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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a novel by J.K. Rowling. The book begins with Harry and his friend Ron Weasley attending the Quidditch World Cup. However, things go south when Voldemort supporters streak the sky with the “Dark Mark”, which signals their return to power. When Harry and Ron return to school, they are met with the return of the Triwizard tournament. (Contenders are meant to be over 17) Shockingly, Harry is selected to compete against other highly prestigious wizard schools.
The novel Hoot by Carl Hiaasen is about Roy Eberhardt, who moves to Florida. Here he makes new friends, Beatrice Leep and “Mullet Fingers”. These two are mysterious and have their secrets, but something that isn’t discreet is their love for the nature and safety of the burrowing owls. Beatrice and Mullet Fingers inform Roy about a construction company that threatens to damage the burrowing owls’ colony.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a novel about a group of boys stranded on an unknown island. They elect their leader and are forced to create a new society without any parental guidance, which turns out to be a complete failure. Bumps in society lead to violence and lots of drama; kids mysteriously disappear or perish. The kids are stuck with finding a way to escape the island, with no help but each other.
Compound Fracture follows our main character, Miles Abernathy, as he dives deep into the rotten history of his West Virginia mining town, and how it ties with his family. When a ghost shows up, Miles takes on the task of trying to break free from the wicked blood cycle of the town– but at what cost? This is truly a different work from Andrew Joseph White, wholly unique in premise (as always), but fundamentally different from his other books.
Teen Hazel Grace Lancaster has cancer. Having to constantly live, imagining that she might not wake up the next morning, is hard. Nevertheless, she tries her hardest to have as typical of a life as she possibly can. While at a cancer support group, Hazel Grace meets Augustus Waters who has his own troubles… and it’s love at first sight. This book follows their romance and their humanity.
Film student Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. He claims he didn’t do it, but does the jury believe that? Monster narrates his experiences as an African American seventeen-year-old from Harlem in the judicial system, and the apparent biases/stereotyping from his jurors. How does it all end? Find out!
Starr Carter, the protagonist of The Hate U Give just wanted to live a normal life free from any huge troubles. However, her dreams of normalcy are shattered when she witnesses the shooting death of a childhood friend. Starr is torn between speaking out and keeping it to herself, but as challenges in her community grow, Starr realizes sometimes, you have to be brave to cause change.
Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse, is a high-stakes fantasy epic inspired by a solar eclipse. With interesting and rich worldbuilding, Roanhorse makes a darker and more adult take on the classic hero’s journey story, turning it on its head, as the main character is really more of a villain, a cultist hoping to usher in an age of darkness for a crow god. If you like fantasy, high stakes, magic, and a sprinkling of adult themes, this book is for you.
Power Play, by Joseph Finder, is a book full of a very specific charm. The strong male protagonist uses his ingenuity, wit, and determination to save the day and rescue the damsel and takes the reader for an engaging and suspenseful ride along the way. The story explores social politics and dynamics in the business world, as well as what bigwigs do when the lives they play with suddenly get a little too close to their own.
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a classic work of literature almost as well-known as Shakespeare’s other great work Romeo and Juliet. While many have heard of it, fewer know its true depth. Known as Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet is a complex play about revenge, madness, and love that causes the reader to question what they would do in the characters’ circumstances.
