As the cold weather creeps up on us, more and more free time is spent indoors. Give electronics a break for a while and settle down to read one of these great books.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner: This book is a great read for sci-fi lovers; it follows teenager Michael, in his futuristic society. Michael, like many kids his age, plays a high-tech video game on a system called the VirtNet, a game in which all your senses are alert, you can taste and even feel pain. Michael and his friends are recruited by the government to stop a series of cyber attacks that get more and more severe as the story progresses. Even as a person who despises sci-fi, I found this book to be of the best I’ve read in a while.

Life As We Knew It – by Susan Beth Pfeffer: This fictional novel is the first in the Last Survivors trilogy. It is about protagonist Miranda and her family as they deal with the after effects of a major disaster – the moon getting hit closer to earth. The tides go crazy, washing away coastlines, and due to the changed magnetism, volcanoes and earthquakes take place where they never have before. This book is suspenseful and hard to put down once you pick it up.

Let it Snow – by John Greene, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle: Although snow may be the last thing you want to read about, Let it Snow is an incredible collab book written by three amazing authors. Broken up into three stories, each author writes a story of a teenager impacted by the same huge snowstorm. In the end, these three stories intertwine in the most unexpected of ways. It’s a remarkable tale of three ordinary kids, with a little added romance to spice things up.

Mockingjay – by Susanne Collins: If you haven’t already, read Mockingjay, the third book in the dystopian Hunger Games trilogy. It follows teenager Katniss Everdeen in the war against the Capitol, the rulers of her current society. Not only is it a great book, but its movie is coming out in theaters on November 21 (next Friday). Follow the unspoken rule for all book to movie adaptations: read the book before seeing the movie.

Ship Breaker – by Paolo Bacigalupi- This award-winning book takes place in the USA, but in the future. It’s about Nailer, a teenage boy who lives in the lower class, who takes apart old ships for parts. His future seems predetermined; he’ll be doing this until he dies. Then, one day, his life is forever changed when he finds a freshly grounded ship, with a lone survivor, a wealthy girl. He must choose whether to save her or strip the boat clean for money. This book is a powerful piece of literature that will leave you satisfied.

Curl up in a Snuggie, grab some hot chocolate and start reading a book. Check out these five titles and you’ll be set for the duration of Fall. Happy reading!