Winter 2022 Recommended Reading

Updated May 9, 2024
M
Milton Academy/Cox Library
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Nineteen eighty-four. [graphic novel]
Orwell, George, 1903-1950
One of the most influential books of the twentieth century gets the graphic treatment in this first-ever adaptation of George Orwell's 1984. War is Peace * Freedom is Slavery * Ignorance is Strength In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big...

Classic adaptation

All boys aren't blue : a memoir-manifesto /
Johnson, George M. 1985-
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. A New York Times Bestseller! Good Morning America,...

Great YA

Atlas Obscura : An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders /
NULL
From the founders of Atlas Obscura.com, the online destination for wonder and curiosity -- with over five million active monthly users -- comes a book like no other, featuring over 600 lushly illustrated entries on wondrous, curious, eccentric and bizarre locales: from the bone museums of...

Great Nonfiction

Bad Girls Never Say Die
Mathieu, Jennifer
From the acclaimed author of Moxie comes a gripping gender-flipped reimagining of The Outsiders that explores the deep bonds of female friendship and what it takes to be a "bad girl." 1964. Houston, Texas. Evie Barnes is a bad girl. So are all...

Realistic fiction

The Beatryce prophecy.
DiCamillo, Kate
A #1 New York Times bestseller From two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall comes a fantastical meditation on fate, love, and the power of words to spell the world. We shall all, in the end, be led to...
Historical Fiction - Japan
Born a crime : stories from a South African childhood /
Noah, Trevor, 1984-
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * More than one million copies sold! A "brilliant" (Lupita Nyong'o, Time), "poignant" (Entertainment Weekly), "soul-nourishing" (USA Today) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid  

Great Nonfiction

Bossypants /
Fey, Tina, 1970-
Spirited and whip-smart, these laugh-out-loud autobiographical essays are "a masterpiece" from the Emmy Award-winning actress and comedy writer known for 30 Rock, Mean Girls, and SNL" (Sunday Telegraph). Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina...

Great Nonfiction

Bunheads : a novel.
Flack, Sophie
A vibrant and absorbing novel about the competitive world of professional ballet, written by a former New York City Ballet dancer. As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances, and...
Ballet
Caraval.
Garber, Stephanie
Welcome, welcome to CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber's enchanting, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling fantasy debut about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved...

Great YA

Children of the fox.
Sands, Kevin
Five kids with unusual talents are brought together to commit an impossible crime in the first book in a thrilling new heist series from the bestselling author of The Blackthorn Key. A magic-infused fantasy that brings together a ragtag group of kids to pull off a crime so...
Science Fiction
Cinder.
Meyer, Marissa.
The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series! Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . ....

Dystopias

Clap when you land.
Acevedo, Elizabeth
In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives. Camino Rios lives for the...

Great YA

Close range : Wyoming stories.
Proulx, Annie
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning and bestselling author of The Shipping News and Accordion Crimes comes one of the most celebrated short story collections of our time. Annie Proulx's masterful language and fierce love of Wyoming are evident in this collection of...
Classic short stories
Code name Verity.
Wein, Elizabeth E.
Code Name Verityis a compelling, emotionally rich story with universal themes of friendship and loyalty, heroism and bravery.   Two young women from totally different backgrounds are thrown together during World War II: one a working-class girl from Manchester, the other a...

Great YA

Cress.
Meyer, Marissa.
The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series! In this third book in Marissa Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent...

Fairy Tales

A curse so dark and lonely.
Kemmerer, Brigid
A New York Times bestseller! "Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale." - Jodi Picoult In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance...
Fairy Tales
Cursed.
Wheeler, Thomas (Screenwriter)
Now an original series starring Katherine Langford on Netflix! The Lady of the Lake is the true hero in this cinematic twist on the tale of King Arthur created by Thomas Wheeler and legendary artist, producer, and director Frank Miller (300, Batman: The Dark Knight...
Classic fantasy
The dead queens club.
Capin, Hannah.
If your school's homecoming king had a little too much in common with Henry VIII, would you survive with your head still attached? You'd think being the new girl in a tiny town would equal one very boring senior year. But if you're me--Annie Marck, alias Cleves--and you accidentally...

