Category: characters

Top reads of July

Here are my top reads for July!

  1. The Sun and The Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
    This was an incredible book! I’d always adored Nico and Will’s relationship in the Heroes of Olympus series, so I was really excited when I heard about this book. Nico and Will are adorable in this book and I really enjoyed the way the story progressed. I also liked the way Nico’s grief and trauma were addressed. This was a great book!
  2. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
    This was a great book! I haven’t read the Cruel Prince series yet, but, while being set in the same universe, this book was still understandable without prior knowledge. I loved the queer and the relationship between Hazel and Ben. I really enjoyed this book!
  3. Connect the Stars by David Teague and Marisa de los Santos
    I really enjoyed this book! Audrey can tell when anyone is lying and Aaron can remember everything he’s seen. Both of them don’t fit in at their schools, but when their parents send them to a wilderness camp, they find each other. The two also make friends with Kate and Louis and the group face the challenges together. I really enjoyed this book!
  4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
    This was a great book! I enjoyed the descriptions of the circus and the way we got many POVS showing us how different people experience it. The descriptions were detailed and I loved how it all tied in at the end. The characters were also intricate and I enjoyed getting to read about them. It was a great book!
  5. The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman
    This was an amazing reread! 4 siblings and none of them alike, yet they have to journey together to find the mythical Ivory Key. They each have different reasons for wanting it, but if they fail, they could all lose everything. I love the characters so much and the plot twists along the way. I really enjoyed this book!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here
Top Books of March: click here
Top Books of April and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here

Dystopian Societies

In my new high school, they’ve assigned us summer work. Part of our English work was to read one out of four dystopian books and answer some guiding questions about them. I ended up reading The Grace Year by Kim Liggett and Feed by M.T. Anderson. These are the questions and answers for those two books!

THE GRACE YEAR:

Q: What things in this society seem wrong to you? Why?

A: In this society, women are valued even less than they are in today’s world. They are treated as devices, used only for giving birth. Women are also considered to have “magic”, which on further inspection turns out to be the result of hallucinations caused by poisoned well water. 

Q: What things in this society might be similar to the world we live in?

A: This society expands on the sexism often seen in the world we live in. While the society seen in this world is incredibly exemplified, our world too, often faces problems of not being accepting and open-minded enough.

FEED:

Q: What things in this society seem wrong to you? Why?

Everyone in this society relies on a stream of information called The Feed that is constantly being streamed into their brain. It tells them everything they need to know and is how most people function in this society.

Q: What things in this society might be similar to the world we live in?

A: This book seems to take people’s total reliance on the internet to an exemplified level in this society, drawing on how some people can base their whole life off of what they find online. 

What are some good dystopian books you’ve read?

Top Books of April and May

Here are my top reads of April and May! April’s books are the first 2 and May’s are the last 3.

  1. The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood
    This was a great book about one of the “heroes” from Greek mythology! Perseus is commonly known as the only hero with a happy ending, but this fails to consider the women in his life. I loved the way the story flowed and its plot! I also enjoyed how we got 3 POVs from the most important women in his life- Danaë, his mother, Medusa, the woman he killed, and Andromeda, his wife. It was such a great book and I really enjoyed it!
  2. The Cobra’s Song by Supriya Kelkar
    I loved this book! When Geetanjali gets stage fright for the first time in her life, she’s sure it’s over. She can’t stand up for her friends and now, she might be at risk of losing her best friend. Not only that, her usually kind and caring neighbor is now cold and distant-possible possessed by the snake gem. I really enjoyed the story and the way that the book’s characters were developed! I totally recommend it to you!
  3. Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White
    I really enjoyed this book! When Theo, Alexander, and Wil are suddenly told to go spend the summer with their mysterious Aunt Saffronia, they aren’t sure how to react, especially when their aunt decides to deposit them at the Fathoms of Fun waterpark, a waterpark that looks more like a nightmare zone. Then comes the problem of all the staff suddenly changing their personalities…This was such a great read and I totally recommend it to you! I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series!
  4. Family of Liars by Emily Lockhart
    This was the prequel to We Were Liars! In this book, Caroline’s own story comes to life during the summer that the boys arrived. The island is their own safe haven and soon, the boys both help build that up and break that down. Carrie falls for Pfeff, though he doesn’t seem to reciprocate the same feelings. As Pfeff shows just how much he doesn’t care for Carrie, their relationship splinters, to the point where she hates him. I really enjoyed this book and the way it defines the book after it! I totally recommend it to you!
  5. The Ojja Wojja by Magdalene Visaggio
    This was a graphic novel about two misfits in a “perfect” town. They’re terrorized by a bully, but find solace in each other and their small projects. Until one of those projects accidentally awakens a demon who takes over their town and makes their bully the center of it all. Only the two and their friends are spared. But the ritual to recapture the demon is tricky and they have to learn that sometimes, violence isn’t always the answer!

