Category: characters

Fictional Characters I Admire: Riley Oh

I smile through tears as Riley finds her sister. It’s been a heartbreaking journey, but so much has been gained from it. Riley Oh is from The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim. She’s kind, strong, and determined.  I love her story and here’s some reasons why.

Riley is very determined. When her sister began to die, Riley went on a huge quest to save her, even if it meant connecting with dangerous people. She knows how much her sister means to her and believes in her all the time. They have such a sweet relationship and I love the way that they’ll both do anything for each other.

Riley makes sure to get friends that she can depend on and trust. She has two sets of families who love her very much- one is from the Gom clan, the family that raised her, and one is from the Horangi clan, her true family. SHe’s also made friends from many different clans and they are there to support her when she needs help. She loves and works with them all, even when it seems challenging.

Riley Oh will always be one of my favorite characters, because of how determined she is and how she friendly she is. She’s such a great character and I love reading about her and the person that she is.

Top Reads of September

Here are my top reads of September.

  1. The Force of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
    The Force of Fire is a great book about Pinki, the rakkhoshi previously mentioned in the Kingdom Beyond series. We got the see the adventures of Pinki when she was growing up. I loved the different elements and all of the references to the original series.
  2. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
    This was part of the Rick Riordan Imprints series. Tristan has recently been sent to his grandparents’ farm after losing his closest friend, Eddie. At the farm, he discovers a strange tree which takes him to Alke, a place where fantasy characters are real! I loved learning about South African mythology in this amazing book.
  3. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
    This was the second part of the Giver quartet. This book focused on Kira, who’s mother has recently died. She’s an orphan, unsure of her way in this world, until the government takes her in, asking her to sew for them. I loved this book and the way that all of the details worked together. It was such a great read!
  4. A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
    This is the first book in the Grimm series. Hansel and Gretel and two siblings, lost and confused in the world. Their parents showed no love to them, so they ran away, experiencing many awful and great things. I loved the way that so many story tales were put in this book and the way that they were all twisted.
  5. Breathing Underwater by Sarah Allen
    This book is about Olivia, who’s sister, Ruth, has been diagnosed with depression. Olivia has a plan to help Ruth, while she struggles with her own feelings. I loved the way that this book flowed and the seriousness of it. It’s such a great read!

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

My Favorite Places in New York

I went to New York last weekend and I enjoyed it a lot. We experienced a lot and had a lot of fun exploring the city. All of the places we went to were amazing, but I had a few favorites. Here are some of the best places I visited in New York.

✨The Metropolitan Museum of Art✨:


I loved all of the art in the Met. We mostly focused on the Greek art, because of my interest in it. I found the pieces there stunning and the plaques were well detailed, so I could get the story clearly. I got some great pictures of the artwork and it was amazing to just wander around and see the work.

The sparkles indicate a Percy Jackson site! This is where it all started. At the Met, we got to see Percy using his powers for the first time. This is also where he killed his first monster (Ms. Dodds).

Broadway (Wicked):

When we went, Broadway had just opened, so we were lucky to get tickets. We went to Wicked, a twisted fairy tale. I loved the story and the way that all the characters were played. Everyone seemed very in character and their singing was perfect. It was all very great and enthralling.

✨Empire State Building✨:

We went up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. The views were spectacular and so were the exhibits. One of my favorites was the King Kong exhibit, which was funny and had great photo props. It was nice to see all around the city from one of the tallest buildings there.

The Empire State Building plays a major part in the first series. Olympus is located on the fictional 600th floor and the final battle takes place there.

✨Central Park✨:

Central Park is a very relaxing place and I found so many amazing and beautiful places there. Some of my favorites were the John Lennon memorial and Cleopatra’s Needle. They were all so pretty and the whole atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.

Percy and Nico visit Orpheus’ Rocks in Central Park to get to the Underworld in the last book. With Grover’s music, they find a way in. In the Kane Chronicles, Zia, Carter, and Sadie create a portal through Cleopatra’s Needle to get to Cairo.

Times Square:

Times Square is such a marvellous and thrilling place. The billboards are always bright and the crowd is always thick. There are some great places to get food and have fun. I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps.

Fictional Characters I Admire: Inej Ghafa

I marvel at Inej’s wisdom and strength as she defeats her only real match. She truly is such a crucial part of the team. Inej Ghafa is one of the Crows from the Six of Crows duology written by Leigh Bardugo. She’s strong, brave, and courageous.  I love her story and here’s some reasons why.

