The Best Trilogy Ever Written

A truly engaging story is unbelievably hard to come by. I love to read, but my expectations for a good book are so demanding that I rarely find myself truly enamored with a story. These criteria give value to how I approach my favorite stories: does the world feel as if it exists beyond the story? Are the characters considered in a way that is coherent with their narrative purpose? Were the themes alluded to worth discussing?

Reading Kristin Hannah

For book lovers like myself, winter break was the perfect time to cozy up with a novel and relax while avoiding the cold. Although I tend to stick to my favorite genres of fantasy and romance, I decided to branch out over break. I had heard of Kristin Hannah online recently and was intrigued to see what her books had to offer. I picked up four of her historical fiction works and surprisingly grew to love her writing as well as the genre. I devoured each read and moved onto the next with rapid speed. 

I began with arguably her most famous book, The Nightingale, which was published in 2015.

Get in the Fall Spirit with a New Fiction Release

October is going to be a big month for new fiction releases! There are many new books that will be a part of current series and others that will be the first of a new series. Two new books are slated to come out on October 3. The first is a romance called Wildfire by Hannah Grace. This will be the second book in the Maple Hill sports romance series; if it is anything like the first book, it will be the perfect comfort read for fall. Grace’s books are usually light-hearted and easy to read, with cute scenes of romance and not too much depth. 

The Defiant Joy of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’

If you are looking for something to give you back some hope and remind you to find your own sense of a “defiant kind of joy,” The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is the perfect book to settle in with. Hers is a story you will certainly not forget.

COURTESY OF PENGUIN BOOKS

Upward Spiral: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

If I closed my eyes, I could picture vividly the last time I read a book by John Green. I was high school sophomore then, and had the luxury to spend entire afternoons reading non-academic books. The book I picked that day was The Fault in Our Stars, and it made me stay in the same armchair for hours. Fast-forward four years, and there are some things that haven’t changed all that much. The heroine of John Green’s new novel Turtles All the Way Down is much like Hazel Grace as she’s a quirky, nerdy sixteen-year-old girl who embarks on an adventure and encounters friendship and love along the way, all the while battling a chronic illness that stands between her and happiness.

Mohsin Hamid’s Novel Exit West Opens Doors to the Migrant Experience

Mohsin Hamid’s latest novel Exit West tells the compelling story of migrants Saeed and Nadia as they face the challenges of a nameless country in the midst of civil war. In fleeing their country, the couple passes through Greece, England and the United States and face literal and psychological obstacles on their way. Hamid successfully penned a novel regarding a pertinent topic with an anonymity that appeals to human experiences of abandonment and cultural detachment that explicate the migrant experience to his readers. Through simple but poignant prose, Hamid spins a tale of anxiety and hope that is equally engaging and humbling. Mohsin Hamid is an internationally bestselling author and essayist who is known for tackling topics that shake global social and political spheres.