- The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
This book was so well-written and filled with so many cool details and characters. Rin has worked hard her entire life, so when her parents announce that she’ll be married off, her hard work gone to waste, she decides to act. She studies for the notoriously hard civil service exams, and someone pulls through, plunging her into a world of danger and intelligence. This was such a well-written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. - Sanskari Sweetheart by Ananya Devarajan
This was an amazing, sweet book about Raina, who needs to prove to her mom that she can make dance a career. But in doing so, she’s pushing away everyone close to her. She realizes this when she gets stuck in a timeloop, forced to repeat the day over and over until she solves her problem. This book was super cute and interesting! - The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
This was such an interesting collection of stories that detailed different medical conditions- from lacking certain sensations or images to feeling too many sensations. I learned a lot from this book and every story was incredibly interesting. - Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Avachat
This was such a cute book! Archi is planning to have the best senior year overseas in India. She needs to complete her capstone project and she gets to do it in her parents’ homeland. And, she meets a cute guy who really likes her. But when she realizes not everything is as it seems, life gets complicated. This was such a well-written and sweet book and I really enjoyed it!
Category: Books
Top Reads
I, unfortunately, have not had the time to read as much this year. However, I still do enjoy reading and have a list of my favorite books I’ve read this year!
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
This was a very well written autobiography! I loved the way the author wrote of her mother and her struggles in seeing her mother pass away. It was so beautiful and so moving and I definitely recommend it. The author’s pain and confusion was evident through each word and phrase, making the book a must-read. - Flowers and Their Meanings: The Secret Language and History of Over 600 Blooms by Karen Azoulay
This book was so informative! It had so much information on different flowers and their meanings and went into detail about different colors and types of one species. There were so many flowers listed and I learned a lot. - The Tournament by Rebecca Barrow
This was a dark mystery about a “tournament” at a prestigious school. Everyone has been training for the tournament since they’d first gotten to the school. But when love goes sour and tensions rise, the tournament gets even more dangerous than it originally was intended to be. - The Poppy War by RF Kuang
This was a beautiful reimagining of the Opium Wars. The storytelling was so vivid and I found myself really drawn to Rin, the brilliant and scrappy orphan. She was such a fun character and I loved witnessing her growth.
I hope to read more continuing on!
Independent Book Store Day
Last Saturday was Independent Book Store Day, a day to celebrate small bookstores. I visited 2 indie bookstores that I’d never been to before and thoroughly enjoyed both of them!
In today’s world, where we can order anything online, bookstores aren’t getting the same traffic as they used to. Therefore, Indie Bookstore Day encourages readers to support these small bookstores to help them thrive and continue to serve the community.
The first bookshop I visited was Good On Paper. Their shop was so pretty and had such a great collection of books for all ages- kids to young adults to adult/nonfiction. They also had lots of stationary, with cute journals and pens. It was so nice to check out a new bookshop and I can’t wait to read the book I bought from there!
After Good on Paper, I visited Kaboom Books, a used book store. They had so many books, filling every shelf, on all topics. I loved getting lost in the maze of books, just scanning the shelves. I exited with two books about mythology and have already started reading them!
Support Indie Bookstores!
Kyoho: A short story
Here’s a short story I wrote based on the song “Lost Umbrella” by Inabakumori!
Mayumi held her hands over her head, a makeshift umbrella, as she bobbed and weaved through the throngs of shoppers, her gaze solely on the small black cat in front of her- Kyoho, as she had dubbed it. The cat glanced back, as if to check she was still following, then plodded on determinedly. Mayumi’s breath caught as Kyoho disappeared from her gaze, eyes narrowing as she searched the crowd, before it reappeared, letting out a plaintive mewl. Mayumi exhaled, relieved, increasing her speed.
Kyoho had appeared right when she had lost her umbrella, the wind sweeping away the bright yellow parasol. Mayumi had stared after it despondently, hand reaching out in a futile attempt to grab it. It had been yet another unlucky event on top of a slew of bad days. Just when she was about to step into the protection of an awning and wonder if she should just go home, the sensation of something winding between her legs caught her attention. She had looked down, startled, to see Kyoho, the small creature looking up at her innocently. As she bent to scoop it up, it had taken off, with the occasional backwards glance to see if she was following.
