Summary: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that revolves around the conspiracy to assassinate the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. The play follows the manipulation and betrayal by key figures, including Brutus, Cassius, and Antony, as they grapple with loyalty, ambition, and power. Brutus, torn between his friendship with Caesar and his concern for Rome's welfare, ultimately joins the conspiracy led by Cassius.
Many avid readers of today may know author Tahereh Mafi, creator of the Book Tok-popular series, Shatter Me. While I love Shatter Me as much as the next person, I have another book that I believe to be Mafi’s most eloquent work.
Have you ever read a fairytale, or remembered a favorite fable from your childhood, and wished for more? More characters, more backstories, and more truth. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, tells the story of two girls, Sophie and Agatha, who grow up in a dull, dreary village. Sophie’s greatest desire is to become a princess and escape from her father and his new wife’s family. Agatha lives in a graveyard with only her mother and cat for company.
Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees is a dramatic fiction novel set that illustrates the novel’s main character, Taylor Greer, on her journey to escape her hometown and become a strong, independent woman—one who is not limited by her upbringing. Taylor’s life significantly changes at her discovery of a child in her car—she later discovers the child’s name is Turtle, an abandoned young girl.
Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown is a domestic fiction novel that exhibits Willis Wu’s quest to break free from the entertainment industry’s expectation for him to play stereotypical roles such as “Generic Asian Man.” His hope is to acquire the role of “Kung Fu Guy,” a highly regarded character on the TV show “Black and White.” On his journey, Wu faces the deeply rooted stereotypes and prejudices held by the entertainment industry and the deficient representation of Asian actors in the media.
Audition by Michael Shurtleff is the perfect book for anybody looking to enter the world of acting. It provides tips directly from one of the most accomplished casting directors. He dives into a multitude of ways on how to make your auditions pop. Since reading the book, I’ve grown more confident in my auditions and understand what auditors are looking for. Shurtleff uses examples from auditions he’s seen to clearly teach what to do and what not to do in an audition.
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is a gothic novel set in northern England. The novel illustrates the complex relationship between Heathcliff—an orphan taken in by the Earnshaw family—and Catherine Earnshaw. Heathcliff’s desire to be with Catherine is made more complicated due their differing desires—Heathcliff’s desire for revenge, and Catherine’s desire to uphold her social status. Their differing desires, individual flaws, and family difficulties additionally stand in the way of their relationship.
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a powerful novel following a black teenage girl named Starr Carter who is forced to see two of her childhood best friends brutally murdered at a young age. Starr struggles to fight against the discrimination and police brutality her entire community has faced--she is put in a situation where she must stand up for what is right. She has the choice to either stay quiet to protect herself, or speak up for those she has lost.
Summary: Want by Cindy Pon is a gripping cyberpunk thriller set in a future Taipei, where pollution and class disparity dominate society. The story follows Jason Zhou and his group of friends as they plot to take down Jin Corp, the company responsible for the environmental destruction and health disparities plaguing the city. To infiltrate the elite circles of Jin Corp, Zhou, and his friends undergo dangerous transformations and navigate a world of high-tech espionage and moral ambiguity.
The Dragonslayer is a graphic novel, the fourth book of a 7-book series called Bone. At the end of the third book, Thorn finds out that she is the technical princess of the Atheia, and that a war might start with the rat creatures again. They decide to leave the barn in case the rat creatures try to track them. Now, in this book, as they journey through the forest, they get attacked by the rat creatures and Kingdok, who they fight back against.
