books – Page 2 – Iniya Writes

My Top Books of June

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman
I really enjoyed this book! Angel’s whole life revolves around The Ark, an insanely popular band. Jimmy used to love being in the band, but recently everything is just overwhelming. The two meet by chance at first, but eventually they learn from each other and find new lives. I really enjoyed this book!
Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa
This book was so cute! Eleanor isn’t used to being happy or having good things, especially after what happened last year. But when she meets Pix, she finds herself being open to a new life with magic. This book was so sweet and I loved the plot and the characters!
Basil and Oregano by Melissa Capriglione
This book was gorgeous! I loved the illustrations as well as the plot. Basil is such a sweet character and incredibly relatable! I loved learning about her adventures in (magic) culinary school as well as her adventures with her friends. It was a great book!
Big Nate books by Lincoln Peirce
Recently, I’ve been reading more relaxed/not as serious books and the Big Nate series is one of my favorites! Nate is just trying to have a fun time- at school and with his friends, but something tends to go wrong…though he’ll have a blast along the way. It was a super fun read!
Out of the Blue by Jason June
This book was perfectly sweet! Crest is a merman and so, to fulfill their quest, they must go to Earth and help a human. Sean agrees to get Crest’s help and the two embark on a spectacular journey. I really loved the characters in this book as well as the ending. It was a great book!

Top Books of January
Top Books of February
Top Books of March
Top Books of April
Top Books of May

My Top Books of May

Here are my top books for this month!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I really enjoyed this book! It was incredibly well written, with gorgeous prose, as well as an enjoyable plot. Only 6 students at Hampden college learned Greek, but as soon as Richard arrived, he knew he wanted to be one of them. However, as he joins them, he learns that they have secrets and are planning something even worse. I loved all the characters and getting to see them. It was a really interesting book and I enjoyed all of it.
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
This was also an incredibly amazing book, set in a fantasy world where currency is volts- orbs of energy. Enne’s mother left for New Reyes, aka the City of Sin, and isn’t back yet. Enne, determined to find her, follows her mother’s note and goes to the City, not expecting what she would find there. Levi has been forced into a bad deal and just when he’s ready to be out of it, he gets in even more trouble. It was very well- written and I loved all the characters as well as the plot. It was a great book!
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
I really enjoyed this mystery! Stevie finds that she can’t concentrate back in school, so when David invites her and their friends to Britain, she’s incredibly excited. However, as predicted, she gets caught up in another mystery, one from a few years ago, affecting a friend’s aunt. This story was really interesting and I really enjoyed the mystery!
All of us Villains by Amanda Foody
This was an amazing book! Every generation, seven families compete to win control of the town’s supply of magic. However this year, it’s not a secret anymore, thanks to a book published by one of the citizens. Still, the families must compete. I loved all the characters as well as the way that they chose to write their own story instead of following the past. It was a great read and I enjoyed the second book as well!
Dead Poet’s Society by N.H. Kleinbaum
This was a book based off of the movie (of the same name). I really enjoyed the story told and how moving it was! When Mr. Keating arrives at Welton Academy, he strives to change the way the boys see the world. As he shakes up their perception of life, they find themselves reforming the “Dead Poet’s Society”, which changes all of their lives. The ending was incredibly touching and I really enjoyed the book!

Top Books of January
Top Books of February
Top Books of March
Top Books of April

My Top Books of April

Here are my top books of April!

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
This was such an amazing book set in a fantasy world! It is told in multiple perspectives, with the main ones being Ead, from the North, and Tane from the East. I loved both of these perspectives and the way that their stories were so intricately woven together. It was so wonderful to read and I really enjoyed it!
It’s Only a Game by Kelsea Yu
This book was action packed and full of mystery and intrigue! Marina has left her old life behind. Now, she’s thriving and happy with who she is and the friends she has made. But when someone starts threatening her and her friends, forcing them to uncover secrets. It was really fun to read and the ending was spectacular!
Sadie by Courtney Summers
I really enjoyed this book! It was told in two perspectives- one of Sadie, whose sister has been killed and now she’s looking for the killer- and one of a podcast, 5 months later, which is trying to track down Sadie. The dual perspectives are really interesting to read and the story as a whole was really interesting!
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
This retelling of Snow White was really sweet and a lot of fun to read! The whole story is infused with magic- Mina, the stepmother, has a heart of glass, and Lynet, her “daughter” is made out of snow. Additionally, the stepmother, instead of being portrayed as evil, is just trying to keep her kingdom hers. It was a lovely book and I really enjoyed the reimagining!
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
This was a really amazing book! Maia is a gifted tailor, one of the best, and she knows it. But women can’t be tailors. So when her father is called to court, but is unable to go, she disguises herself as her brother and enters the competition to be the new Imperial Tailor. It was a really wonderful book to read and I loved its fantasy!

