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

Let’s face it, my goal of reading more during the pandemic did not go as planned. You see, I bought a lot of books over the course of the lockdowns, and rather than reading them, I let them sit on my shelf collecting dust. Now that I’ll have more time to read them over the summer, I figured it’d be fun to rank them based on their summaries before I fully dive in. Here are the reviews and ratings of my unread books. 

“The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” by Abbi Waxman.

I got this book when I went to a Barnes and Noble a little ways from my house. I mostly purchased it because I needed to try reading something new and this seemed like a good start. Based on the summary of this book, the main character, Nina, is very relatable. She’s shy, loves reading, and really doesn’t like talking to or meeting new people. She is tasked with meeting family members she never knew she had, which obviously doesn’t help with the whole shyness thing. Overall, this book seems nice, however, I’m typically more interested in situations that could never happen like in fantasy novels or books that center on extremely rare situations, so I can’t see myself loving this book right off the bat. 

Rating: 6/10

“Broken Throne: A Red Queen Collection” by Victoria Aveyard.

So, this book was one I was really excited for when it was announced since it’s the last part of a book series I’ve been reading since sophomore year of high school. However, it is just a collection of short stories (two of which I already read when they were sold as a separate novella) and maps of the fictional world I’ve come to love. It also claims to include bonus stories about other characters, but depending on which ones, I’m not sure I’ll be that interested in learning more about them now that the series is over. I’ll give bonus points for bringing me back to happier times, though. 

Rating: 7.5/10

“Turtles All The Way Down” by John Green.

I bought this book on a whim from Target because I am a fan of John Green but somehow neglected to read this book when it came out in 2017. Judging by the summary, this book is a classic story about two friends that try to solve a mystery in order to win some sort of reward. Our main character, Aza, seems to be struggling with something internally, although what it is isn’t explicitly stated. It seems to have a lot of positive reviews and John Green hasn’t failed me yet so I assume I will enjoy reading it. 

Rating: 8.5/10

“Punished” by Victor M. Rios.

Okay, so I bought this one for my sociology class but ended up not having to read it. It dives into the impact of punishment and incarceration on Black and Latino boys in Oakland, California. Based on the summary, this book seems useful to read so I can understand the world a little better. Also, since I enjoy reading about sociological studies and sociology in general, I can see myself really enjoying this book and learning from it. However, I will deduct one point because I spent money on a book I ultimately didn’t need. 

Rating: 8/10

“Loki: Where Mischief Lies” by Mackenzi Lee.

Alright, don’t judge me for this one. I saw Loki on the cover and bought this book impulsively. What can I say, I just love Marvel. This book centers on Loki’s life as a young God in the 19th-century, where he tries to prove to others that he is just as heroic and great as his brother, Thor. He ends up on Earth after a friend gets banished to London and has to find a way to prevent her magic from being drained. This sounds like the origin story I’ve always wanted and will hold me over until the Loki Disney+ series comes out. It gets an extra point for being a magic-based novel.

Rating: 7/10

“One of Us is Next” by Karen M. McManus.

This one was also a book I was very excited to read the second it was released. Unfortunately, it is the sequel to a book I haven’t read in years, “One of Us is Lying”, so I have to go back and reacquaint myself with the characters. This book sounds like a slightly different version of the original mystery novel, but dealing with the consequences of the outcome and the other students who were affected by it. The first book was pretty good so I have high hopes for this one. 

Rating: 8.75/10

“Holding Up the Universe” by Jennifer Niven.

This book is by Jeniffer Niven, who made me bawl like a baby after reading one of her other novels,  “All The Bright Places”. This book centers on Libby and Jack, who from the looks of it seem to be the kind of characters that understand each other better than anyone else and will eventually fall in love. It sounds like it’ll be a cute love story so I can see myself enjoying it. I can’t wait to cry again, Jennifer!

Rating: 7.5/10

Although my rankings of these books are fairly vague, I intend to read them all and hopefully come to love them. On the bright side, now I have a killer summer reading list. When I finish these books, I’ll write an updated article and we’ll see how much the rankings change!

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.
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