Sweet Summer Reads! by Crystal Laliberte

Untamed - Glennon Doyle

claliberte3 — 2022-05-04 16:08:10 UTC

Utterly Inspiring! Former "perfect Christian wife" reclaims her independence and reframes her thoughts on womanhood, motherhood, and society after falling in-love with her current wife, Women's soccer star Abby Wambach. A love letter to her children and to herself and an amazing take on contemporary feminism.

Crier's War by Nina Varela

23chandleroliviag — 2022-05-09 11:44:06 UTC

Crier’s War by Nina Varela is one of my favorite novels ever. It tells the story of the Automae Princess, Crier, and her handmaid, Ayla. The humans are no longer in control, and have been taken over by the creatures that they built to be their servants. Ayla becomes Criers handmaid with the intent of killing her and starting a revolution, but ends up falling in love with her. To stop the cruelty that runs deep within the land, they will have to start a war. It is full of twists and turns that grab you in, and keep you invested. Although some of them aren’t, the characters feel wholly human and make you sympathize with their actions and emotions.

The Color Purple- Alice Walker

2022-05-09 11:45:18 UTC

I strongly recommend reading the color purple. It has such a deeper meaning behind it that just makes you want to keep reading, to figure out what happens next. Those are the best books. It is narrated from the perspective of a suppressed young woman, Cecile. She faces many hardships throughout the book. She goes into the topics of race, gender inequalities, domestic abuse, education of women, sexuality, the white standards of beauty, god/religion and so much more. The author is the voice of the culture. It is a very sad novel and goes into some touchy subjects with a lot of detail for some people but it has a very happy and empowering ending for people like Cecile. Overall, I really recommend this book. I personally don’t enjoy reading and get distracted easily but I can say this book has hooked me in and it was a very incredible book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

23monteironicolea — 2022-05-09 11:50:39 UTC

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a moving story about Charlie, a freshman in high school who is by no means popular. He is very shy, but that all comes down to a mental issue that occurred because of something that happened when he was younger. Charlie is coping with first love, the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs.

Animal Farm - George Orwell

22swarcejamesd — 2022-05-09 11:52:44 UTC

A great cautionary tale. A group of self aware animals overtake a farm, and attempt to run the farm themselves. They build a stable set of rules to dictate their new farm. Slowly, the animals begin to disagree and lose their original motives. This was written as story about the tragedy of people forgetting what they truly want in life.

Hamlet - Shakespeare

valentinequinn — 2022-05-09 11:54:56 UTC

I know what you're thinking. "Shakespeare? Isn't that that pretentious 500 year-old British dude who no one has ever read by choice?" Yes, you are correct. No one has ever read Shakespeare by choice, myself included. However, I regret to inform you that some of his writing is actually like, really good.
"Hamlet" follows the titular Prince Hamlet as he uncovers the corruption behind his own royal family and seeks revenge for his late father. It's got plots, murder, and soliloquies. LOTS of soliloquies. Admittedly, there's a lot of filler, but once the plot gets moving, "Hamlet" could pass for an episode of Game of Thrones. If you want some classic family drama with a little more than the average amount of death, "Hamlet" is the play for you.

Ash Princess - Laura Sebastiam

2022-05-09 12:05:30 UTC

After the invasion of her kingdom, Princess Theodosia has become a prisoner of her own castle. She's spent the past decade keeping her head down and enduring almost daily torture with what little hope she has left to survive. However, when she is forced to remove her last chance of hope, Theo is ready to seek revenge and fight for her kingdom. A fantasy novel with LGBTQ+ representation within the side characters and the first in a trilogy, Laura Sebastian takes a spin on the damsel in distress trope and has created a cast of captivating characters.

Daughter of the Pirate King

2022-05-11 11:40:30 UTC

The daughter of the pirate king is a very fast paced, action packed book about pirates. It will keep your interest throughout the 300 pages and you will want to read it in one sitting. It is about Alosa who is sent on a mission to recover a hidden portion of a map, to find a cove of treasure. She has to partner with her enemy family who has a third of the map. I cannot recommend this book enough

The Round House - Louise Erdrich

2022-05-11 12:15:35 UTC

The Round House by Louise Erdrich is a book I now recommend to everyone. It is the story of an Ojibwe teen living on a reservation with his family. Then one day his entire life turns upside down when his mother get assaulted. The boy seeks justice and revenge for his mother while trying to be a normal teenager. This book talks about MMIW, (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), which unfortunately is very common for the people living on reservations today. The book is shows the reality of life for indigenous people and adds to the purpose of the book.

