Jane Austen adaptations might be one of my favorite forms of media. I’ve watched everyone you could get hold of, but by far my favorite will always be Pride and Prejudice 2005. This movie was an adaptation of Jane Austen's famous novel by the same name and follows Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy and their troublesome, frustrating, and utterly swoon worthy romance. Elizabeth Bennett comes from a large family with little means, while Mr. Darcy comes from a noble and wealthy family with a large estate.
The Secret Year is a realistic fiction young adult novel that follows Colt through his junior year of high school. Labor day weekend, he lost the secret love of his life in a car accident. Although they were in love, no one was allowed to know. He was from the flats, and she was from one of the huge houses up on Black Mountain. Throughout his junior year, Colt faces his grief in secret, reading her journal entries written about their time together, allowing him to relive the best year of his life, the one with Julia.
Gregorio's novel None of the Above follows Kristin Lattimer, a teenage girl who has it all: many caring friends, a loving boyfriend, and a promising athletic career. That is until Kristin discovers that she is intersex, causing her to spiral into a full-blown identity crisis while she also suffering from the discrimination of her classmates. This novel contains scenes of sexual assault, and discrimination against queer identities which may be triggering for some readers.
Dating in Dragons follows the shy new girl Quinn Norton as she starts at her new High School. Quinn is nervous about making new friends because her past friends weren’t kind to her, but she stumbles upon a group of kids on her first day and they happen to share a love of Dungeons and Dragons. However, Quinn soon finds out this friend group is also a very well-known group of D&D streamers, and they have strict rules for joining their campaign.
Hockey player, Nathan Hawkins, and figure skater, Anastasia Allen, do not start off on the right foot. Ana seemingly hates hockey players, especially the ones that play for Maple Hills. Ana and Nathan meet at one of the Nathan’s parties and end up hooking up. However, after Ana flees the scene. As they grow up the try to discover themselves and each other while playing their respective sports.
Bree, a former ballerina, has been best friends with Nathan, the NFL star quarterback for years. They both have been secretly in love with each other since high school, but avoid talking about their feelings because they do not want to ruin the friendship they have created. They start to discover themselves and each other as they continue to spend more and more time together.
Lucy Albright is very nervous to see her ex-boyfriend, Stephen, at her friend’s wedding. They have a very intense and complex past. In 2010, they got together after seeing each other at a party. While Lucy gets very attached to Stephen, he doesn’t reciprocate the feelings. As their relationship gets more complicated, feelings are hurt, secrets are spilled and people are torn apart.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is a novel about Lily Bloom, a girl with a rough past, who falls in love with neurosurgeon - Ryle Kincaid. Their relationship grows and Lily begins to see Ryle’s darker, abusive side, taking her through flashbacks to her past. This book defines the complexities of abusive relationships, mainly the struggle to leave them as the love and emotional manipulation is hard to break away from. It explores Lily’s growth and strength to leave a toxic relationship.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is an enriching fantasy that follows Feyre Archeron, a mortal human drawn into the fae world after she kills a wolf. The book emphasizes character development, highlighting Ferye’s transformation into a strong and superior figure. With the combination of its rich world-building and confusing romance between Feyre and Tamlin, the story is both thrilling and emotional, making it a must-read for fantasy and romance lovers.
Dominic Russo’s mom offers Ally Morales a job while dining at a pizza restaurant. Ally is not in the financial place to reject the offer, but she does consider it when she is assigned to be Dominic's assistant. They both have trauma and secrets that start to unfold as they learn more about each other.