Say No to Book Bans- my IB Project

For my last year at middle school, we’ve been doing projects about a cause we’re passionate about. Because of this, I picked books and book bans. I did research about book bans around the US and the history of this practice. To take action, I emailed my state representatives, posted frequent Instagram posts, and wrote this essay. I hope you enjoy!

Books have been a part of my life since an early age. My parents have only encouraged this love and so it’s become something that has defined my life. Books have guided me through tumultuous times and have been some of my closest companions when I needed them. Not only that, books have helped me figure out who I am. As an Indian, my identity isn’t very commonly represented, especially in TV shows or movies. But books have let me, and so many other people I know, figure out who we are and how we want to exist in the world.
But book banning and book censorship seeks to erase these books that have created a safe space for so many people. Reports issued by PEN America, a foundation that seeks to prevent book banning, shows how in 2021-2022, 41% of books banned had LGBT+ characters and 40% of books banned featured characters of color. Additionally, books with religious minorities, books that dealt with race/racism, and books that dealt with themes of rights and activism were also frequently banned.
Not only does banning books limit students’ safe places, banning books is a slippery slope to censorship and eradication of the first amendment, which grants everyone freedom of the press. Banning books is unconstitutional and only succeeds in suppressing the thoughts and opinions of others. This could easily lead to the erosion of how our country commits to freedom of expression.
While parents have the right to choose what their child can read, that does not mean they have the right to decide for a large group of students, especially when all of these students have different views, different opinions, and different mindsets. One person’s opinions do not apply to everyone. Parents are allowed to ask that their children do not read a certain book at a certain time, but when this grows into policing a whole group, it is undemocratic.
Therefore, I believe that book banning is an abhorrent practice. It limits who sees themselves in books, the first amendment, and lets a small group of people decide for a larger group. Support stopping book bans today!

The Beatles Tour

During our Manchester trip, we got to go to Liverpool, where I got to visit the Beatles Museum. This was an amazing opportunity as I really enjoy the Beatles’ music. The museum was filled with information from their childhood to (some of) their deaths. It was also decorated beautifully, with certain rooms dedicated to a certain song or album and other rooms showing how they became such a popular band.

After that, we decided to go on a hop on-hop off style bus tour of famous Beatles locations. This included Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, and the Beatles’ childhood homes. It was amazing to see how each of these places inspired the 4 so much that they went on to write award-winning songs about them.

My Top Books of March ’23

  1. Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati
    This was such an amazing book! I’d heard about it for a really long time and so when I was able to get it, I was really excited! This book is about Queen Clytemnestra, one of the most infamous characters in Greek mythology, as she murdered her own husband after watching him kill their daughter as a sacrifice. I loved the way Clytemnestra was portrayed in the book, especially as we got to see her early years and how that led up to who she is. It’s a great story!
  2. Threads that Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
    I really enjoyed this book! It creates an intriguing world where the gods have died and humans and otherborns alike are left to fend for themselves. The otherborns are descendants of magical creatures, like the Fates, the Furies, the Graces and many others. Each otherborn has a special ability that they can use to change the world around them. I loved the worldbuilding that happened in this book and the way that they story evolved. This is a great read!
  3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    This was such a good book! Starr knows grief. She’s witnessed it with Natasha, and now, she witnesses it with Khalil. Now, she’s the only one left out of their friend group. Starr has to figure out where her loyalties lie as she struggles through family and school life. I really enjoyed this book and the way that the story was created. It was powerful and held strength in each sentence. I totally recommend it to you!
  4. Brighter Than the Moon by David Valdes
    Jonas and Shani met online. Ash and Shani are childhood friends. When Shani suspects something isn’t right, she asks Ash to investigate. But soon, they all find themselves stressed out and dealing with all their problems. Not to mention, that their feelings are confused and they don’t know what to do with their lives. I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters and the different perspectives, so you could see how each character reacts to what. It’s such an amazing book and I love how it ends!

