Category: reading

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.

July’s Top Books

Here are my top books for July!

  1. The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan
    This is the last book in the Riordanverse (others have been hinted at, but there is no proof for them yet). I loved the classic Rick Riordan style and the way how our main character, Apollo/Lester has changed over his time as a mortal (normal human). This book is so great and the different aspects, like Piper’s identity and Meg’s love for unicorns, were amazing. Overall, this was a really great book.
  2. Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
    This is SUCH a great duology. I loved getting the different viewpoints and the humor was perfect. You can definitely see the development in the characters and the plot was great. I loved all of the characters, especially Inej and Jesper. This book is filled with danger, love, sadness, and more. I loved every page and think that it was such a great book!
  3. Carry Me Home by Janet Fox
    This is such an amazing book. I love the characteristics of all the characters and the how the plot developed. This book brings together sadness, hope, and joy together in the best way possible. It’s an emotional read and I loved the way that the author wrote the emotions. I love this book so, so much and I totally recommend it to you!
  4. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
    This is a great graphic novel about a young boy struggling to come out to his mother. I love the illustrations and how fairy tales played a big part in the story. It was a really sweet book and I loved the plot and how everything fit together. The fairy tales were beautiful and I loved how the book ended. This is such a great book!
  5. The Pronoun Book by Cassandra Jules Corrigan
    This book is a great guide to pronouns for people of all ages! It talks about the main pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them), but also others (ze/zir, xe/xem, fae/faer). It’s an amazing book with fun pictures. There are also examples of how to use pronouns. It also touches on different parts of LGBT+ like trans, intersex, genderfluid, etc. This is a really great book and it’s really helpful!

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

The Difference Between MG and YA books

I close the book I had just finished and pick up the next one. Even after only 10 minutes, I can find so many differences in the two books, and it’s not just because of the genre. The whole type of writing has changed and I know exactly why. It’s always so crazy to finish reading a middle grade book, then switch to a young adult one. Today, I’m going to tell you the differences between middle grade and young adult books.

I go back to the book’s cover and look at it closely before picking up the other book and doing the same. One of the major differences between middle grade and young adult book is their covers. Typically, YA books have darker covers, while the opposite is true for MG books. This proves true especially in fantasy novel covers. I believe that it is because of the darker themes usually found in YA books. After all, the covers should reflect the book.

I marvel at the differences in the conflicts and in the way the characters solve them. The challenges in both types of books are very different. In Young Adult literature, the main character is in the adult world beyond their friends and family. The goal is to understand (themselves, their journey, and the world they are coming into, etc.). Some common themes are self-reflection, which is why the book is usually in first person. In Middle Grade literature, the characters’  conflicts are about friendships and dealing with bullies. The characters react to what happens to them, focus on their friends and family. Real-life situations are common, which is why the book is usually told in third person.

I close the book to the sound of my mom calling my name. There are so many differences between the two genres, yet I love them both just the same.

One of the major sources I used was this article.

5 Books on my TBR

I recently did a post on the book series that I have in my To Be Read, so I thought that I’d also do one on the stand-alones that I want to read. Some of these series are YA (young adult) and some of them are Mg (Middle Grade). They’re all books which seem really good and I can’t wait to read them (hopefully soon).

  1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
  2. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  3. Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
  4. Lore by Alexandra Bracken
  5. The Stepmom Shake-up by Niki Lenz

Have you read any of these books?

My Trip

I went to Chicago recently. From Chicago, we also went on a mini road trip to Milwaukee.

The trip was fun and we stopped at a few interesting areas along the way. These are some of my favorite stops.

  1. Mars Cheese Castle
    This is a shop filled with cheese and cheese related items. The selection of cheese is wide and everything is locally made in Wisconsin. There’s also a bakery and some other local products, like jam and jelly beans (there’s a factory close by). There’s also postcards and cheese decorations. It’s a fun place and I enjoyed the trip there.

  2. Wind Point Lighthouse
    The lighthouse is a nice and beautiful area. It overlooks Lake Michigan and is a great photo spot. There are many rocks around the lake, so you can’t go down to the edge unfortunately, but the rocks are good places to sit. When we went, it was raining, not letting us see the full magnificence of the lighthouse, but I’m glad I was at least able to see some of it.
  3. Wingspread house
    This is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (a famous architect). The house is shaped like a pinwheel and covers 14,000 square feet. We didn’t get to go inside the house, but it seemed like an amazing creation from the outside!
  4. La Merenda
    La Merenda is a really great restaurant with food from all over the world. The patio has many plants, like mint, thyme, kale, and so much more. The food is served in a tapas style (small sharable plates) and is delicious. Each dish is different and I really enjoyed them.
  5. Boswell Book Company
    This is a great bookshop! I always love bookshops and this was no exception. There were some really great books and I loved the way recommendations were also included. I saw a few super cool posters and magnets. Overall, this place is great!

June’s Top Books

Here are my top books for June!

June’s Best Books:

  1. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
    This is a book about Ariadne, a figure in Greek mythology. This tells her story, from a young girl to an older mother. I loved reading about her feelings and the way that she grew, both in personality and in her knowledge. She’s such a true character and I love the way that we also get Phaedra’s (Ariadne’s sister) view as well.
  2. The Cursed Carnival and other Calamities by Rick Riordan
    This is a series of short stories from the Rick Riordan Presents authors as well as Rick Riordan. Each character faces a problem and they work together to solve them. There are also little mentions of other stories in some of them and that just makes it so much more fun. I also really love the diversity in the books.
  3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
    This is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the first series in the Grishaverse. Alina is such a brave character and I love the way she faces her problems. The fantasy element is perfect and I really like the way everything plays together. All the characters are well shaped and I can’t wait to read more about all of them in the next two books.
  4. Drum Roll, Please by Lisa Jenn Bigelow
    This is a book about family and finding your voice. I love how Melly navigates throughout the confusions of her life and the ways she overcomes her challenges. I also love the LGBT+ content and how it adds to the story. This is such a great book!
  5. The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
    This is part of a series, but you can read each book like standalones. This book is about Esther, an often-forgotten middle child. I love the way the story is conveyed and how we get a great sense of who Esther is. I also really like the connections to the other previous stories. This book is so fun and I really enjoyed the humor and liveliness of the book.

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

6 Book Series on my TBR

It’s officially summer!

I have many, many book series that I want to read over my 2 month long break. There are series and standalones, trilogies and duologies. There are some books I can’t wait to read and some books I’m reluctant about. I have a bunch of books on my TBR (to be read). These are just six of the series I am looking forward to reading.

  1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  2. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
  3. The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
  4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  5. The Selection by Kiera Cass
  6. The Storm Runner series by J.C Cervantes