*Due to the time-consuming nature of linking all of the titles and authors' names, I have decided to stop doing that. However, if you go to Goodreads, you can search the book's title and they'll give you the summary of the book, the average rating, and other readers' reviews.*
The Upside of Unrequited - Becky AlbertalliCarve the Mark - Veronica Roth
The Fates Divide - Veronica Roth
Paper Hearts - Ali Novak
How to Read Literature Like a Professor - Thomas C. Foster
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo
Theogony and Works and Days - Hesiod
Dream Angus - Alexander McCall Smith
Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet - Jennifer L. Armentrout and contributors
Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
Wow. Summer flew right by again, didn't it? I'm happy and also disappointed in the amount I was able to read this summer. I felt like I'd made some good choices, in addition to all the summer work books I had to do for class. I'm going to do a couple sentences review over each book on the list just because it is so small. Let's get straight to it.
The Upside of Unrequited: SO CUTE. Loved the LGBTQ+ representation, and how I could relate exactly to the main character's thoughts. I appreciated the character development and how true to current day teen pop culture Albertalli stayed.
Carve the Mark and The Fates Divide: Enjoyed every last word. Roth is one of the most inspiring authors to me, and I enjoyed this new world she created for us. I especially liked her plot points and how she weaved character development into those crucial parts of the books.
Paper Hearts: I read Ali Novak as almost a guilty pleasure read, just because they're so cute and fluffy. I smile for hours after finishing one of her novels, and this one did not fail me. Representative of every fangirl's dream, I recommend this novel if you're looking for a pick-me-up from the harsh reality of life.
How to Read Literature like a Professor: You guessed it: I read this novel for summer homework! But it was eye-opening for me, someone as interested in literature as I am. With witty and intelligent commentary, I found that the author never lost me in a sea of mumbo-jumbo, even when he could have.
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom: WOW. Bardugo has talent. She has the ability to weave the web of a story like no author I've ever seen. I could hardly put these books down, and I'm still craving more. Her characters were rich and amazing to read, and the plot was full of unexpected turns. If you're looking to be surprised and entertained, look no further than this duology.
Theogony and Works and Days: I read this for a mythology class of mine. I appreciated all the different myths it represented, and the lesson of how motifs can be interpreted and represented differently based on an author's agenda.
Dream Angus: I have to say, this novel frustrated me at times, because it jumps from myth to modern day with very little transition time. However, I appreciated how masterfully the author was able to tie in pieces of the myth to his modern-day characters, and how it all lent itself to one greater story.
Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet: THIS WAS ADORABLE. With so many best-selling authors, how could I have not picked this up? I loved this book to its core, and each little story made me want more. This was also a pick-me-up summer read, and if you're feeling like you'll need one of those in December, this will do just the trick.
Oedipus Rex: I also read this book for my mythology class, and I loved going over all of the metaphors and deeper meanings in the play. Highly recommend, but only if you're willing to do the deep, analytical thinking over the text (and have the time for it!).
All in all, I'm happy with what I ended up reading over the course of the summer. If you're feeling down, or college apps have you feeling blue this first semester of school, these books are short and quick pick-me-ups that are just the right kind of medicine. Until next time: keep reading!
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