe the list is accurate because it has a good combination of modern books and classics,” he said.

Though not everyone had the same opinion. English teacher Mrs. Kirsten Anzalone had a different view on the book list.

“Based on what I know from my students, I would probably disagree that this list is accurate,” said Mrs. Anzalone. “This list seems to be an accurate blend of popular culture and educational lists. So, if you ask students who normally do not read to then list a favorite book, they are probably inclined to list something they read in school. Therefore, that could be the reason these types of texts appear on this list. However, popular culture also influences these types of lists. For example, some teens might see a movie like ‘The Fault in our Stars’ and then feel inclined to read the novel. However, the true benefit of knowing this information is realizing that students are reading for fun.”

Sophomore Nicholas DiMarco shared his opinion about the books he read on the list.

“The Harry Potter series and ‘The Hobbit’ were both really good and belong where they are on the list, but The Hunger Games doesn’t belong that high on the list,” said DiMarco. “It’s a good list, but I think another book belongs on the list: the ‘I am Number Four’ series.”

Freshman Hannah Klimas talked about another book on the list.

“I like classics, so I definitely liked ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,'” she said.

Other books students suggested for the list include “The Maze Runner” series by James Dashner, “The Unwanteds” series by Lisa McMann and “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. Multiple students also said that “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton belongs near the top of the list. Where can you go to find your next favorite book? If you’re planning on just looking for books, maybe trying one or two, your town’s library would be a great choice. Another great place to look for books is Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

“Take some time to yourself, grab a warm drink or a coffee and just walk the aisles of a real book store where you can touch the books and engage with them,” Mrs. Anzalone said.

Though, if you’re on a tight schedule or don’t have a library or bookstore near you, one great place to find new books is goodreads.com. There, you can browse books by genre or look at books they recommend for you based on previous books you’ve read. So if your parents are asking you what book you want for Christmas, hopefully you have an idea as to what your answer might be.