Legend by Marie Lu is the first book in the Legend series. Set in a dystopian future United States, Legend is told from two points of view: June, a government prodigy and Day, an infamous criminal. After Day supposedly kills June’s brother, she sets out to hunt him down. When their paths cross, June’s loyalties are called into question as she discovers Day may not be as bad as her superiors say.
What If It’s Us is about two guys named Ben and Arthur who met at a New York City post office. Arthur was on his way to work, while Ben was sending off a heartbreaking box with his ex-boyfriend's belongings in it. When the two crossed paths, they were unable to forget each other even though they thought they would never see each other again. They defied all odds and find each other once more and decide to start a relationship, but will their flourishing relationship last?
In Shameful Flight, Wolpert analyzes the British exit of India and the permanent effects it had on society. His book follows the various political figures that were key in the partition such as Nehru, Jinnah, Atlee, and Mountbatten. The book shows the process of the partition and focuses the blame on Mountbatten, who in his haste, left India with no unity and arbitrary boundaries.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is a complex contemporary novel with elements of mystery and magical realism. The story follows a young man named Toru Okada who, at the beginning of the novel, is told by his wife to look for their missing cat. His journey takes him from the suburbs of Tokyo to a supposedly haunted house to the bottom of a well to a strange dream world that somehow affects reality. In the process of looking for their lost cat, he loses his wife as well.
Red White and Royal Blue is a contemporary young adult novel. It follows Alex Claremont-Diaz (the love of America and the son of the first female president) and his nemesis/fake friend/lover Henry (a British prince who also happens to be gay). Alex and Henry’s burgeoning relationship undergoes trials and tribulations throughout the entire book – from Alex’s perception of Henry as an annoyingly perfect douchebag to Henry’s reticence to show his feelings.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a novel with elements of historical fiction and magical realism. Addie is a young woman, born in sixteenth-century France. She hates the life set out for her: never leaving the village, never seeing anything new. She refuses to resign herself to a life of marriage and children; on her wedding night, she takes a risk. By praying to the old gods who answer after dark, she falls under a curse to be forgotten forever unless she agrees to give up her soul.
Cramm This Book is a useful briefer on most of the important events going on today, as well as past events that are still relevant. Topics covered include recent wars such as the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan, natural disasters such as Katrina, diseases like AIDS, movements like BLM and #MeToo, and even more. The book also offers a helpful briefing on “the isms and phobias” where Seltzer defines and provides examples of discrimination due to xenophobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, islamophobia, etc.
This novel is presented as a letter from a 29-year-old author, Little Dog, to his illiterate mother. His writings flow from his youth in an abusive home, his relationship with his Vietnamese mother and grandmother, to his first job in the sweltering tobacco fields. The narrator, freed from the pressure of anyone ever reading it, pours his heart and story onto the pages. The result is a beautiful story of love, danger, family, abuse, race, class, and coming-of-age as Little Dog recalls his youth.
The book describes some of the basic components of physics while connecting physics to Angry Birds and everyday items or actions. A lot of pictures and drawings are used in the book to help display physics principles better. For example, the book includes a picture of a balloon rubbing on a cat’s fur to explain the principle of static electricity. The book also provides a brief history of physics by mentioning famous scientists and their contributions towards different equations or discoveries.
The book provides details and information about black holes, such as how they are created, or how powerful they are. While the title of the book is “A Black Hole Is Not a Hole”, the book identifies that it’s not exactly not a hole either. The author does this to show that we still have many new things to learn about black holes. The book tries to put the power of a black hole in perspective by comparing it to things on earth. For example, one page explains how a black hole is similar to a whirlpool.
