The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a fantastic book that really connects with readers through its honest look at average teenage struggles. It follows Holden Caulfield, a teenager who feels lost and frustrated by the world around him. Salinger writes in a way that makes Holden’s thoughts and feelings relatable, capturing the challenges of growing up and advancing through life. The themes of innocence and the search for genuine connections are powerful throughout the story.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic read that explores the American Dream through the story of Jay Gatsby and his deep love for Daisy Buchanan. Set in the Roaring Twenties, Fitzgerald captures the era’s exquisite lavishness and moral decay. The theme of longing prompts the reader to reflect on their own desires. Overall, it is a masterful exploration of wealth and its association with identity, making it a must-read in American literature.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is an enriching fantasy that follows Feyre Archeron, a mortal human drawn into the fae world after she kills a wolf. The book emphasizes character development, highlighting Ferye’s transformation into a strong and superior figure. With the combination of its rich world-building and confusing romance between Feyre and Tamlin, the story is both thrilling and emotional, making it a must-read for fantasy and romance lovers.
Little Women follows the four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Set during the American Civil War, the four sisters struggle to fit in with society as girls were expected to all while living in poverty. Each sister has to overcome some sort of challenge as they grow up; Meg and Jo must work to help support their family, Beth stays at home to help with housework and Amy goes to school. Each girl also struggles with their own character.
Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, has finally finished fighting in the ten-year war in Troy, and now must begin his journey home. His family awaits his return, refusing to believe he is dead. His wife Penelope refuses to marry again, and his son Telemachus, who was only a baby when Odysseus left, is now an adult. At their palace, hundreds of suitors try to persuade Penelope to remarry so that they can gain the crown. Odysseus has been prevented from returning home by hosts of gods, monsters and other beasts.
The Only One Left by Riley Sager is a fictional thriller that tells the tragic events of Lenora Hope’s past at Hope's End through her caregiver, Kit McDeer. Lenora is not the only one with a tragic past involving murder; Kit also has a mysterious story to tell. Throughout the book, more and more murders take place while Kit tries to uncover the secrets of the past and present. This book keeps readers interested by slowly revealing clues of Lenora’s past.
Your Brightest Life is an uplifting, positive and overall just an amazing self-help type of book. The author of this book has laid out all the questions, insecurities, anxieties and thoughts every young woman has had running through her head since she left the princess dresses and animal crackers behind. I especially appreciate the tie-in of religion and how it has helped her navigate her very, very exciting and adventurous life.
Thanks for Listening is a realistic fiction young adult novel that follows the high school senior, Mia, through her last high school musical. She finally got the position of stage manager, but no one will listen to her! That is, until she finds her voice as an anonymous help channel on social media. Through this journey, she falls in love with the mysterious new girl, and has to navigate the challenges of dating someone with lots of rumors swirling around them.
Written in 1993, Parable of the Sower is a piece of speculative fiction that’s set in a post-apocalyptic world of the year 2025. Lauren Olamina is a young African American woman living in a world of constant terror. As California burns due to the effects of climate change and social inequality is at an all time high, Lauren lives in the safe bubble of Robledo, a gated community where she and her family live separately from the chaos outside.
June Hayward was supposed to be a successful author, just like her best friend, Athena Liu. While Athena publishes book after book, June can’t sign a successful deal with a publishing company. So when Athena tragically passes away, June steals Athena’s newest novel; the rough draft for a book about the unseen work of Chinese laborers in World War I. So even when June decides to publish the book as her own, and even allows her publisher to rename her so she seems more ethnically-ambiguous, she still can’t escape Athena.
