By Sara Solimani, Opinions Editor
With the end of the school year coming soon, reader’s fan favorites have been a topic of interest for many at River Hill. Coming together as a community and being able to share favorite recently released books or genres that have piqued their interest this year can be an enjoyable way to pass time and meet new people throughout the school.
People all around the world bond over their favorite books, just like students here at River Hill do. Some of the most recent releases that have been popular throughout the country include Happy Place by Emily Henry, The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, and Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, according to Goodreads.
Talking about books with friends and teachers can be a fun conversation starter for many students. Of all genres and authors, the books that students and teachers like the most include psychological thriller books all the way to romantic novels. Junior ChaeWon Cheon comments, “I really liked Little Fires Everywhere [by Celeste Ng],” which is described to be a domestic fiction book that takes place in the 1990s. Junior Rebecca Sirak contributes, “I really liked Red, White & Royal Blue [by Casey McQuiston],” which was an LGBTQ+ romance novel.
Teachers pitch in with their favorites as well: “I think The Silent Patient [by Alex Michaelides] was my favorite this year,” says Mrs. Smith, an AP Art and Art 1 teacher, who expressed her love for this psychological thriller. Mrs. Shagogue, a media center specialist, shares her favorite, “The Last Housewife [by Ashley Winstead], which was pretty dark; it was a thriller and it mixed an element of a cult and the psychology behind it. I just literally could not stop reading it, I was thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it and I couldn’t wait to start reading it. It’s like one of those things where you can’t stop because it’s just so unbelievable.”
Recently, the buzz around anticipated books has been centered around Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry, who seem to be popular authors, not just in River Hill but around the country as well. Amongst certain favorite recent releases, there are also books that many have been waiting to read. Mrs. Shagogue notes, “We added The Agathas [by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson] this year and I loved it. It was like a girl gang that was solving mysteries, and it was based off of Agatha Christie. It was really cute.” ChaeWon remarks, “I liked Lightlark [by Alex Aster], which was like a fantasy book that came out recently.” To add on, Rebecca mentions how
“Love on the Brain [by Ali Hazelwood],” was her favorite recently released book to read this year.
The genres that seem to be the most popular amongst students at River Hill range from Young Adult, romance, realistic fiction all the way to fantasy. Mrs. Shagogue conveys, “I really loved – generally speaking – thriller and mystery. Sometimes when I need a break from the heaviness of those, I’ll read romance, which I really like.” Junior Lexi Smithson notes how she enjoys “reading fantasy or horror books.” To compare, ChaeWon shares how, “Usually I read realistic fiction. Even though one of my favorite’s, Lightlark, is a fantasy book which I don’t really read,”
Rebecca says her favorite genre was, “Contemporary romance. It’s just like romance but modern-day.”
Reading provides an escape and it can also just be an enjoyable way to pass time for a lot of people. Regardless of the reason, reading continues to be a pleasant and relaxing hobby for many. Mrs. Smith agrees, “It’s a better way to pass my time than watching TV, I feel like I can also listen to audiobooks and multitask. When I’m driving home it’s a nice way to focus on something else.” Rebecca shares, “I’ve always liked reading since I was very little, I would say that it’s an escape and I can picture what is going on while I’m reading so it’s kind of like a mind-movie.” Lexi observes how “it gives me an escape from other things and it’s something I like that I can do that doesn’t involve screens.” In light of this, Mrs. Shagogue expresses, “I just really like that I can learn something new, and it’s a great way to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes and get lost in something. It’s a nice escape from reality and I also like to talk to people about it.”
Racing to discover new books and share funny moments with friends happens to be an age-old hobby for many here at River Hill. Buzzing with excitement to find the next best book seems to always bring up the question: What will next year’s books have in store for us?