And Then They Were None is a classic mystery written by Agatha Christie. It surrounds the story of ten strangers who get invited to stay at a famous island called Soldier Island. After landing and settling into their house, they find out at dinner that they were all there because they were connected to past murders of people. This book highlighted themes of guilt, justice, and wealth. In my personal opinion, I enjoyed this book and would give it four stars.
Jude, the new High Queen of Elfhame, has been banished to the mortal world. All Jude wants to do is go back and regain the power that she has lost. Jude’s own banishment keeps her from doing so. However, when Taryn says that she has killed her husband, Locke, and needs Jude to testify for her because of Jude’s geas, Jude cannot help but accept. As Jude enters the court and Cardan learns who she is, she regains the power she thought she lost. But when Cardan proves his loyalty to his kingdom and his queen by breaking the crown, he turns into a deadly serpent.
Jude, a human in the world of faerie who was raised among the elites, has always wanted to fit in with the world around her. She hopes to do so by gaining power and becoming a knight. However, her own mortality, the death of Prince Dane who she was serving, the death of 3 princesses, and the subsequent power grab of Prince Balekin put a wrench in her plans. When she realizes that her adoptive father, the general, was also part of the betrayal of the court, Jude begins to make plans.
Powerless is a fantasy and romance book that is the first book in a trilogy. It is told through the eyes of the two main characters Kai, one of the princes of Ilya, and Paedyn, a thief from the town of Loot. They come from very different backgrounds and when the trials occur in Ilya, they are forced to compete against each other and that forces both of them to make tough choices.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is a fictional murder mystery about high school student, Pippa Fitz-Amobi. Pippa decides to do her senior capstone project about a local murder case. During her journey to find the real killer, she uncovers secrets about her own life and her friend's lives, but someone doesn’t want their secret to be revealed.
Arthur Miller's The Crucible is a powerful and haunting play that explores the Salem witch trials, a period of mass hysteria fueled by fear, suspicion and religious extremism. The intricate plot unfolds as accusations of witchcraft spread like wildfire, tearing apart a community and forcing individuals to confront their deepest beliefs. Miller's characters are complex and deeply emotional, their struggles with conscience, guilt and the pressure to conform resonating even today.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a book that follows a boy by the name Harry Potter through his journey into the wizarding world and community. This is the first book in a seven book series, all of which follow the same character as he grows. Harry is an orphan who has been looked after by his aunt and uncle. This family is ruthless to Harry, especially when strange things happen around him. When discovering his heritage, Harry must change his worldview and face challenges no one could ever imagine.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the world acclaimed Harry Potter series. This book follows Harry in his second year at Hogwarts as he continues to fall into strange adventures, face new foes and develop his magic. Suddenly messages written in blood start showing up on the walls of Hogwarts corridors, and people seem to think Harry is to blame. With his friends Ron and Hermione, he sets off to investigate the threats.
One competition, twenty-three killers, warriors and thieves including Celaena Sardothien. Celaena is an 18-year-old assassin who lives in a land without magic and a king who rules with a high hand. Celaena is summoned to the castle not to kill royalty but to compete for her freedom. If she wins, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Celaena becomes tangled in the evil that dwells inside the castle of glass. Her fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival as her competitors start dying one by one.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a beautifully written novel that captures the glitz and glamour of the 1920s while exploring deeper themes like ambition, love and the American Dream. The classic tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire, and his obsessive pursuit of his former love, Daisy Buchanan, during the Roaring Twenties.