Throne of Glass

2022-05-12 18:18:57 UTC

Celaena Sardothien is "freed" from a slave labor camp to fight in the competition to become the king's assassin. However, the castle and the king are full of deadly secrets. Celaena must figure out what's behind these dark forces and come to terms with her own past.

This is an entire series, and each book gets more interesting, surprising, and more complex. Definitely my favorite fantasy series!

Nothing to See Here

smilani1 — 2022-05-12 18:19:54 UTC

What a fun read! A young woman without much of a life plan gets asked to be the nanny for an old friend and her senator's children. There is something very unexpected about these twins, however. This nanny in thrown into a wealthy, powerful family, and she has to figure out how to protect herself and the kids she's responsible for.
Enjoy! Milani
#liarliarpantsonfire #firstworldproblems #beachread

Circe- Madeline Miller

2022-05-12 18:20:18 UTC

If you love Mythology, you will LOVE this! If you were a fan of "Percy Jackson", you will LOVE this! Miller's retelling of a classic Greek Myth works to give Circe a voice. Lose yourself in the world of Greek mythology and experience a much needed new perspective. I believe that everyone could benefit from a little Circe in their life! If you want to read more from Miller, you can check out "Song of Achilles" as well :)

To All the Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han

2022-05-13 11:35:22 UTC

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is a book and movie series. It is about a girl who's mom passed away and had to learn how to fall in love without her mother. Her little sister sent out the love letters she wrote in middle school and all the boys confronted her. In order to get the boys to leave her alone, Laura Jean faked a relationship with Peter Kavinsky. After faking the relationship for a few months, going on trips together, and more, they ended up truly falling in love. The three books and movies go on about their love story and all the bumps along the way. In the ending, Peter and Laura Jean end up together and live happily ever after.

Midnight in Chernobyl

2022-05-13 11:36:43 UTC

A non-fiction book detailing the events of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident in Ukraine. It goes over both the accident itself and the aftermath, as well as witness and victim testimonies.

Batman: The Killing Joke

2022-05-13 11:37:01 UTC

If you are a fan of the batman movie series or even the joker this book is a great read. Within this book you get to learn more about the Joker and go nto depth about his past life and why he became what he is. It differs from the movies because rather than be seen as always killing you instead get to see. And towwards the end of the book you can see Batman trying to hlp the Joker and you can read Joker say "its already too late."

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

2022-05-13 11:41:50 UTC

Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games. It is a competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death. A Story filled with action, love and death.
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The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle royale to the death. The book received critical acclaim from major reviewers and authors.

Wonder

2022-05-13 11:42:19 UTC

this book is about a 10 year old boy who has had 27 surgery's on his face and looks different then the average 10 year old, and because of this he gets made fun of a lot. This book is a very strong anti bullying book.

Touching Spirit Bear

2022-05-13 11:42:49 UTC

The Main Character Named Cole gets a one year banishment and to a remote island. There he is mauled by a big white mysterious bear. He gets extremely injured, Cole then waits for himself to die but when he is dying he his thoughts shift from anger to humility. The only way he can survive this island is if he stops blaming people and put others before himself.
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Touching Spirit Bear, A gory but fascinating book about what a 15 year old boy finds on an island he's been condemned to for 6 months. I personally loved this book and I liked that the main character shows a bunch of character development throughout the book.

JOJO's Part 2 Battle Tendency

2022-05-13 11:44:31 UTC

Battle Tendency takes place from 1938-to 1939 in America/Europe. They are statues that are called pillar men that are awakened by a German general called Stroheim. Pillar men are vampires and One man name Joseph Joestar has a breathing technique that uses power from the sun to kill the vampires. Joseph goes through America and Europe with his trusty pal Ceaser Zeppeli

Unwholly

2022-05-13 11:58:27 UTC

Unwholly is the sequel to the very popular book "Unwind." After the events of the first book, two young teenagers: Connor and Lisa find themselves taking full control over the "Graveyard," a place where AWOL (or runaway unwinds) stay until their seventeen. Meanwhile, another young teen named Lev finds himself in a place filled with escaped tithes (or children who were born to be unwound at thirteen) where he is treated like a role-model towards them, only to be dragged on yet another adventure by a girl who didn't approve of his previous actions. Meanwhile, a Frankenstein-like human being is being made in the background with parts of Unwinds. People begin questioning the concept of Unwind, and debates spark across this dystopian version of the U.S, where badly-behaved children are unwound, or in other words removing all the organs of that person and giving them to others who need it.

