As the weather starts to get colder, days shorter and nights longer, it is the perfect time to curl up next to the fire and read a book. I know that sometimes it’s hard to find a good book, so I am recommending some of my favorites for you to enjoy. 

1. “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller – my all-time favorite book. If you are fascinated by mythology then I encourage you to read this. It tells the story of Achilles from the perspective of Patroclus, his best friend. The beginning starts off a little slow, but as soon as you get past the introduction and into the plot, it is impossible to put down. Greek gods, famous war heroes and breathtaking landscapes enrich the plot twists and left me in tears.

2. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. TPOBAW is a great coming-of-age novel, especially for highschoolers who feel lost. It is an epistolary novel told from the perspective of Charlie, who lost his best friend to suicide. He struggles to cope with his mental illnesses and to make friends in his Freshman year of highschool until he meets people who help him navigate the hardships of school and show him how to live in the moment. 

3. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” by J.K. Rowling. Now, if you haven’t read the first two books in the Harry Potter series, I recommend you do that immediately. If you’re looking for a break from reality, then Prisoner of Azkaban is a perfect escape. Of all of the books in the series, this one has two of the biggest plot twists. Ron, Harry and Hermione finally start becoming true best friends while sneaking around the castle together trying to uncover mysteries about Harry’s past. 

4. “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book highlights the ugly truths about making your way to the top in Hollywood. Evelyn Hugo does whatever it takes to climb out of the gutters and become a star, then after 79 years, decides to tell her story to a novice journalist. She reveals the truth about what it was like to love someone you can never have. It ends in a twist that no one– specifically this journalist–ever saw coming.

5. “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown. As someone who is fascinated with history, I could not put this book down. Although a bit lengthy, it takes you throughout Italy and the Vatican City to save the whole Catholic denomination from the illuminati. Robert Langdon uses his knowledge as a symbologist to uncover the truth about the murders of Cardinals in Italy. This book connects the clues to the history of the Vatican City and makes you feel as if you are in the Holy City with Langdon.

Reading books is a way to escape into a different world and imagine a new life. I hope these books transport you to new places and expose you to new ideas as they did for me.