The Help is a historical fiction novel set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s. It revolves around three main characters: Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny. Skeeter has returned from college determined to become a writer. She causes a stir in her hometown by deciding to interview the black women who work for the white families in the town. At first, only Aibileen will help her, but eventually, more and more gather till there are over ten.
Ignite Me is the third book in Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series, and it’s by far my favorite in the series so far. This book begins when Juliette wakes up after being shot. She is told by Warner that the war is over and Omega Point and all of its people are gone. Juliette then finds Kenji, who leads her to the handful of others that survived, including Adam.
The Little Prince is a short poetic novella about an aviator whose plane crashes in the desert. There he meets the child known as the little prince, whose miniature home planet is so small that in order to see a new sunset, he simply has to move his chair a few steps. On his planet lives a vain rose, whom he loves and is loved by, although she refuses to tell him and requires endless attention. He relates his tale of wandering through the universe in search of the meaning of love and life.
Unravel Me is the second book in the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. This book contains a lot of relationship drama between Juliette and Adam, as well as growing chemistry between Juliette and Warner. After Juliette is summoned by Warner's father to save her captive friends, Warner is brought to Omega Point as a hostage. Warner's character development in this book is profound as his relationship with Juliette quickly develops.
The Dog Who Could Fly is the true story of a German Shepherd who was rescued by a Chezhslovakian WWII airman. The dog, who was named Antis, formed an unbelievably close relationship with Robert, his master. When Robert was on missions flying, Antis would wait beside the runway till he returned, refusing food and water till his master was back. He became the good luck charm of Robert’s plane and teammates in the British Air Force.
The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith is a young adult romance novel. This story centers on the complicated love story of two teenagers: Lucy and Owen. When a blackout hits New York City, Lucy and Owen, two very different strangers, get trapped in an elevator together. The two can’t get each other out of their heads, but things quickly become complicated when both teens move away.
Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel which focuses on a group of British schoolboys who are stranded on a remote island. They start off with rules and a form of government, but their situation quickly turns chaotic and savage. They split into two groups, one more civilized and attempting to follow a basic moral code under the leadership of Ralph, and the other wild hunters under the control of Jack. These two groups clash with each other and this results in more than one death.
Budge Wilson's Before Green Gables acts as a prequel to Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. This book opens with Anne's parents as they prepare to start a family and ends when Anne is selected to live with the Cuthberts. Throughout the novel, we see Anne's passion for learning and her love of words appear and grow, staples of her character.
Led by Faith is the incredible true story of Immaculee Ilabagiza. She was a Tutsi tribe member during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which the Hutu majority attempted to stamp out the Tutsi ‘cockroaches,’ as they called them. She came from a family of four children, of which she was the only girl. Out of the six members in her family, only she and one of her brothers survived. Immaculee hid in a small bathroom with seven other women for ninety one days, all the while hearing the killers outside hunting down the Tutsis.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic historical fiction novel about a mysterious figure, after whom the title is named, who rescues French nobility from the guillotine. He is famous both in France and England for his cunning disguises and daring rescues of the aristocrats from under the very noses of the people who want them dead. His identity is a secret which both his archnemesis, Chauvelin, and his great admirer, Marguerite Blakeney, desire to know.
