By Jennifer Trend, Staff Writer
Winter’s approaching, bringing along chilly days and anticipation for the holidays. These books transport you to a more tropical setting during colder days, or immerse you in that perfect, chilly winter atmosphere.
What Light by Jay Asher
Genre: romance, holiday
Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, and every year from Thanksgiving break to Christmas, they travel to California to sell trees. But this year might be their last. Sierra hesitates to take her friends’ encouragement to find a boyfriend, but when she meets Caleb, a boy everyone thinks is trouble, she considers it. He’s been judged on rumors, and she’s the only one willing to find out who this boy really is. What could come out of it?
Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Genre: sci-fi, historical
Three different people in three different times with interconnected stories all share one thing in common: they are looking for something. Adri, from Kansas in 2065 is one of the few chosen to go and live on Mars. Catherine, from Oklahoma in 1934, must decide on giving up everything to save the person she loves the most. Lenore, from England in 1919, still grieving over her fallen brother, hopes that a long lost friend will be found in America. Each woman’s story beautifully interlaces with one another, and perhaps not all will be lost with the decisions they make.
East by Edith Pattou
Genre: romance, fantasy
This book is a retelling of a Norwegian fairytale of East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Rosie’s family has always believed in superstitions, and her mother would go to her grave swearing that Rosie is an East-born child even if her true nature disagrees. When the truth of her mother’s lie is revealed, and a white bear appears one day asking Rosie to come with it in exchange for her poor family to live in prosperity, she readily agrees. But her curiosity is her undoing, and Rosie goes on a journey to fix what she’s done and to face a formidable foe that only wants to keep her and her lover apart.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Genre: mystery
Five different students all end up in detention one day, and only four leave alive. No one knows why, but investigators know it wasn’t an accident, and the only four who know anything aren’t speaking. Did Bronwyn, the brain and smarts do it? Or did Addy, the homecoming princess, do it? Or was it Nate, the criminal, on probation for dealing? Or what about Cooper, the athlete, the baseball pitcher? How long and how far will each student go to keep Simon, the creator of a gossip app, and his story in the grave?
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Genre: mystery
All Scarlett Dragna wants is to see the Caraval, a once a year performance that runs on the audience’s participation, but she knows that once she gets married, she’ll never make it. But to her surprise, her sister Trella surprises her with tickets. On the day of the show, Trella is kidnapped by Legend, the Caraval’s mastermind. Scarlett is whisked into a game of mystery and has to find her sister within five days of the Caraval. Otherwise she’ll never see her sister again.
