Just like any other trend, the popularity of books comes and goes but certain books have become a staple in South Windsor High School.
The most checked out books in the past year at the South Windsor High School Library Media Center are The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, One of Us is Lying, by Karen M. McManus, Dune, by Frank Herbert, and Five Survive, by Holly Jackson.
“The most popular genre in our library right now is gritty mystery,” SWHS Library Media Specialist Ms. Fielding said.
One of Us is Lying and A Good Girls Guide to Murder, by Holly Jackson, are both well-known in the gritty mystery genre. This genre is gaining popularity recently due to the media. Both One of Us is Lying and A Good Girls Guide to Murder have become sought-after because they were both adapted into TV shows.
“It’s called a halo effect,” Ms. Fielding said.
When people see a new movie, TV show, or a new book, they are going to want to go back to the beginning of the series to re-read it to remember what happened before they read the most recent book or watch the most recent movie.
Similarly, the novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty took off because it was also made into a TV show. When the show came out, the SWHS Library Media Center couldn’t keep it on the shelves and always had the book on hold.
When you are marketing in these kinds of ways, through social media or TV, people are also suddenly inclined to go back and read books that were published years ago.
Dune, which was published in 1965, and is one of the most checked out books at the Library Media Center, became so popular that they had to buy multiple extra copies just to keep up with the demand of the students who wanted to read it.
Another popular genre is ‘romantasy’, which is a mix of fantasy and romance. Powerless, by Lauren Roberts, is a top book in this genre.
“I am currently reading Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins,” sophomore Josie Hunt said. “It’s really well written and it’s a great prequel to The Hunger Games series.”
Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest book in The Hunger Games series, and despite the first book coming out almost 18 years ago, it still is one of the most checked out books in South Windsor.