Great YA

Dear Martin.
Stone, Nic
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST * ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME   After a traffic stop turns violent at the hands of the police, a young Black teen grapples with racism--and what it means for his future....

Great YA

The dreadful tale of Prosper Redding.
Bracken, Alexandra.
The first in a "devious and delightful" new series by Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds, soon to be a major motion picture. *"An infectious, entertaining series starter. Clever, occasionally...
Historical Fiction - Regency era
Elatsoe.
Little Badger, Darcie, 1987-
Locus Award Winner--Best First Novel A National Indie Bestseller Nebula Award Finalist Lodestar Award Finalist Ignyte Award Finalist TIME's Best 100 Fantasy Books of All Time NPR Best of the Year Booklist's...

Uncommon Tales

Elon Musk.
Isaacson, Walter.
#1 New York Times bestseller From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era--a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of...

Great Nonfiction

Etiquette & espionage.
Carriger, Gail.
This steampunk series debut set in the same world as the New York Times bestselling Parasol Protectorate is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore. Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great...

Mixed Fantasy

The fault in our stars.
Green, John, 1977-
Bestselling author John Green returns with an eagerly anticipated and emotional novel about sickness and health, life and death. Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs. for now. Two years post-miracle,...

Romance

The final revival of Opal & Nev.
Walton, Dawnie
An electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour. A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK NAMED A BEST...
Historical Fiction - America
Geekerella.
Poston, Ashley
Cinderella goes to the con in this fandom-fueled twist on the classic fairy tale. Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy talefor anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes...

Fairy Tales

The gentleman's guide to vice and virtue.
Lee, Mackenzi
A Kirkus Prize nominee and Stonewall Honor winner with 5 starred reviews! A New York Times bestseller! Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR and the New York Public Library! "The queer teen historical you didn't know was missing from your life."--Teen...

Historical Fiction - Regency era

Graceling. [online electronic book]
Cashore, Kristin
Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore. A New York Times bestseller * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner * Publishers Weekly, School Library...

Classic fantasy

The Green Road.
Enright, Anne, 1962-
By the Booker Award-winning bestselling author of The Gathering, The Green Road is Anne Enright's virtuoso new novel, her most compelling and powerful to date      A darkly glinting novel set mainly in a small town on Ireland's Atlantic coast...

Realistic fiction

Ground zero.
Gratz, Alan, 1972-
The instant #1 New York Times bestseller. In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -- and the stunning links between the past and...

Great YA

The hive.
Lyga, Barry.
A Winner of People Magazine's Best Books for Fall 2019.New York Times bestselling authors Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden have teamed up for the first time to create a novel that's gripping, terrifying and more relevant every day.Cassie McKinney has always believed in the Hive.Social media used to be...

Dystopias

Homegoing.
Gyasi, Yaa
A PENGUIN BOOK CLUB PICK "Homegoing is an inspiration." --Ta-Nehisi Coates  An unforgettable New York Times bestseller of exceptional scope and sweeping vision that traces the descendants of two sisters across three hundred years in Ghana and...

Historical Fiction - not Western

The house of fortune.
Burton, Jessie, 1982-
Alive with the magic of Amsterdam, the enchanting new historical novel from the author of the sensational New York Times bestseller The Miniaturist, which has sold more than two million copies. In 1705 Amsterdam, Thea Brandt is coming of age, trying to grapple...

Historical Fiction - Renaissance

Howl's moving castle.
Jones, Diana Wynne, 1934-
'Quite simply the best writer of magic there is' Neil Gaiman 'Truly magical ... Guaranteed to leave you gasping' The Bookseller 'She is the best writer of magical fantasy for children' Evening Standard In this beloved modern classic,...

Uncommon Tales

I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you.
Carter, Ally.
Step into Cammie Morgan's world of intrigue in the first book of the beloved New York Times bestselling Gallagher Girls series Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school -- that is, if every school...
Romance
Into the wild /
Krakauer, Jon
In April 1992, a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhikes to Alaska and walks alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. Four months later, his decomposed body is found by a moose hunter. How Chris McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.

Great Nonfiction

The invisible life of Addie LaRue.
Schwab, Victoria
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER NATIONAL INDIE BESTSELLER THE WASHINGTON POST BESTSELLER Recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, NPR, Slate, and Oprah...

