Normal People is a young adult novel written by New York Times award-winning author Sally Rooney. It explores two protagonist Connell and Marianne, and we are introduced into their world and how they collide. It’s a complex exploration of young love, social dynamic, and finding one’s identity. Rooney’s writing is raw and honest, ensuring the feeling of teenage innocence with every page you turn. The characters in this novel feel so incredibly real, flawed, yet relatable.
Alina Starkov is an unknown soldier about to make her first journey over the Fold, an area of darkness occupied with creatures. A magic previously unknown to her is revealed as her regiment is attacked during their journey. As the Darkling, the country's military leader, takes an interest in her, she begins to discover her own power. It is believed that Alina may have the power to destroy the fold, but she first must master her skills. As danger closes in, Alina discovers something that can change everything.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a film adaptation of the novel written by Suzanne Collins. The plot of this film follows the rise of Coriolanus Snow, the ruthless president in The Hunger Games series that is set to take place around 65 years after the plot of this film. Coriolanus lives in the Capitol and is graduating during the time of the tenth Hunger Games.
The Maze Runner film is a movie adaptation of the dystopian novel by James Dashner. The plot of this film follows a boy named Thomas, who finds himself transported to a place called the Glade, a small area surrounded by tall walls and filled with other boys around his age.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende is an enthralling novel following the lives of Clara del Valle and her family as well as Esteban Trueba. Allende’s epic follows the lives of the Del Valle family from the time that Clara is born and through the rest of her life.
Lion is based on a true story of Saroo Brierley’s journey of finding his way home. The author shares his story of how he got lost on a train when he was only five-years-old and ended up being separated from his family. Later, he was adopted by an Australian family. Eventually, after years of research and effort, Brierly ended up tracking down his biological family using Google Earth and was reunited with them. In my opinion, this is by far one of the most emotional books I’ve ever read.
1984 is a dystopian novel about what life is like in Oceania with the totalitarian government watching over every citizens’ move. The main character, Winston, struggles with the concept of freedom since citizens are not allowed to have thoughts, or do what they want. The book explores how Winston tries to go about rebelling against the totalitarian rules. I would highly recommend that everyone reads this book. It exposes a world of fear and the unknown, and how characters live a life in a situation like this.
The book tells a story about a twelve-year-old girl named Willow Chance. She has a unique personality, finding interest in things such as nature and medical diagnoses, as well as an obsession with counting by 7s. Willow struggled with making connections with others around her age due to her unique personality, and the book gives an inspiring message on the importance of resilience. This book is one that has stuck with me for a long time. Willow’s story and the hardship she faced was inspiring to read about, and the book has taught me a lot about never giving up.
The Social Network is a movie that goes on a step by step journey of the creation of Facebook through the eyes of Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. The plot accelerates through flashbacks of their time as Harvard students with the intermingling of the present day lawsuit happening over dividing up the shares of Facebook. I found this movie extremely captivating, as I never truly understood how a platform as big as Facebook came to life and what the motives were behind the creation of it.
La La Land is a movie that showcases the hard realities of life and maintaining a strong, healthy relationship when dreams are so different. The movie’s soundtrack and musical elements provide the perfect setting that gives an Old Hollywood aesthetic. This movie remains my most favorite movie of all time simply because of the message that is developed that essentially, going after your dream is worth it.
