With the semester wrapping up and winter break looming, everyone is looking forward to having some time to themselves. Winter is the best time to snuggle up with a book and your drink of choice and be transported into a whole new world. Another great way to spend the break is to enjoy musicals and get lost in the songs.

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Love for musicals has been revived greatly over the past few years with reruns of fan favorites and the addition of new musicals that turned the world upside down. Songs from the shows have slowly crept from the school auditoriums into hallways and beyond, connecting students in ways like never before. Art is a medium that loves company and expansion. Fans are always looking for the next great thing. Here are some book recommendations based on some of the most loved Broadway musicals.

 

· Hamilton and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue 

Hamilton swept through the world, arguably reviving the popularity of musicals for this generation. The dramatic plot and expressive characters stole the hearts of many, and so will this book. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue will make you laugh and cry, frantically turning the pages to know what happens next. Fans of the popular historical musical will love this historical fiction for sure. 

 

· Heathers and The Thousandth Floor 

Fans of the chaos and emotions of Heathers will love The Thousandth Floor for the same reasons. The social dissection of popularity and perfection will be explosive. The wide array of characters in this book means everyone has a story and lies. But will the façade of these characters set them on a pedestal or leave them falling from grace?

 

· Dear Evan Hansen and History is All You Left Me

This tear-jerking musical leaves the audience’s emotions and hearts torn out. This book will do the same thing if you are ready for that emotional rollercoaster after listening to the soundtrack for the thousandth time. The characters in History is All You Left Me will remind you of your favorites from the musical. These characters try to find their way after the loss of relationships and friends. Words fail to describe how beautiful these two pieces of art are.

 

· Be More Chill and Ready Player One

This musical covers an array of subjects. With common themes and imagery relating to video games, it is clear that fans will enjoy Ready Player One just as much. The science-fiction book is action packed and filled with 80s references, especially video games. The works on the surface may seem light hearted at a first glance, but a deeper delve will leave you entranced in the realistic themes. 

 

· Wicked and Dorothy Must Die 

Wicked and Dorothy Must Die both take a deep look at the fantastical world of Oz and what it means to be good and wicked. Both works will leave you thinking that green is good. Static characters in both show there is always more than one side to a person. So look to the western sky and dream of your spot in Oz, beside the wizard or having fun storming the castle. 

 

· Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 and Tash Hearts Tolstoy

Both Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 and Tash Hearts Tolstoy are based heavily on the works of Leo Tolstoy. Both take Tolstoy’s works to another level. Tash Hearts Tolstoy takes his work of Anna Karenina and turns it into a YouTube sensation, and Tash has to deal with her new found fame. 

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· Into the Woods and The School for Good and Evil

Fantasy lovers of Into the Woods will love this dark and whimsical series that takes two best friends and puts them into the school that they feel is wrong for them. The two girls are convinced that they belong at the other school, but did the administration make a mistake or will they find new sides of themselves as they go deeper into the woods and discover what exactly makes a fairy tale?

 

· Newsies and Kids of Appetite 

Nothing can compare to the energetic dancing of Newsies, but this book can match the empowering feeling of coming together and forming one large family. These families face different Goliaths in different time periods, but their strength and love is a tale that does not obey time. 

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Broadway and Books go hand in hand. Both have diehard fans and rich storytelling. They provide an escape from reality into many different times and places. Which of these books are you going to pick up over break?

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