Historical Fiction - Victorian era

Jade fire gold.
Tan, June CL
Girls of Paper and Fire meets A Song of Wraiths and Ruin in June CL Tan's stunning debut, where ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, rich magic, and a captivating slow-burn romance collide. In an empire on the brink of war . . . Ahn is no one, with no past and no...
Great YA
The last fallen star.
Kim, Graci.
Riley Oh can't wait to see her sister get initiated into the Gom clan, a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches their family has belonged to for generations. Her sister, Hattie, will earn her Gi bracelet and finally be able to cast spells without adult supervision. Although Riley is desperate to...

Paranormal

A long walk to water. [online electronic book]
Park, Linda Sue
Cherished by millions of readers, this #1 New York Times bestselling novel is a powerful tale of perseverance and hope. Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park interweaves the stories of two Sudanese children who overcome mortal dangers to improve their lives and the lives of others. A Long Walk...
Great YA
Matrix.
Groff, Lauren.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE 2022 JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2021 Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times,...

Historical Fiction - Japan

My friend Dahmer : [graphic novel] /
Derf
NATIONAL BESTSELLER 2013 ALA/YALSA Alex Award 2014 Revelation Award at Angoul\u00eame 2015 ALA/YALSA Alex Award (Excellence in Narrative Nonfiction) You only think you know this story. In 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer - the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper...

Great YA

The name of the star.
Johnson, Maureen, 1973-
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack...
Paranormal
New boy.
Chevalier, Tracy
"O felt her presence behind him like a fire at his back."   Arriving at his fourth school in six years, diplomat's son Osei Kokote--"O" for short--knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day, so he is lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But...
Classic adaptation
Orphan train.
Kline, Christina Baker, 1964-
Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they...

Historical Fiction - America

The other side of perfect.
Turk, Mariko
For fans of Sarah Dessen and Mary H.K. Choi, this lyrical and emotionally driven novel follows Alina, a young aspiring dancer who suffers a devastating injury and must face a world without ballet--as well as the darker side of her former dream. Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but...

Ballet

Packing for Mars for kids. [online electronic book]
Roach, Mary
What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this...

Great YA

People of the book.
Brooks, Geraldine
View our feature on Geraldine Books's People of the Book. From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, the journey of a rare illuminated manuscript through centuries of exile and war In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered...

  1. Historical Fiction - Renaissance
Pride and premeditation.
Price, Tirzah
One of BuzzFeed's best YA books of 2021! Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries trilogy is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in...

Great YA

Princess academy.
Hale, Shannon
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the...
Classic fantasy
The radium girls : the scary but true story of the poison that made people glow
Moore, Kate (Writer and editor)
Explore the unbelievable true story of America's glowing girls and their fight for justice in the young readers edition of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Radium Girls. This enthralling new edition includes all-new material, including a glossary, timeline, and dozens of bonus...

Great Nonfiction

Red rising.
Brown, Pierce, 1988-
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Pierce Brown's relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. "Red Rising ascends above a crowded dys­topian field."--USA Today<...
Mixed Fantasy
The refrigerator monologues. [online electronic book]
Valente, Catherynne M., 1979-
From the New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a ferocious riff on the women in superhero comics. The Refrigerator Monologues is a collection of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes,...

Romance

The secret keeper of Jaipur.
Joshi, Alka.
 A NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST,  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK Good Morning America's "27 Books for June"   PopSugar's Best Summer Reads of 2021  In New York Times bestselling...

Historical Fiction - not Western

The Selection.
Cass, Kiera
Fall in love--from the very beginning. Discover the first book in the captivating, #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. Prepare to be swept into a world of breathless fairy-tale romance, swoonworthy characters, glittering gowns, and fierce intrigue perfect for readers who loved...

Time Travel

I sing the body electric!
Bradbury, Ray, 1920-
The mind of Ray Bradbury is a wonder-filled carnival of delight and terror that stretches from the verdant Irish countryside to the coldest reaches of outer space. Yet all his work is united by one common thread: a vivid and profound understanding of the vast emotions that bring strength and...

