To say that this is not how I imagine the rest of the semester going would be an understatement. Life right now is crazy and I have no idea when it’s going to go back to normal, so for now I’m trying to look at the positives. One of those positives has been my ability to read a lot more than I was able to at college. So for those looking for a book to read, here’s what I’ve been reading lately (in the order that I read them).
- Bloom by Kevin Panetta
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This was a cute story about a guy named Ari who’s been helping with his family’s bakery since he was young. He kind of lost the passion for it and wants to pursue a career in music with his bandmates since they all just graduated high school. While interviewing someone to replace him, he meets Hector who loves to bake and may respark his love of baking…
I thought it was a cute story with great illustrations. Nice and easy read, 4/5 stars.
- Scythe by Neal Shusterman
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In a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, and no misery where everyone lives forever, there has to be a way to curb overpopulation. This is where the Sycthes step in. The book follows two teenagers that have been chosen to train and compete for sycthehood, where they would have the responsibility of gleaning (killing) people. But what happens when corruption starts to make itself known within the scythedom?
This was a really interesting concept and definitely kept me hooked. Scythe is the first book in a trilogy and ended in a way that makes me want to continue on. Have to wait for my library to open again though :(, 4/5 stars.
- Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King
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This short story follows a town throughout the months of the year and the terror that has been plagueing it. Not much more to say than that.
I felt it was your typical werewolf story. For me, King didn’t add anything new to the base tale, but I do enjoy his writing style and it always keeps me reading, 2/5 stars.
- There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
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Moving to Nebraska from Hawaii is definitely a big jump, but Makani still hasn’t settled in after being there for almost a year. When the kids at her high school start dying in mroe gruesome ways than the last, terror in town escalates and forces Makani to confront her past. As time ticks looking for the killer, who will make it out alive?
There were elements added to this story that made it more of a unique teen thriller/slasher to read and she did a great job at keeping me reading. I feel like I may be starting to move on from the young adult/teen genre, but it was still a fun read, 3/5 stars.
- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
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This is a coming of age story about a 15-year-old named Ari and his journey to finding himself. He’s sad and angry and doesn’t know why. One day, he meets Dante who seems to be sunshine and so sure of himself. Despite his slight reluctance, Ari finds himself forming a bond with Dante that he can’t explain and doesn’t full understand it himself. Will Dante help him to better understand what’s going on in his head?
Like I said before, I’m starting to get a little too old to fully relate to young adult books, especially when the main characters are 15. I didn’t like the writing style very much but the story had good representation and dicussed some hard-to-talk-about subjects well. I listened to part of it on audiobook and Lin-Manuel Miranda helped to better draw me into the story, 3/5 stars.
Everything I felt about these books is just my own opinion and I don’t expect to hold the opinion of everyone out there. With that being said, I hope that these summaries and reviews help to point you to your next read. Books are a great way to travel without having to leave your house so I wish you the best and happy reading!