The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood

2022-05-13 12:05:03 UTC

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a dystopian fiction novel that focuses on the main question: What could happen if all power over our lives and bodies was taken away? In this novel, the main character Offred lives in a corrupted, futuristic United States where she is forced to serve those with a higher social status by having their children. Atwood does an amazing job of displaying emotions and descriptions of settings and will keep you intrigued throughout the entire 311-page novel. Follow Offred as she struggles with oppression on many levels while discussing major themes of corruption and power, love and LGBTQ+ relationships, feminism, and more.

one punch man

2022-05-13 12:41:49 UTC

one punch man is a anime and a manga it's about the mc named,Saitama, a superhero who can defeat any opponent with a single punch but seeks to find a worthy opponent after growing bored by a lack of challenge due to his overwhelming strength.

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

2022-05-13 13:32:09 UTC

The Sun Is Also A Star is a sweet romantic novel about two teenagers living in New York City. Natasha is an illegal immigrant from Jamaica. She lives with her parents and younger brother in a one bedroom apartment. They got caught in the country and have 24 hours until they will be deported. Daniel is poet, who wants to chase his dreams, but his parents want him to follow their dreams. They want him to go to the best school possible, but he feels that's not his path. They have one day to fall in love, before time runs out.

Educated By Tara Westover

2022-05-18 11:41:22 UTC

A really captivating book, it kept me interested the whole time.

The Scarlett Letter - Hawthorne

2022-05-18 11:42:40 UTC

this book had many different lessons within it and if you look past the wording, it is very enjoyable. Hester (the main charcter) believes herself a widow, but her husband, Roger Chillingworth, arrives in New England very much alive and conceals his identity. this leads to many different complications throughout her life and her daughters life

The Fault in Our Stars

2022-05-18 11:48:36 UTC

The Fault In Our Stars is a fabulous book about a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and attends a cancer support group. Hazel is 16 and is reluctant to go to the support group, but she soon realizes that it was a good idea. Hazel meets a young boy named Augustus Waters.
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This book is a beautiful, heart-wrenching journey for anyone who reads it <3

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

2022-05-18 11:56:04 UTC

Every Year the Sinclair family spends their summer on a private island in Cape Cod. Despite spending every summer together, the Sinclair's still have their fair share of family drama. Cadence had recently suffered an injury in a previous summer that has left her trying to remember the events of the summer of 15'. Her family members make it difficult for her to remember the events of that summer, but some of her cousins are able to give her pieces of the puzzle. Cadence is determined to remember what happened in summer of 15' before the summer is over and she has to wait another year. We Were Liars is filled with interesting character relationships and a riveting, unexpected ending that will leave you in shock.

Beneath the Surface - Kristi Hugstad

2022-05-18 12:33:53 UTC

Beneath the Surface by Kristi Hugstad is a young adult non-fiction book about the challenges people face, specifically teenagers. It uncovers the sad truth behind drug use, self harm, mental illness, eating disorders, and death. Hugstad tells the story of others including her husband and the impact it has had on others. She provides supportive resources and techniques to better the overall health of yourself and others. If you or anyone you know has or is struggling with any of these things, this is a great book to understand and assist with said challenges. I have a deeper understanding of the challenges people face and think now, after reading, I could better assist myself or others.

Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Changed the World by Danielle Friedman

2022-05-18 12:37:19 UTC

This is a nonfiction book that covers Women's rights and history within the exercise industry. It talks about the stories of women who made extreme advances in exercise inequality. Each has their own unique, individual experience, and they all made different advances. This book talks about how exercise evolved from a "beauty tool" meant to "reduce" women's bodies to a self care practice that is meant to be used to feel good. This book is inspiring, and encourages the reader to to be comfortable in their own skin especially when in an exercise environment.

this is where it ends -Marieke Nijkamp

2022-05-18 12:39:24 UTC

This book follows the lives of four students in high school writing in each students perspective. When bouncing between the students it shows their thoughts and troubles while stuck in the midst of a school shooting. While they try to discover what's going on in different parts of the town, they try to reach out for help to stop the terrorist. (This book contains heavy subjects such as gun violence and profanity. However, it keeps you on your toes from beginning to end and is genuinely the best book I have ever read.)

Betrayal - R.L. Stine

2022-05-18 12:50:04 UTC

This book is the origin story of one of R.L. Stine's best selling series; "Fear Street". It centers around a family with the last name "Fier" (which eventually gets changed to "Fear"). The book follows them throughout the centuries, starting at the Salem Witch Trials, where Benjamin Fier falsely accuses a woman named Susannah Goode of being a witch. This causes a feud between the two families that continue through each generation. The feud causes horrific events, which leads to the legend of "Fear Street" and its curse on the people who live there.

