A Court of Mist and Fury is the second installment in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J Maas. It is one of the best books I have ever read and is my favorite in the entire series. The adventures the characters experience are so intriguing and forces you to keep turning the page. The plot twists are exciting, and you don’t even see them coming. The dialogue is also well written and fun.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an extremely well written novel in the genre of realistic fiction that follows the life of a girl named Kambili and the struggles she has with her family. This novel is the epitome of a “coming of age” story that masterfully shapes the adolescent struggles for identity and social acceptance but in a setting that pushes these themes to the nth degree.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is, without a doubt, one of the greatest novels ever written and certainly one of the cornerstones of the American literary repertoire. The book is written in the first person limited from the point of view of a Nick Carraway who is a friend of a friend to Mr. Gatsby at the novel's opening. The story follows Nick through his exploits in the East coast near and in New York as Gatsby’s desires begin to take center stage in Nick’s, and many of Nick’s friends’, lives.
Jane Eyrewritten by Charlotte Brontë is a classic masterpiece that pushes the bounds of realistic fiction. In it, the reader is invited inside of Miss Eyre’s mind as they are shown the struggles of a neglected child who, despite being undervalued her entire life, rises from her station to the doorstep of a Mr. Rochester where she is put face to face with the possibility of a real home for the first time. The trials that come with Jane Eyre’s youth and her journey to Mr.
One Dark Window, by Rachel Gillig, is a young adult gothic fantasy set in Blunder, an ancient world cursed by magic. Elspeth Spindle has her own magic, in the form of a spirit trapped in her head whom she calls the Nightmare. However, all magic comes with a cost, and Elsepth must find the twelve Providence Cards to cure Blunder and banish the Nightmare from her mind before it is too late. Luckily, she stumbles upon the Captain of the King’s guard, who just might be able to offer her the help she needs.
Grendel, by John Gardner, is a mythological retelling of the classic epic Beowulf through the perspective of Beowulf’s antagonist, Grendel. As the novel progresses, the reader, for the most part, follows the chronological events of Grendel’s life, and how he came to be the unforgivable and widely feared monster in Beowulf’s tale.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic literature short story, or fairy story, about totalitarianism. The story takes place on Manor Farm, where various farm animals initially live with the owner named Farmer Jones. However, the animals’ rebel and drive Farmer Jones out of the farm after a speech from one of the wise pigs. The animals are left to run the farm themselves, and two pigs named Napoleon and Snowball are assigned as leaders. The events that follow demonstrate the impact of a totalitarian government.
The fourth book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, The Battle of the Labyrinth, is in my opinion the worst of the series. Despite being the worst, it is still a solid book. The Battle of the Labyrinth begins after Percy and friends return to camp where they find an entrance to the labyrinth. They are given the information that Luke is planning to lead an army of monsters through the Labyrinth in order to attack Camp Half-blood.
The Titan’s Curse, Rick Riordan’s third book in the Percy Jackson series, is another great book in the series. In my opinion it is the most underrated of the series. The story starts with Percy and his friends heading back to Camp Half-blood with two new recruits. Artemis, a goddess, decides to go on a quest and sends her hunters back to Camp Half-blood in the meantime. While there, the oracle gives a quest stating five should go, and two will die.
Rick Riordan’s second book in the Percy Jackson series, The Sea of Monsters, continues the story with Percy and his friends finding trouble with the tree protecting Camp Half Blood when they try to return. Realizing this, they try to get a quest, however Percy’s nemesis Clarisse gets the quest instead. Percy decides to sneak away from Camp Half Blood anyways with Annabeth and his half-brother Tyson.
