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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

Once again, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. With all of my classes assigning copious amounts of reading each week, I sadly don’t have the mental capacity to read for fun as much as I used to. Despite this, I made the mistake of going down the book aisle at Target, and since I had no self-restraint, I bought more books. And, true to form, I haven’t read a single one.

I did the same thing in April last year, but it appears I haven’t learned anything. So, here are more unread book ratings!

“Lore” by Alexandria Bracken.

To be honest, I 100% judged this book by its cover. The statue of Medusa’s head with one eye open seemed to call out to me the second I saw it. Based on the book jacket, this novel centers around Greek gods who have forcibly become mortal and are hunted by people who want their power. This sounds extremely interesting, and I’m excited to see how Bracken utilizes the main character, Lore Perseous. I also love novels that remove me from reality (I know it’s escapism, please mind your business), so I should really enjoy this book once I get around to it. 

Rating: 8.25/10

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

The philosophy major in me lost it when I read this title, not to mention the obvious Dante’s “Inferno” reference with the names. This book follows two boys with juxtaposed personalities, Aristotle and Dante, who bond and “redefine each other’s worlds.” The synopsis is a little thin, but if the numerous awards and praise on the jacket are anything to go by, I think I’ll like this book a lot.  

Rating: 6.5/10

“They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera.

I’ve been so scared to buy, let alone read, this book for what feels like forever. Something about knowing the outcome of this book threw me off, but I won’t let that stop me from reading what is bound to be great work. This book follows two boys who will die in the next twenty-four hours. They meet on an app designed to connect people with others in the same situation. Mateo and Rufus meet and decide to spend their last day together. It sounds like it’ll make me cry a lot, so I’m all in. 

Rating: 8/10

“Black Girls Must Die Exhausted” by Jayne Allen.

Once again, the title of the book got me. Since I’m a black girl, the title immediately made sense, and it broke my heart. This novel follows Tabby, a 33-year-old woman whose seemingly perfect life is shaken by an unexpected diagnosis. With the help of her friends and family, she navigates the new reality she’s found herself faced with. I’m already rooting for the main character, and I can’t wait to see what happens. I typically read YA novels that center around people my age, so I think this will be a nice change of pace. It may be depressing, though.

Rating: 7/10

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I immediately got rich widow vibes from this book. This novel follows Monique, a reporter chosen to interview Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo about her life. As time goes on, Monique becomes more interested in Evelyn’s scandalous, glamorous, and iconic story. However, there’s an unknown connection between them that I have to read to find out. This book sounds like a mystery and fictional memoir rolled into one, and I’m absolutely excited to read it; homework can wait a little longer. 

Rating: 9/10

“Home Body” by Rupi Kaur

There is literally no excuse for me not to have read this book already: it’s a poetry collection. The pages aren’t even full of text. Anyway, “Home Body” is a collection of poems divided into four sections: mind, heart, rest, and awake. I don’t read a lot of poetry anymore, but the simple cover and synopsis reeled me in. I’ve also seen Rupi Kaur’s name mentioned on my Instagram explore page a lot, so I figured I should give her writing a try. This should be a good reintroduction to one of my favorite genres from childhood. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Based on how phenomenal these books sound, I’m willing to put aside some of my homework (and my phone, let’s be real) to finally get to them. If anyone needs me, I’ll be reading. 

Samantha is an Editorial Assistant and Contributing Writer for CU Boulder's chapter of Her Campus. In her editorial position, she edits articles for clarity and provides guidance to other writers so they can improve their skills. As a contributing writer, she submits two articles per month, often writing in depth about social phenomena. Aside from Her Campus, Samantha is a senior at CU Boulder, double majoring in philosophy and sociology. She's currently working on an Honors Thesis in philosophy and hopes to go to law school after graduating in May 2024. She is involved in campus organizations like the Miramontes Arts and Sciences Program, the CU LA Program, and the Honors Program. This semester, she’s a mentor for learning assistants as an LA Mentor. Outside of a school setting, Samantha enjoys crocheting, reading, and writing. Overall, she’s very quiet, and her hobbies reflect that. She can usually be found with heaps of yarn or her nose buried in a book, silently enjoying her time alone. In addition to writing as a member of Her Campus, she enjoys writing short stories and pieces about her life. One of her biggest goals is to publish a book of stories and pieces that almost act as a memoir.