Only Mostly Devastated - Sophie Gonzales

2022-05-18 13:26:25 UTC

A rendition on the classic romance musical and novel Grease, this book chronicles the budding relationship between contemporary teenagers. After Ollie's dream summer fling with Will Tavares comes to an abrupt end, he receives the devastating news that he must move across the country and enroll at a different school. To Ollie's delight, he finds out that Will also attends Collinswood High. But, he's dismayed to discover that the Will in school is far too different, and closeted, to ever be interested in him. And, despite his initial indifference towards Will, over the course of the book, Ollie begins to fall head over heels for the guy who once left his heart in shambles. Will the two ever get back together? That's for you to read and find out!

Keep This To Yourself

2022-05-18 14:17:38 UTC

This is the best murder mystery book... EVER. It's based on a teenage friend group in Massachusetts (Fictional) that is torn apart by a murder of one of their best friends, but rekindled their dead friendship to solve who is the "Catalog Killer". There's tons of twists, hidden love, and an ending you would never expect. 10/10 recommend!

An Abundance Of Katherines - John Green

2022-05-18 20:30:31 UTC

The book follows Collin, former child prodigy and current high school graduate. Collin has had 19 girlfriends all named Kathrine. After his most recent breakup, he and his best friend go on a road trip in search of adventure and meaning. Despite the eventful plot, this book is not wordy or tiring to read and no one does coming of age books quite like than John Green.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

2022-05-19 02:19:37 UTC

The Secret Life of Bees is set in South Carolina during 1964 with Lily, a fourteen year old white girl, being the main character. Being caught in the repeating memory of the afternoon her mother got killed, Lily's "stand-in-mother" Rosaleen escapes with her to Tiburon, South Carolina to figure out the mystery of her mother's past. With Lily on a mission to get answers, she comes upon a trio of sisters who are also beekeepers and falls in love with their lifestyle and the world around her. But of course... an easy ending doesn't always have an easy journey.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

2022-05-19 11:57:05 UTC

I highly recommend reading this book. It is an easy read but has a highly developed plotline. This story is about a man, Eddie, who works as a mechanic for a pier carnival. He passes away in an accident only to meet several people in his passing stage who impacted his life in one way or another. This leads Eddie to realize the truth about his own life, and allows him to peacefully move on to his next life.

They Both Die at the End- Adam Silvera

2022-05-19 15:09:31 UTC

I know that the title of the book spoils the ending so you think, "Why read it if I know how it's going to end?" But once you start the book you realize that you don't want the book to end that way. Your first meet these two boys who are both living their last day separately since they were both told that they have 24 hours. One lives life too dangerously and the other lives extremely sheltered. Once realizing that they have no one they want to spend their day with they find each other on an app made specifically for this situation. They spend their entire day together doing things that both of them like. They build a relationship like no other. And even knowing the ending of this book made me SOB uncontrollably. I highly recommend this book to everyone it was extremely good.

The 5 People You Meet In Heaven

2022-05-19 15:52:24 UTC

The five people you meet in heaven is a fiction book that gives the reader on what heaven can look like. Eddie, the main character, had a beautiful life with beautiful people, but during his last years, he was lonely. When he passed, he met 5 people in heaven, one by one. Each person defined as an importance within his life. Some of the people were ones who he didn't think they would have an importance in his life, but when the message was given from that person, he realized that those 5 people are more then just important. I am not a reader, and I do not like reading books, but this book was one that I wanted to keep reading. I enjoyed it very much because I have always wondered what heaven can be, and what it looks like, and this gave me a beautiful vision. Anything by the author Mitch Album is very good, like Tuesdays with Morrie as well. I recommend this book because I dislike reading, and I loved this book. I could summarize it for hours.

You Belong: A Call for Connection - Sebene Selassie

2022-05-20 03:45:58 UTC

This book is absolutely beautiful and empowering. Selassie inspires her audience by reassuring them of their belonging to themselves and to the world. She also describes how to achieve the feeling of belonging and how they can use mindfulness and meditation to aid in that journey. Throughout the book Selassie uses well placed information, personal anecdotes, and witty humor along with thought provoking topics to keep the reader engaged.

the summer I turned Pretty -Jenny Han

2022-05-20 11:35:12 UTC

This is book is a great summer book. It has good drama, romance, and a beachy theme. It makes me can't wait for summer. 10/10 Recommend!