Classic short stories

A sitting in St. James.
Williams-Garcia, Rita.
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award! 7 starred reviews! "Monumental." --Booklist (starred review) * "A marathon masterpiece."--Kirkus (starred review) * "Necessary."--SLJ (starred review) * "Shocking and dramatic."--Shelf Awareness (starred review) * "Mesmerizing,...

Historical Fiction - Victorian era

Six of crows.
Bardugo, Leigh
See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now! Meet Kaz Brekker and his crew: Jesper, Inej, Wylan, and the star-crossed Nina and Matthias, on the heist of a lifetime in Six of Crows from #1...

Science Fiction

The sleeper and the spindle.
Gaiman, Neil
In a beautiful collaboration, New York Times bestselling and Newbery and Carnegie Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman and Kate Greenaway-winning illustrator Chris Riddell have created a thrillingly reimagined fairy tale, "told in a way only Gaiman can" and featuring "stunning metallic artwork"...

Fairy Tales

Smile. [graphic novel]
Telgemeier, Raina
Raina just wanted to be a normal girl, but one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of...

Realistic fiction

The song of Achilles. [online electronic book]
Miller, Madeline
"At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist....A book I could not put down." --Ann Patchett "Mary Renault lives again!" declares Emma Donoghue, author of Room, referring to The Song of Achilles, Madeline...

Classic adaptation

Soul lanterns.
Kuzki, Shaw, 1957-
The haunting and poignant story of a how a young Japanese girl's understanding of the historic and tragic bombing of Hiroshima is transformed by a memorial lantern-floating ceremony. Twelve-year-old Nozomi lives in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. She wasn't even born when the...

Historical Fiction - WWII

Stalking Jack the Ripper.
Maniscalco, Kerri
This #1 New York Times bestseller and deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion. Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth...

Historical Fiction - Victorian era

Steve Jobs /
Isaacson, Walter.
Walter Isaacson's "enthralling" (The New Yorker) worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years--as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries,...

Great Nonfiction

Throne of glass.
Maas, Sarah J.
The first book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's sweeping fantasy saga - now available in hardcover with a new look to match the series!When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come...

Classic fantasy

Too big to fail : the inside story of how Wall Street and Washington fought to s
Sorkin, Andrew Ross.
Brand New for 2018: an updated edition featuring a new afterword to mark the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis   The brilliantly reported New York Times bestseller that goes behind the scenes of the financial crisis on Wall Street and in...

Great Nonfiction

Vanilla.
Merrell, Billy, 1982-
A bold, groundbreaking novel about coming out, coming into your own, and coming apart.Vanilla and Hunter have been dating since seventh grade. They came out together, navigated middle school together, and became that couple in high school that everyone always sees as a couple. There are...

Great YA

The walls around us.
Suma, Nova Ren.
An NPR Best Book of 2015 A Boston Globe Best Book of 2015 A Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of 2015 A BookRiot Best Book of 2015 A 2016 YALSA Best Book for Young Adults ...

Ballet

Wench.
Perkins-Valdez, Dolen.
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is startling and original fiction that raises provocative questions of power and freedom, love and dependence. An enchanting and unforgettable novel based on...

Historical Fiction - America

What elephants know.
Dinerstein, Eric, 1952-
Abandoned in the jungle of the Nepalese Borderlands, two-year-old Nandu is found living under the protective watch of a pack of wild dogs. From his mysterious beginnings, fate delivers him to the King's elephant stable, where he is raised by unlikely parents-the wise head of the stable, Subba...
Historical Fiction - not Western
White Rose.
Wilson, Kip.
"In a searing indictment of silent complicity, White Rose shines a light on one remarkable young woman's insistence on the power of truth, no matter the cost. A timely call to resistance." - Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint "White Rose is a resonant...

Historical Fiction - WWII

The wild truth /
McCandless, Carine
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The true story behind Jon Krakauer's bestselling novel and Sean Penn's acclaimed film Into the Wild, from the sister of Chris McCandless, filling in questions about Chris' journey of self-discovery and the dysfunctional childhood that pushed him to brave the...

Great Nonfiction

Wolf hall.
Mantel, Hilary, 1952-
England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell...
Historical Fiction - Renaissance
Yesterday is history. [online electronic book]
Jackson, Kosoko.
Time Travel

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