What’s better than reading some books in your free time? Here is a list of three great books that you can read in your free time from Lasso writer Harshini Velmurugan.

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Kay Donovan is the typical popular girl who is a star soccer player and she attends a private school. But, her covered-up past slowly uncovers itself as she gets knee-deep into suicide in her school. Can she protect her past while also trying to solve puzzles given to her by the girl who died? This is such an amazing book to read if you love thrillers, murders, and suspense books. There are so many twists and turns in this book. As you read, you can try to investigate and come up with suspects alongside Kay.  Also, there is a range of diverse characters, such as characters from the LGBTQ+ community and characters of different ethnicities. There are so many elements to this book, that you will find it hard to put it down.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is a story of a foster girl, Liesel Meminger, who loves books to the extent that she risks her life stealing them several times. She begins to learn how to read and write from her foster father. Her father hides a Jewish man in their basement to protect him from the Nazis. Can she survive with her family while hiding a Jewish man and stealing books? This book is hauntingly beautiful and stays with you long after you’ve read it. You cry, laugh, feel happy, and become one with this book. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. The narration at the start and sometimes in the middle was a little confusing, but it is explained at the end of the story. Beware, this book might snatch the title of your favorite book in your list. While reading, have a box of tissues beside you, or else you’re going to regret it. If you want to feel the book alive, be sure to check out the movie adaptation of this book. Though it doesn’t fully show us what this book did, it is still worth watching.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Mattie Cook wants to turn her family coffee shop into one of the best in Philadelphia. But her dream is ruined when the fever breaks out, leaving her world in spirals. She and her grandfather escape the town on her ill mother’s approval to survive the epidemic. This book portrays the bond between families, friends, and the main protagonist so good, that many times, you will find tears welling up in your eyes. Real-life and historic incidents tied with fictional characters are this story. Fair warning! This book contains a lot of cliffhangers that you may be frustrating. But I think that’s what makes this book special. The ending was a little bit rushed, but overall this book is a good read during this ongoing pandemic.