reading – Page 2 – The Mint Girl Blog

August Top Reads

Sorry that this is such a late top reads! Here are my favorite books I read in August.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Over the summer, I watched a lot of Studio Ghibli movies and decided to read the book that inspired one of the most famous ones. I really enjoyed the book and the vivid descriptions that went into make all the characters, especially Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer stand out. I enjoyed the book-to-movie adaptation, though I was surprised by how it was changed quite a bit. Either way, they were both amazing!
Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
This was an incredible book about the role of women in Greek myths! Throughout history, women have gotten overlooked and villainized, but in this book, their true stories come to light. We learn more about who they really were and how they’re been represented through history. We get to read about Pandora, Helen, Clytemnestra, Jocasta, The Amazons, and many more. I really enjoyed this book!
Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid
This was an incredibly touching book about a girl just trying to figure out how she fits in a world where romance surrounds her. Along with her mom’s own struggles, Lizzie has to learn who to trust and who listens to and supports the real her. I loved Lizzie’s journey throughout her life and the way that she meets so many people, some supportive, some not. It was a great read and I totally recommend it to you!
Thirteens by Kate Alice Marshall
I loved the idea of this book! Every 13 years, 3 kids, all born on Halloween, all marked with a mysterious birthmark in the shape of a key, are taken. Eleanor has just moved to Elden Eld and her life begins to get weirder immediately, starting with seeing demonic creatures that no one else can see except her two newest friends- the two other kids she’s taken with. I loved the puzzle-element of this story and the way it was told! It’s 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 and May: click here
Top Books of June: click here
Top Books of July: click here

The Upcoming School Year

Soon, in a week, I’m about to start high school! I’m pretty nervous, but I’m excited too, because this is a totally new experience.

This year, I’m taking my first AP class- AP Human Geography. AP classes are college-level classes, where the work load is higher and so is the material you learn.
Other classes I’m taking include Biology, English 1, Spanish 2, Algebra 2, PE, and Theater. I’m super excited to see my new school and start these classes and see what high school is like.

Over the summer, I’ve been completing the summer work required of us. This ranged from reading a specific dystopian book (English) to reviewing important landmarks (AP Human Geo). I’ve learned a lot from the work we’ve been told to do and I can’t wait to get back in a classroom and apply it.

Overall, I’m excited for this new experience and I know I will fully commit to it and do my best everyday. What was your high school experience like?

The Everglades

Recently, I’ve been trying to experiment around with different poem styles- instead of classics like free style, limericks, or sonnets, I’ve been trying to find some unique styles- like the nonet! The nonet is based on syllable count and each line decreases, starting from 9 syllables-1 syllable.

I decided to write my nonet about the Everglades, which I got to visit when I went to Miami. They were incredible, and we even got to see an alligator, plus a heron! I enjoyed it a lot, so here’s my nonet about the Everglades!

You would think that in swampy waters
Nothing would dare to grow or live
I can prove you wrong, just take
a look at Florida’s
Everglades, where
wildlife thrives
everywhere,
just find
it

Here are some of the pictures from the Everglades!

What are some unique poetry styles that you know of?

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?

Leadership EOY

In one of my recent posts, I talked about graduating! In one of my classes, leadership, we had an EOY party. There, different students had the opportunity to give a speech or presentation. I had the chance to give a speech in which I thanked it all- the year, the teacher, the class, the experience. Here’s my speech, I hope you enjoy it!

Leadership is a class I’ll look back on with fond memories. It’s a class that has helped me grow, flourish, and thrive through my 8th grade years. I’ve learnt things I never thought I would learn and experienced things I never thought I would experience. So this is a thank you. A thank you to people, classes, and experiences that have helped me learn. A thank you to those who have molded me and made me more of myself. A thank you to the closing of middle school and the opening of high school. This is a thank you.
First, a huge thank you to Mr. Marshall. The teacher of Leadership, a torch in the darkness. His brightness and energy made my day, no matter what. Every P day, or really, every single day, I knew that I had a respite in Mr. Marshall’s classroom. He was kind and caring to everyone, no matter who you were or what you did. He heard out everyone through all their ideas, silly or serious. Not only that, he addressed all topics. He didn’t shy away from the serious, no matter what. Mr. Marshall was an incredible role model, not only for me, but for everyone who was in his class.
Next, a thank you to the class of leadership itself. This class has given me so much to look forward to and so much to enjoy. It’s a class where I know I can relax and simply focus on the lesson without worrying about anything else. Our lessons are practical, but fun, teaching us skills that’ll be important in our day-to-day lives. For example, our lesson on framing, a lesson that taught me how to take the most ordinary or boring things and spin them so that I have a positive viewpoint. Or our lesson on writing reference letters, a skill that’ll surely be useful in any job we take up.
Lastly, a thank you to these experiences. Leadership has been one experience after another and I am so thankful to be able to be a part of it all. Starting from 7th grade, with our trial PUPS lessons, to now, giving a speech in front of everyone from leadership, I’ve never stopped to question it, letting myself enjoy it all. There’ve been so many fond memories made with the people in this room- Leadership Camp, PUP Camp, all the socials, making presentations together, giving tours together, teaching classes together, and so, so many more. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped growing or changing and I don’t plan to now, as I enter high school. Through it all, we’ve been one big, happy group. One big, happy ship. Leadership.
Leadership has created so many opportunities not for just me, but for all of us. I’ve seen everyone around me learn more about themselves and grow into the best version of ourselves. We’ve all grown and blossomed- just like our plants! I don’t think anything can change the memories we made here or the fun times we had. And all those memories, all those fun times are thanks to one shared class- leadership. So thank you to leadership. Thank you to all the people in this room- every single one of you. Thank for always being all aboard.

This class has created some of my best memories and I will miss it a lot. What classes like that have you taken?

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.

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!
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!
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!
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!
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!

My Top Books of March ’23

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!
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!
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!
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

Category: reading