This Month's Most Popular Books

Kenmore West is full of readers, and each and every one has a different taste in books. However, there are some similarities. Certain books are more popular than others, and this month, my goal was to find these books. Recently, a survey was sent to every single student at Kenmore West, asking for their opinions on not only what the best book genre was but also on the most popular books for each. 

I encourage you to head down to the library sometime this year, as almost all of the books listed can be found there. Ranging from Romance to Horror, there are plenty of books for you to enjoy, not just the ones on this list.

Along with help from reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads, plenty of students listed their favorite books and genres, compiling a complete list just for you. To keep things simple, each book has been assigned one specific genre, so any books that may have been listed in a different genre have been moved. To start with, I found the ten most popular book genres and asked you to vote on your favorite. These are the results.

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1. Fantasy

2. Romance

3. Young Adult

4. Mystery

5. Dystopian

6. Horror

7. Historical Fiction 

8. Science Fiction 

9. Thriller

10. Poetry

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As you can see, the number one genre is Fantasy, which isn’t surprising because it is what most teens prefer. What is also not a surprise is the most listed book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. I’m sure most people have read the series, but if you haven’t, go check it out! Beneath that, the books A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo were number two and three. Both books are popular fantasies, and relatively new as well.

Number two is Romance, which had the most responses out of all ten genres. One of the most popular and beloved series of the year, which was recently adapted into an ongoing tv show, is The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.  It took the top spot for this category. Second place was taken by the recently released book Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. In third is Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston which was also recently adapted into a film.

Finally, in third place, is Young Adult. Its first book is Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, an incredibly popular series with two movie adaptations, and an upcoming tv show. Next up is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, another very popular book with plenty of movies to go with it. Lastly is Heartstopper by Alice Osman. This popular love story also has a tv adaptation, like many other books on this list.

Below are the remaining seven genres, along with their top three books, listed in order of popularity.

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Mystery

1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

2. If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

3. As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Dystopian

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

3. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Horror

1. It by Stephen King

2. Coraline by Neil Gaimen

3. Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Historical Fiction

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

3. Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R.F. Kuang

Science Fiction

1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2. Dune by Frank Herbert

3. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Thriller

1. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2. Five Survive by Holly Jackson

3. Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Poetry

1. 1. 1. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

      2. In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan

      3. Howl And Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg

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I hope you enjoyed looking through this year’s most popular books and are interested in reading any of them. Make sure to check out the library to see if one of these books interests you!