Top Books of January: click here
Top Books of February: click here

My Top Books of Feb ’23

Here are my top books for this month!

  1. Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega
    Seven has been waiting her whole life to be sorted into coven and so when the sorting ceremony comes, she can’t wait. But when she doesn’t get sorted and becomes a Spare, she’s distraught. Along with her worst enemy and the new girl, Seven must battle the monster that’s been plaguing their town to stay alive. This is an amazing book and I totally recommend it to you!
  2. Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie
    This was such an amazing book! I really enjoyed getting to read all the different stories- some that were serious and some that were fun and light. All the stories had different plots, different characters, and overall, different fun experiences to dive into. This is a great book and I totally recommend it to you!
  3. Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith
    This was such an amazing book! We get to see 3 different perspectives, Mary’s and her parents’. I loved the style of writing and the way poetry was eloquently used to tell the story of a French-Greek girl struggling to fit in. The author also included many beautifully written lines that still stick with me. It’s an amazing book!
  4. Curses by Lish McBride
    When Merit refused to marry the suitor her mother picked for her, she was cursed and transformed into a beast. A few years later, her 18th birthday is coming up and if she doesn’t marry soon, she’ll be a beast forever. However, she’s found a band of criminals who promise to help her meet her match. I really enjoyed this book!

Top Books of January: click here

The Lightning Thief Musical

Recently, I went to go see a musical based on the first Percy Jackson book- The Lightning Thief. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology by extension, so I was really excited to see how this musical turned out. I’d already listened to the songs, so I knew most of it, and as I’d read the book before, I knew how the plot was going to turn out. Still, I was incredibly excited to see how it would be interpreted.

I really enjoyed the set and how, while the overall pieces and elements were the same, a simple change of banners or how the set pieces were placed could change the vibe of a scene and show a different setting (and obviously the lights helped with this too). Even though there was a smaller cast, I loved getting to see all the characters and their costumes for each character. Some of my favorite characters were Grover/Mr. D as well as Annabeth. They portrayed their characters really well and I enjoyed it all!

While it was a smaller scale production, I still really enjoyed how the scenes in the book leapt off the pages to be seen in real life. I especially enjoyed how some lines from the book were taken word for word, and it was so much fun to recognize these lines!

Chicago: The Musical

Recently, I went to see a new musical, Chicago. This added to the collection of musicals I’ve seen and (spoiler alert) that list is only going to grow this year.

I really enjoyed this musical, especially the music. The music set the scene incredibly well and I also loved how the conductor was involved in the story line at times. The choreography was also done incredibly well and you could tell the actors were thoroughly involved in the musical. I found the set interesting, as it was only a blank stage, with the occasional prop of a chair or two.

The musical was based on a play made in 1926, about the corruption in Chicago. The original play was based off of real criminals and real stories. The musical features Velma and Roxie, two women who have both ended up in jail. Velma’s famous and she’s been in the papers a lot, so when Roxie takes her spot, she’s upset. Again, I loved the songs and the choreography and the way the musical flowed. It was amazing to watch!

Have you been to see any musicals? Which ones are your favorites?

2023 goals

2023 is hopefully going to be a big year! I’m graduating middle school and moving on to high school, so that’s a pretty big milestone for me. I’m also hoping to work on things I’m passionate about and get much better at them.

Dance:

Dance, especially Bharatanatyam, is already a huge part of my life and I want that to continue through the new year. I hope to practice a lot more, learn many new items, and get more opportunities to perform.
This year, I’ll also get to perform in my school’s Spring Show, where I’ll be able to perform 4 dances in front of parents and friends. This is something I’m really excited for and I can’t wait to grow my contemporary dancing skills as well!

Writing:

I really want to work on my writing, as well as my use of vocabulary. Writing is already a huge passion of mine and I definitely want to grow that this year. I’m also auditioning for a creative-arts school in the category of writing!

Art:

Along with my writing, I would like to get better at my art skills! Currently, I might not be the best artist, however, I definitely want to practice a lot this year and hopefully learn more about art and develop an art style (or any semblance of one)

Books:

This year, I’m going to be trying to “read my bookshelf” more and get through many of the books on my bookshelf instead of always getting new ones. I hope to maybe finish more series and discover a lot of good books!

School:

This year, I’ll be going into high school and I hope to find my footing quickly. I’ll definitely keep working hard in my new school (and for the rest of middle school).

What goals do you have for 2023?