books – Page 2 – The Mint Girl Blog

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.

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!

My Top Books of Feb ’23

Here are my top books for this month!

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!
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!
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!
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

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?

My Favorite Indie Bookstores: Blue Willow

Indie bookstores are amazing ways to find new books. I love visiting them and finding new books to enjoy. Because of this, I decided to create a new series about some of the indie bookstores I love. I’ve decided to start with one of my favorite local bookstores- Blue Willow Bookshop.

Blue Willow Bookshop hosts many events, all of which are extremely entertaining. They’ve been hosting the Tween’s Read for a few years now, which is something I really enjoy visiting. Also, during COVID, they scheduled many author visits for the new books releasing during the pandemic. Some of my favorites have been with Rick Riordan, Rick Riordan Pres ents authors, and a one-on-one session with Soman Chainani.

I also love the atmosphere of Blue Willow. The shop is cozy and comforting and you can feel perfectly at ease within the shelves. All of the workers are helpful and they are always ready to lend you a hand.

What’s your favorite indie bookstore?

November’s Top Books

Here are my top books for November!

The House on Hoarder Hill by Kelly Ngai and Mikki Lish
This is a great story about 2 kids who are determined to find out the mystery behind the disappearance of their grandma, Rose. Hedy and Spencer are at their grandpa’s house while their parents are on vacation. They get a mysterious message (Find Me) setting them off on their crazy adventure with piano-playing ghosts, mischievous paintings, and a very friendly bear rug and a glorious deer head. I loved the story and the way it progressed. This is such a great book!
Much Ado About Baseball by Rajani LaRocca
This book is about friendship, but it has so many other great themes coursing through it. Trish has just moved to a new town and is finding it hard to make new friends and fit in. So she joins the baseball team, hoping to meet someone new. There, she sees Ben, who she met and beat at the Math Puzzler Championships last year. Ben doesn’t want to be on the team, but when he sees Trish, he knows that he can’t quit and be embarrassed by her again. I love what happens next and the way that Shakespeare’s works are tied in. This is a great book!
Amber and Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
This is definitely one of my favorite books this month. It tells the story of Melisto and Rhakos, two very different children, yet very similar. The story is told in many different points of view, with different types of storytelling for each. There are also “exhibits” which show items from a long time ago. I loved how the author incorporated these items into the story. This story flows so well and I loved watching the plot move along. I definitely recommend it to you!
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
This is the prequel to the Hunger Games. It follows Coriolanus Snow, the antagonist in the original series, when he is young, 18 years old. He has been assigned to mentor a tribute for this year’s Hunger Games, a tribute from District 12, the worst district. He meets Lucy Gray this way and is enthralled by her, especially her voice. I loved following the events of the story and the way the plot continued. The characters are written very well and it was great to see how the characters grew into who they are in the actual books. I love this book!
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
This book’s storytelling style is unique, with the author keeping many things closely guarded. The two main characters, Cass and Max-Ernest go on a quest to rescue their friend when he is kidnapped by Ms. Mauvis and Dr. L. They go to the Midnight Sun, where strange things are happening. I loved their adventure and the way the story was told. It was very unique and I enjoyed it a lot. I totally recommend this book to you!

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.

Tag: books

Top Reads of September and October