The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

2022-05-20 11:37:25 UTC

This book is an amazing story about an autistic little boy who tries to solve the murder mystery about his neighbor's dead dog that he found in the middle of the night.

Milk and Honey

2022-05-20 11:37:37 UTC

This book is filled with emotional poetry about Kaur's struggles with becoming a woman, abuse, mental illness, and finding yourself. This book moved me so much that I annotated it.

Moribito Gaurdian of the Spirit

2022-05-20 11:38:02 UTC

This is a fantastic fantasy mythology book with an amazingly written strong female lead with a quest to protect a young prince from supernatural forces.

Hurricanes- Rick Ross

2022-05-20 11:39:09 UTC

If you like music, or even just an action packed story, you will enjoy this book. This memoir follows the life of hip hop artist Rick Ross. I am someone who doesn't really enjoy to read, as I easily get sidetracked, but this book had me on the hook, as it feels like you're right there in the book.

if I should die before I wake

25wrightbraydenr — 2022-05-20 11:41:05 UTC

I Should Die Before I Wake is an amazing story with two main characters who are similar in different ways. the plot takes place in two different times: 1941 and the other time is present. I personally loved this book because of the intense plot and the history behind the holocaust, not only that, the characters in this book are very interesting and intriguing.

Cemetery Boys

2022-05-20 11:41:34 UTC

The main character is a 16 year old transgender brujo. His family doesn't accept him because of their traditional ways and he's determined to prove that he is a boy. To prove to his family he's a brujo, he summons a ghost but the ghost refuses to leave the human world.

Unwind

2022-05-20 11:47:44 UTC

Unwind was one of the only books I really liked because it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is about how there was abortion laws so instead of that the government would make parents sign a waiver that would mean their kids would be unwound at the age of 16. The main character finds out that he is an unwind and he runs away and meets other unwinds in the process. There is also a thing called storking where parents leave the baby on the front porch and if someone got caught with the baby they would have to keep it. The unwinds go on an incredible journey and they end up in a lost unwind camp that keeps unwinds safe from being unwound until they are 18 because they can't be unwound as adults. When being unwound there are doctors that take apart your body parts and use it for other people who have missing limbs. Sometimes the limbs have minds of their own. An unwind camp is made to be like paradise to make unwinds think that being there is a good thing. While being unwound you are awake throughout the whole thing but your whole body is numb so you can't feel a thing.

They Both Die at the End

2022-05-20 11:54:34 UTC

This book is about two people who find each other on their last day to live. In this story, it is normal to get a call letting you know you will die in the next 24 hours. The two main characters try to live out the rest of their lives in these 24 hours. I wasn't bored especially towards the end and it kept me interested. I would recommend this book.
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This dystopian book was an intense, detailed, sad, love story about two boys; Mateo and Rufus. These lovers got a call from DeathCast telling them they had 24 Hours to live, they find an app on their phone and end up matching up. They proceed to meet up and spend their last day doing things they love and things they've never done before. The two lovers cope with each other and end up falling in love, only to say goodbye to the love they just started.

Things We Didn't Talk About When I Was A Girl

2022-05-20 12:07:33 UTC

This book is a story of a women who has survived multiple sexual assaults. This focuses on the assault done by one of her best friends in college. This book is different because she then, over 10 years later reaches out to him and you get to read there online and in person conversations, talking about life in general and the assault.

jclattenburg1 — 2022-05-20 13:30:39 UTC

A fun nostalgia trip (especially if you're a fan of movies and video games), but really makes you long for a forgotten era (1980's)

jclattenburg1 — 2022-05-20 13:31:34 UTC

Went into this with the intention of reading about one of America's most notorious serial killers, but came away with a better understanding of the architect behind Chicago's World's Fair and what went into creating the "White City" in such a short amount of time.

jclattenburg1 — 2022-05-20 13:32:13 UTC

Both humorous and scientifically accurate, this book details an astronaut's trip to Mars and events that unfold leading to him being left behind. How does he survive? Will he make it back to Earth?

Red, White & Royal Blue - McQuiston

claliberte3 — 2023-05-24 14:59:53 UTC

In this hilarious novel, the first son of the US & the "spare" second son of the British royals are mortal enemies... until they aren't! This is Schitts Creek meets The Crown, and I enjoyed every second of it. A fun, sweet, decadent read that literally made me laugh out loud. Highly recommend. #romance #funny #lgbtq+