The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a great book about a boy named Percy Jackson, who discovers he is a demigod, the son of Poseidon. Set in modern-day America, the story takes Percy on a quest to prevent a war among the gods. With his friends Annabeth and Grover, Percy embarks on a journey that combines mythology with modern-day.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one of the most powerful stories that I have read. Taking place during the Holocaust, this book’s depth is immediately apparent (as is any story in the face of such a great tragedy.) The story centers around a girl named Liesel, who loses her family at the novel’s opening, and thus finds herself in the care of the Huberman family. The Huberman family provides Liesel with a new warmth that had been lacking previously in her life–they represent, for her, a true family.
When Nick Dunne wakes up on the morning of his wedding anniversary, he finds that his wife Amy has suddenly disappeared. As it is with missing spouse cases, Nick is the police force’s first suspect. Nick swears that it isn’t true, but there are strange searches on his computer, testimonies from Amy’s friends, and, above all, a secret affair that Nick tried his best to hide. As Nick’s relationship with Amy slowly begins to unravel throughout the novel, there still remains the dominating question: What happened to Amy Dunne?
Artemisia Gentileschi was faced with, in her eyes, an easy option. A life as a nun or a life of making paint for her father’s pieces. As she slowly becomes one of Rome’s talented (and also unknown) painters, she meets a new instructor, an attractive young man who is skilled in the art of painting. But life in 1610 Rome was not easy for a young woman, and as Artemisia is raped by her instructor, she faces more options. Live a life of silence and fear or live a life of truth and judgement from others. And for Artemisia, the option was easy.
As a young child, Celia Bowen meets a world-famous magician who she is told is her father. He teaches her the art of true magic and trains her to compete in a highly dangerous game against Marco, the son of her father’s nemesis. The battle ground consists simply of an elaborate circus, which shows up without warning at night and offers the most magical evening that one could experience. But both Celia and Marco are unaware of the game’s rules and that they are each other’s opponent until they have fallen in love.
Mark Watney became the first person to walk on Mars. But now, it looks like he’ll be the first person to stay there. After Mark gets stranded without his crew and supplies, he is determined to stay alive, even with the unforgiving Mars atmosphere. As he draws upon his past experiences and engineering skills, he successfully is able to communicate with NASA and alert his friends and family that he is still alive. But disaster strikes, and communication is cut once again.
The Poppy War follows war orphan Fang Runin, who is known as Rin by her friends, as she studies for the most difficult exam in the Nikara Empire: The Keju, which qualifies students for the top academies in the nation. When she is accepted, there is widespread shock and disbelief as a person of her situation has never qualified before. As Rin prepares for Sinegard, the most elite military academy, the euphoria wears off quickly.
I know this book might be considered to be a kid’s book by some, but even at the age I’m at, I still love it! Stick and Stone Explore and More is the story of the two main characters, Stick and Stone, and the crazy adventures they encounter. In one adventure, they get taken by a Nature Girl and need to find their way home. In their other adventure, they almost get roasted and toasted by a campfire! But Stick and Stone always do everything together, because they’re the best of friends!
Nothing can stop eleven-year-old Katie from living her best life; nothing at all! At least, that’s the case until she goes off to overnight camp with her best friend and she starts getting thoughts that tell her she has to tuck in her sheet just right or else she’ll fall off her bed in the middle of the night. They tell her that if she says the word ‘tongue’ constantly then she won’t have to get tongue surgery. They tell her so many things, that fast forward a few months, these thoughts are all she can think about.
Firekeeper’s Daughter is an amazing young adult thriller that blends mystery, culture, and self-discovery. The novel is about Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year-old girl living in Michigan, who feels torn between two worlds—her mother’s wealthy white family and her late father’s Ojibwe heritage. Though she is deeply connected to the Native community, she is not officially enrolled in the tribe, which confuses her sense of identity.