She was. She didn’t know why she was, but she trusted the cat. Call it a soft spot, call it idiocy…but still. Kyoho seemed like a friend. A feline friend who couldn’t quite talk, sure, but a friend all the same.
Kyoho rounded a corner, and Mayumi, nearly out of breath, did the same moments later- only to come face to face with the umbrella, tangled in the branches of a tree. Mayumi sucked in a breath, staring wonderously at the cat, back to winding around her feet. She cautiously made her way over to the tree, reaching up on her tiptoes to try and nudge it back to the ground. It fluttered down, along with a few ginkgo leaves, a young, bright green, hopeful, determined. As if to symbolize that it wasn’t all lost. That there was still hope. Mayumi picked up the umbrella, turning to thank Kyoho, to express some form of gratitude to the cat, but when she turned back…it was gone. Vanished into the sea of people, off to perhaps save another lost soul.
Mayumi took a deep breath, hefted the umbrella back over her shoulder, and set back off on her journey.
I hope you enjoyed!
Top Books of February
- This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff
I read this book for school and it was really interesting! Tobias, or Jack, has followed his mother to Utah, hoping for a new life. However, wherever they turn, misfortune follows them, as Jack learns who he is and what he truly wants in life. It was a really interesting book! - One Thousand and One Nights by Hanan al-Shaykh
This was a retelling of the story of Scheherazade, who told stories to a cruel king so that she wouldn’t die. I really loved the way the stories were written, each individual story a part of something bigger. It was beautiful to read and I definitely recommend it to you! - Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh
This book contained folktales from India, as well as the most gorgeous illustrations! I really enjoyed the way the stories were told in simple terms with Indian vocabulary. It was really enjoyable to read and learn about all these folktales! - An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Lennon’s life, once ruined, was saved by the Drayton College. The college specializes in “persuasion” and Lennon is one of the most gifted students. But the corruption that lurks around the school is terrifying, ad well as its past. I really enjoyed this book and its plot!
Top Reads of January
It’s already been a month into the New Year! Here are my top books for January.
- The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
This was a reread, but as always, I love diving back into the world of Percy Jackson and his adventures! This time, to get into college, Percy needs 3 recommendation letters- each from different gods as he completes their quests. His first quest is from Ganymede, the cup bearer of the gods. Percy is forced to deal with trial after trial in this sequel to the Percy Jackson series! It was really fun to read and had all of the classic humor! - Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender
This was such an amazing book! Set in a world where anyone can do alchemy, we meet three amazing characters- Ash, Callum, and Ramsay. Together, they’re trying to find the legendary ‘Book of Source’ to destroy it, but Ash’s father is against them, tracking their every movement. It was incredibly fun to read and I loved all the characters and the plot! - To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
I’ve watched the movie before, so I was eager to read the book! I loved seeing more of Lara Jean, especially as she tries to figure out where exactly she fits into the world of high school and boys and family life. Seeing the movie moments in the book added a lot more context and were really fun to read! I loved reading this book as well as all the characters! - The Umbrella Man and Other Stories by Roald Dahl
As a kid, I loved Dahl’s children books and so, I was incredibly curious about his other works! These short stories were a perfect mix of silly and scary and were really fun to read! Dahl’s writing style is very clear and very interesting to read, so I had a lot of fun revisiting one of my childhood authors.
Where I’m From- Holden Caulfield
Recently, for my English class, we wrote a poem based on “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon and based on Holden Caulfield, the main character of “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. I hope you enjoy my poem!
I am from boarding schools
from cigarette smoke and rain
I am from fencing competitions
(loud, angry,
everyone’s disappointment as sharp as the swords)
I am from the vastness of DB’s room compared to the smallness of Phoebe’s
the unable-to-be-placed smell of home
whose indecisiveness I remember
as if I was standing there right now
I’m from phony steak and odd hats
from Allie and Phoebe
I’m the not-good-enoughs and the geniuses-of-our-time
from try harder and life is a game
I’m from Grace be with you all
with friends that make you feel warm and fuzzy
and essays about your brother’s baseball glove
I’m from touchy fathers and nervous mothers
malted milk and a swiss cheese sandwich.
