As school winds down but quarantine continues, it’s probably best people find some hobbies that don’t include technology. Luckily for you all, I went through a book nerd phase in middle school, and I still remember some of the best books I read.

So without further ado, here are my top five favorites, in no particular order.

1. My Sisters Keeper- Now, I know I said I wouldn’t put these in any particular order, but this one just happens to be my favorite. The author, Jodi Picoult, is also my favorite author because out of all 23 of her books, there isn’t a single one I’ve ever predicted the ending to. I’ve told this to everyone I’ve suggested her books too, but if you can guess the ending to one of her books, I will literally pay you. This one is about a young girl who was conceived for the very purpose of donating parts of her body to her sister with cancer until she decides to file a lawsuit against her parents. I won’t spoil the ending, but…wow. Definitely the best book I’ve ever read by far.
2. Life As We Knew It- This is a pretty good one for a time like right now, when everything feels like it’s falling apart. This dystopian novel is about a family attempting to survive a world being destroyed by natural disasters, as the moon is pulled closer to the earth. It’s a series of three, and It’s honestly amazing, it’ll keep you on edge the whole time. It has everything: action, romance, death, survival.
3. The Enemy- Okay, hear me out. So, this one’s about a pandemic. But a different type of pandemic! Instead of the Coronavirus causing us all to shelter in place for months, this disease causes anyone over the age of 16 to turn into a cannibalistic monster, forcing teenagers and young children to learn how to not only survive on their own, fight their own teachers, neighbors, and parents, but also find a cure. This one is pretty creepy and gruesome, so if you’re into that stuff, this is a great book. It’s also a series!
4. The Girl on The Train- This one is a classic, but I still feel like it’s super underrated. It’s super creepy, and keeps you guessing the whole time, so much so that I can’t find a way to summarize it without giving anything away. Basically, a woman going through a really traumatic time in her life, rides the train at the same time every day, passing the same couple. She gets a sort of obsession with this one couple who she passes by on the train every day, but when she witnesses something she probably shouldn’t have seen, things start to get violent. This one is great if you love murder mystery type of stuff.
5. Keep Quiet– This one is by my second favorite author, Lisa Scottoline, and is honestly so amazing. She writes in such a clever way I can’t even describe it. This one is about a father and a son with a rough relationship, and in hopes of fixing it, the father lets his son drive his car home (without a license) after picking him up from a night out. The son ends up hitting someone and killing them, and long story short, the family is woven into a web of lies in order to protect themselves. Also super suspenseful!

These are just some of my personal favorites that I can remember, but if you’re looking for other books, pretty much any Jodi Picoult book is AMAZING. I cannot stress that enough; she is an amazing author!