New York Times (NYT), Goodreads and Barnes & Noble (B&N) all released their top books for 2024 in early December. Most of the lists have been worked on since January and provide insight on what was considered by many to be the best books of each genre this year.
These top books are picked based on several factors. For B&N, workers and booksellers from B&N stores nationally nominate the books. For Goodreads, they look at reader activity on their site. Features such as ratings left by readers and what books are added to favorite lists are taken into consideration when choosing the top books.
Reader preference is considered to be one of the most crucial factors when it comes to making these lists because they have opinions that aren’t based on influencing book sales or profit.
“I think if you get a reader’s opinion, they’re not scared to be critical of authors,” Demi Bergsma Rossel, junior who has had an interest in reading since eighth grade, said.
Student opinions on the top books varied, but there were some overall agreed upon favorites – such as “House of Flame and Shadow” by Sarah J. Maas, which won the top “romantasy” book for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2024.
“It’s really good,” Lily Narut, freshman, said. “[Sarah J. Maas’s] writing is entertaining.”
Despite there being a few discernable authors, most of the books on the lists were not well-known to students at Jupiter High School. The B&N book of the year and NYT’s third book of the year, “James” by Percival Everett, was not recognized by most teenage readers. Many of them have different tastes compared to the top books on the lists.
“I recognize the cover but I’ve never read it,” Narut said.
These lists might not be curated for high school students and are made with a different demographic in mind. Although many of the books on those top lists are not catered towards high school students, they might be a good place to get book recommendations for readers. Reading is considered a beneficial and enriching hobby for students, whether it be for fun or to learn something new.
“When I had just recently moved and before I made some friends, I had a lot of free time. I had some books that I never read in my room so I took the opportunity. I just kept reading and buying more and it became a passion of mine,” Bergsma Rossel said.
Some favorite books that came out in 2024 and were mentioned by readers at JHS were “Reckless” by Lauren Roberts and “Blood of Hercules” by Jasmine Mas.
“I really liked [Reckless], I’m waiting for the third one to come out in that series,” Adriana Maggio, freshman who has been reading since seventh grade, said.
Literature and books can also be a part of someone’s identity.
“I’ve been reading pretty much since I was born. My mom loves to read and so she would read me like really long chapter books as a kid,” Shannon Wills, senior, said
Reading can provide an outlet to students and is used as a source of escape for many people who like to read.
“I just think that it’s really calming. Everybody’s on their phone all the time and reading is just a nice way to step away from social media and all the toxicity that goes on online,” Maya Estes, freshman who who originally got into reading through the Percy Jackson books, said.