From the cancer that spread through my brother’s small body,
the words and phrases that are piled onto my sister’s pages.
At the back of my brain lie my memories
hidden from both the world and myself
a handful of stars
whose light has been forced to dull.
I am from those shattered shards of time
broken before I was even born
distancing myself from the person I was and the person I am meant to be.
Top Books of December
Here are my top reads of December!
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This was such an interesting and well-written book! Blue has been told from her first days that if she kisses her true love, he will die. So, she’s made a point to stay away from all boys. But when her path collide with the “Raven Boys”, a group of boys who go to the private school nearby, she finds herself drawn into their improbable plan. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series! - Cats of the World by Hannah Shaw
This was an incredibly cute book with pictures of cats from all over the world! Cats and their lifestyles from countries worldwide are detailed, with an important message intertwined throughout the book. It’s beautiful and really shows the resilience of cats as they thrive in lands you’d have never thought they’d live in. I really loved reading this book and looking at the beautiful pictures! - The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
This was an interesting short story about what it means to feel trapped. Gregor is a traveling salesman, the breadwinner for his family, when one day, he wakes up as a giant cockroach. He soon becomes a burden, something others, even his own family, are scared of. It was an incredible read and enthralled me from start to finish. - Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
This was a creepy and exciting read from start to finish! Ines wants to start a new life at Catherine House- that’s how it works for everyone, after all. But everyday turns out to be the same…until she gets a visit from the headmistress. Ever since then, her life turned upside down, new and strange happenings changing her perception of this school. It’s a really interesting book!
Top Books of January
Top Books of February
Top Books of March
Top Books of April
Top Books of May
Top Books of June
Top Books of July
Top Books of August + September
Top Books of October
Top Books of November
Top Books of November
Here are my top reads for November!
- This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
This was such a beautiful and well-written book! Red and Blue are on opposite sides of the “Time War”. But when they start leaving notes for each other, something changes. The prose was beautiful in this book and I absolutely loved the story and its ending. I totally recommend this book to you! - The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
This was such a good book! Monty has one last summer with his best friend and his sister before all three of them are forced into futures they don’t want. He’s determined to make the most of it, but that’s derailed when he steals something he shouldn’t have and bandits chase after him. This was such a beautiful book and I loved the character growth! - The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
This was such a well-written book! Yamilet is at a new school and that means a new start for her and her brother. But as struggles build up at home, she feels hopeless, finding solace only in a friend named Bo. I really enjoyed this story and it was great to read! - Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno
This is a really cool book, inspired by Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I loved the story and the mystery, as well as all the different characters and side plots we got to see. It was a really interesting read and I can’t wait to read the second book!
Psychological Profile for Holden Caulfield
Recently, for my English class, we had to create a “psychological profile” for Holden Caulfield, a character from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. We had a series of questions to answer about his character and were instructed to write it in the style of a profile.
I) The subject’s name is Holden Caulfield. Caulfield is currently 17 years old.
II) Caulfield lives in an unspecified location relatively near Hollywood and his brother. He does not speak of his living conditions much, but his tone indicated a less than satisfactory home.
III) Caulfield has two siblings, one older and one younger, as well as a younger sibling who has passed. Caulfield is known for his aggressive outbursts as well as his tendency to lie.
IV) Caulfield’s symptoms of grief include a longing for his lost brother, a bitterness over his loss (note: subject’s bitterness seems to have mostly faded, though was clearly active at time of death), a lack of trust in others, as well as a withdrawal from social activities. Caulfield’s signs of PTSD include negative and pessimistic thoughts about the world, a detachment from friends and family, being on guard for danger, smoking, aggressive outbursts, and trouble sleeping.
Additionally, Caulfield shows signs of anxiety, namely irritability and nervousness. Finally, Caulfield shows signs of depression, including a loss of pleasure in usual activities, a cynical view of the world, an extreme sensitivity to failure, restlessness, and social isolation.
Have you read the Catcher in the Rye?