Top Books of January
Top Books of February
Top Books of March

January Top Reads

Here are my top reads for January!

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
This was a sequel to “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” and I really enjoyed it! I loved the prose and the way that we got to see so much character development and love from Aristotle (Ari). It was such a sweet and beautifully written book and I really loved reading it!
Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
This book was amazing! Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatrix have been raised since birth to be the perfect queens. Not to rule, but to stop the rulers, bringing down the monarchies of each of their nations so that their mother can claim more land. I really enjoyed this book and each character!
The Perfect Guy Doesn’t Exist by Sophie Gonzales
I really enjoyed this book! It was wholly based on fanfiction, which I absolutely enjoyed. Ivy is looking forward to having the house for herself, but when she wakes up with her favorite character from her favorite tv show, everything spirals out of control. Suddenly, her fanfics start coming to life! I really enjoyed this book!
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Death-cast tells people when they’re going to die. And so, when Mateo and Rufus get the call, they know they have to live their last day perfectly. And so, as they find each other, they live out their last day together. This book was perfectly sweet and sad and I really enjoyed it!
Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
This was a really good book! I loved meeting Zhara and learning about who she is and what she would do for her loved ones. It was amazing to see her character development and how that bled into her becoming the strongest version of herself. I can’t wait to read the next book!

This month I read 15 books!

Top Books of the Year

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
This was such a good book! Teo is just a Jade, so he’s ready to sit back and watch The Sunbearer Trials while the Golds participate. But when he and another Jade get selected, suddenly his life is torn apart. Teo has to learn to believe in himself and who his real friends are while trying not to get last and be sacrificed. This was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to read the next one!

I really enjoyed this book because of all the representation and the way that mythology was re-imagined.

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!

I really enjoyed this book because of the amazing writing and the quotes that stuck out to me. It was a great read told between dual perspectives.
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!

I especially enjoyed this book because of my love for Greek Mythology, especially the character Clytemnestra. I’d heard of this book for a while before it’s publication and I was so happy to be able to get it once it released and it definitely lived up to my expectations.
Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear
I adored this book! It takes the tale of Medusa, one that’s been told many, many times, and reimagines it from the perspective of her two sisters- Stheno and Euryale, who remain virtually unheard of. It takes the story of the Gorgons from the very beginning- since they were born. We learn who they were as they grew up- what made them happy, how they each changed to fit their environment, and so on. I really enjoyed this book and totally recommend it to you!

Medusa is another character in Greek Mythology who’s often painted as the villain and there have been so many retellings of her story. This one was one that I hadn’t seen before and it instantly captivated me.
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington
This was an amazing book! I loved the way that Adina grew, as she chose to make her own destiny and rules instead of falling in line with tradition. I loved the whole story and the stereotypes that it turned on its head. It was an amazing book and I totally recommend it to you!

I loved the diversity of this book and the idea of making your own life- which was what this book was all about! It was filled with high stakes and competition and I really enjoyed it!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
This was such an amazing and fun book, filled with dragons and daring. I really enjoyed the premise and the book didn’t disappoint! Reading about Violet was incredible and I enjoyed her journey with her dragons, Adarna and Tairn, the whole time. This was a great book!

This book was amazing to read, especially with all the worldbuilding! It was a perfect blend of fantasy and romance and I really enjoyed it!

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
Top Books of August: click here
Top Books of September and October: click here
Top Books of November: click here
Top Books of December: 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.

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!

Tag: books