childhood friendships

Written by John Knowles, ​A Separate Peace​ is a realistic fiction story about a boy named Gene who attends boarding school in New England and is set during the years of World War II. The plot mainly follows Gene and his best friend Phineas. Gene is quiet, inverted and an intellectual. Phineas is everyone’s favorite person; he is athletic, charming, and a daredevil. The two are complete opposites but could be described as “inseparable.” Although, they struggle with their friendship as certain events unfold through the story.

Overall it was a simple story with a strong message. This is very

Anne of Green Gables​ by L.M. Montgomery is a beautifully told coming of age story. Anne Shirley is an orphan mistakenly brought home by the Cuthberts living in Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. This story narrates Anne’s life as she grows up and learns to navigate her feelings, relationships, and life. Anne is a nearly perfect character because of her imperfections; she’s always making mistakes or getting into trouble, which makes her relatable to the reader.

For generations, Anne has delighted readers with her big personality and even bigger imagination, and as this was my second read of

My Dog Skip is a rollicking jaunt through Willie Morris’ memories of his adventures with Skip, his boyhood dog and constant companion.  Skip is no ordinary dog, nor is the bond that Skip and Willie share.  In this playful and beautifully written memoir Willie writes about the years he spent with Skip, each page bursting with hilarious shenanigans, canine loyalty and ferocious exuberance.

Skip and Willie’s adventures are numerous and often outlandish.  Skip is a privileged dog who “drives” the family’s green DeSoto, roams the town with Willie, eats as much bologna and raisin bran as he likes

Leonora (Nora/Lee/Leo) Shaw's past has come back to visit her. With a mysterious invitation to a hen-do (British bachelorette party) in the English countryside for a friend she hasn't seen or spoken to in years, she is forced to get out of her apartment and shed her closed-off personality for a weekend. She doesn't, however, quite know why she is invited and when she begins to ask around, no one else seems to know why they have been invited either. The hostess, Flo, is crazy about the bride, Clare, and puts all of the guests ill-at-ease. The Glass House where they stay is freaky as well with

 Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden after the funeral of her parents, and instead of finding the peace and quiet she craves, she finds a community full of secrets.  The secret lives are as hidden as the omnipresent ice hides reality from the  casual observer. Her best friend from childhood, Alex, has returned to the home she grew up in, but her return is not a happy one.  Erica becomes  somewhat obsessed with Alex’s fate, and teams up with a local detective, Patrik Hedstrom who is also investigating the case. The Swedish winter plays as much of a character in this