To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a contemporary YA romance written by Jenny Han. The story follows Lara Jean, a girl who hasn’t had much experience with romance but suddenly winds up in a fake relationship. Lara Jean wrote letters for every boy she had ever loved; they were meant just for her, but one day, they were mailed out.
The best way I can describe this book is as sci-fi Les Misérables. Chantine, a thief and con-woman best compared to Éponine, lives in the Frets (slums) of Lattere, but wants nothing more than to leave. To everyone but her family she is known as Théo. Marcellus (most like Marius) is the grandson of General Bonnefaçon, the most powerful man on the planet. His father was a traitor and member of the Vangarde, a rebel group thought to be resurfacing.
The Silvered Serpents is Roshani Chokshi’s brilliant follow up to The Gilded Wolves. It picks up with the characters grappling with the extreme loss they face at the end of The Gilded Wolves. Fractured and confused, they go on one final, all important, mission.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a wonderful futuristic sci-fi story about a fascist world full of censorship and where happiness is valued over thinking and free will. The book offers an insight on what our world might become, and even though the book was published in 1953, the problems that it presents are even more present today.
Marvel Fairy Tales is a graphic novel compilation of several different stories written and illustrated by C.B. Cebulski, Claire Wendling, and many others. I loved the idea of this book and was excited to see my favorite Marvel characters transported into some of my favorite fantasy worlds, but I was disappointed by the execution. There is no character or plot development; the stories all have a great beginning, but there’s no build-up to their climaxes; all of the stories suddenly end and feel almost incomplete.
Anne of Avonlea is the second installment of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series. In this book, we see Anne grow into her late teens while managing two young twins, taking on more responsibility at Green Gables, and experiencing her first year as a teacher. Though Anne maintains her childhood wonder, throughout this book we get to see her mature.
A must-read for any history fans, Killing the SS by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard shows the hunt to find the worst war criminals in the world and the race against time to bring them to justice. Dugard and O’Reilly bring you back to the end of WWII, following the stories of multiple “Nazi Hunters” who devoted their lives to catching these immoral individuals.
William Goldman’s The Princess Bride is a story of true love, revenge, and adventure. Buttercup, a farm girl forced into royalty by her husband-to-be, Prince Humperdinck, is kidnapped by an evil genius, a giant, and the most talented swordsman in the world. Westley, Buttercup’s thought to be dead true love, must save her from her three kidnappers and her unwanted husband.
The Cup and The Prince was a largely enjoyable read that featured charming characters, an amazing world, and a strong plot. The idea of winning a competition under false pretense was really interesting.
Jacky Ha-Ha is a realistic fiction book by James Patterson. This is a book about a girl who stutters and her name is Jacky Ha-Ha. Jacky is a prankster; she pranks teachers and friends and is very naughty. When she gets 20 detentions in four days, she chooses to use her detentions in the school musical. There, she meets her true love and she learns her best friend has the voice of an angel. She also gets in trouble and she makes everyone laugh to cover her stutter.
