Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King follows Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, as he endures life in Shawshank Prison. Over decades, he becomes friends with Red, a longtime inmate who smuggles contraband, and quietly works on an escape plan while maintaining hope through small acts of defiance.
They Both Die at the End is an emotional rollercoaster that explores life, death and the power of human connection. With its beautifully created characters and thought-provoking beliefs, this novel is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The story follows two teenagers, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio who live in a world where people are notified on the day they will die. They both receive alerts on the same day.
Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner masterfully explores themes of social injustice, betrayal, and the enduring quest for redemption. Through rich imagery and poignant foreshadowing, the story unfolds around Amir, a young boy growing up in a rigidly structured Afghan society. Amir's friendship with Hassan, who belongs to the marginalized Hazara community, is at the heart of the narrative.
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.
An RV trip over spring break with friends to the beach, what could possibly go wrong? Eighteen-year-old Red is on an RV trip with her friends, and everything is going pretty well until the group loses signal and gets lost trying to navigate to the campsite. With no means of getting help, they attempt to get out of the RV and figure things out. Just as they’re confident about getting back on the road, shots are fired at them and it’s clear that the gunman has an agenda and is after the friend group in particular.
If He Had Been with Me is a realistic fiction teen romance novel that follows Autumn, through her high school years. Her neighbor and childhood best friend, Finny, has finally grown apart and she doesn’t know how to feel about it. Instead, she falls in love with a boy on the Steps of Nowhere and makes the closest friends she’s ever had, besides Finny. Their families still spend holidays together, but it’s not the same.
When junior CIA agent Benjamin Ripley receives another unexpected assignment to take down SPYDER in the jungles of South America, he’s forced into another high-stakes mission. However, what starts as a chance to bring the villainous organization once and for all quickly spirals out of control into a struggle for survival. As the mission advances, Ben and his fellow agents have to think on their feet, run for their lives, and crack SPYDER’s secretive plan before it's too late.
In The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan, Percy just wants a peaceful life and a normal senior year, especially after saving the world multiple times since he was 12. Percy wants to attend college, and the same one as his girlfriend, Annabeth. As Percy prepares for next year, he is less than thrilled to discover that he must obtain recommendation letters from Mount Olympus through completing quests for the gods. Percy takes on a quest for the god Ganymede, who has lost his chalice that he uses to serve the gods.
Lynn Painter’s novel, Betting on You, is a sweet, fluffy, 2000s romcom in a book. Charlie and Bailey meet at the airport as the two are moving from Alaska to Nebraska. At first, they couldn't stand each other. Bailey is annoyed with Charlie’s outward obnoxious manner, while Charlie can barely tolerate Bailey’s uptightness. The two are forced to sit together on their plane ride. After this, they depart and never see each other again- or so they think.