Inej has so many layers. She’s soft and kind, but can also be tough. While she is vulnerable, she knows how to kill. I love how we learn about all these layers and not just one side of her. Unlike a lot of characters in fantasy, Inej is kind and vulnerable. While she has had her share of traumas, she still has a glimmer of hope which guides her.  She’s also strong. While she refuses to kill, she knows how to and is able to wound someone. I love all the different sides of her!

Inej has her own beliefs and won’t sacrifice them for anyone else. She knows her worth and carries it around proudly and I love her for that. While she knows that she wants to get close to Kaz (a fellow colleague), she also lets him know that she won’t until he opens himself up to him.She also makes it clear that she can live without him if he never opens up to her. One of her quotes is “She would fight for him, but she could not heal him. She would not waste her life trying”. She is fine continuing her life without him. 

Inej Ghafa will always be one of my favorite characters, because of her layers and the fact that she knows her own worth. I love reading about her and the person that she is.

Top Reads of August

Here are my top books for August!

  1. The Best Worst Summer by Elizabeth Eulberg
    This is a story about Peyton, who has recently moved. In her backyard, she finds a time capsule from 1989. There seems to be a mystery behind the contents of the box and Peyton decides to find out what it is with the help of her new friend Lucas. The story alternates between modern day (with Peyton and Lucas) and 1989 (with Melissa and Jessica). I really enjoyed this story and all of the little clues along the way.
  2. The Adventure is Now by Jess Redman
    This book tells the story of Milton, a socially awkward boy, with not many friends. The only time when he feels free is when he plays Isle of Wild. That summer, his parents send him to Lone Island to live with his Uncle Evan. At first Milton isn’t happy to be there, but then he discovers the secrets of the island. I loved this book and the themes behind it. All the characters were written really well and I enjoyed every part of the book.
  3. Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden
    This is a story told by 4 narrators- Libby, Jack, Vincent, and T. It starts with Libby drawing inspiring messages on postcards. These postcards begin to travel, helping the other kids through their hard times. I loved the way that all the kids were linked up and the way that the story flowed. This is such a sweet book.
  4. A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
    This was an anthology with a lot of authors that I enjoyed. The stories were retellings of Asian myths and legends. I have always loved retellings and I really enjoyed these stories. They were all so imaginative and I loved them all. Some of my favorites were Still Star-Crossed, Daughter of the Sun, and Girls who Twirl and Other Dangers.
  5. Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford
    This book is about Al, who gets a mysterious letter from his (dead) dad on his 12th birthday. The letter tells him to travel back in time to save his dad and change the future. I loved the way that the book was written and i think it handled the concepts of alternate universes really well. Al is such a great character and I also enjoyed the way that the other characters were fleshed out as well. This is such a great book!
  6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    This is a dystopian trilogy, set in a world where every year, a boy and a girl are chosen from each district to fight in the Hunger Games. It’s a fight to the death and there’s only one victor until the 74th Hunger Games, where Katniss and Peeta (the two main characters) both win. I loved the characters and the plot. I found the theme very interesting and loved the type of dystopia!

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

Fictional Characters I Admire: Annabeth Chase

I’m starting a new series- Fictional Character I Admire. In each post, I’ll be telling you about one of the fictional characters who I love reading about. Today, I’ll be telling you about Annabeth Chase.

I pick up Percy Jackson and the Olympians and get lost in the fantasy world of Rick Riordan, especially the tales of Annabeth Chase. Annabeth is a demigod (half god, half human). Her mother is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and she always plays a crucial part in all of the quests she goes on. I love her story and here’s some reasons why.

Annabeth is such a strong female character. She’s great at fighting and can take down many Greek monsters with her dagger. Her life as a demigod is hard, but she perseveres through it. Annabeth has faced many monsters throughout her life as a demigod. Despite the type of problem, she easily comes up with a logical plan and deals with the toughest of them. Annabeth has been through Tartarus, the Greek version of hell. Even when she was trapped down there with her boyfriend, Percy, she was able to think logically and helped them get out as quick as possible.

Annabeth faces so many real problems throughout all the books. While she battles fantasy monsters, she also faces real ones with her emotions. I love seeing her weaknesses, just because it makes her more human. During the first series, she faced intense jealousy towards a later friend of hers, Rachel. It was interesting to see another, more real, side of my favorite character. During the second series, she has extreme self-doubt about her abilities. While all of her friends have powers, she has none, leading herself to doubt what she is capable of.

Annabeth Chase will always be one of my favorite characters, because not only is she strong, she has weaknesses that make her more like an actual person. She’s such a great character and I love reading about her and who she is.