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  While this list may be slightly unrealistic for me because I will have a very busy summer this year, I am trying to read more, and will attempt to read as many books as I can. Most of the books I will mention I have discovered through social media or friends and they are similar to some of my favorite books and movies. Beach Read by: Emily Henry This book is similar to the movie “Ten Things I Hate About You”, a modern day reenactment of the Shakespear play: “The Taming of the Shrew”. “Beach Read” tells the story of two authors going from rivals to lovers after they encounter each other at the beach. In their writing they don't normally see eye to eye but once they get to know each other more they find the beauty in their differences and fall in love.  The Virgin Suicides by: Jeffrey Eugenides  Although I already started this book and watched the movie I could not finish the book because of the slow start and big differences to the movie. I hope that over the summer I ca...

Georg Rauch’s memoir, "Unlikely Warrior: A Jewish Soldier in Hitler’s Army," brings a very interesting question: How did a Jew find himself serving in the German army during World War II? Rauch, who came from an intellectual Austrian family in Vienna, was a Christian and had a Jewish grandmother. As a result of his Jewish heritage under Nazi doctrine, he and his family were relegated to second-class citizenship, exempt from the dreadful concentration camps but subject to discrimination.  The book starts in 1943, with Georg, a smart yet somewhat oblivious teenager, messing with gadgets while his mother houses Jews in their attic. Aware of his quarter (25%)-Jewish heritage, he has a contempt for the Nazis but fails to understand fully his situation. His inadvertent actions, such as constructing and testing a shortwave radio, nearly result in the arrest of his family and the Jews they were hiding, although the Gestapo (German secret police) see him as merely a naïve youth. This ...

     In the last two blogs, I reviewed the first two books of The Wild Robot series:  The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes , which are about a robot named Roz. I recently discovered that there is a new, third book in the series, called The Wild Robot Protects , so I was determined to read it. In this blog, I’ll share what I thought about the book, which arguably is the best book in the series. It revolves around the themes of protecting the environment and the interconnectedness of the natural world.       Roz is a robot who found herself activated on an island without humans. To survive, she had to learn from the island’s animals, so she learned their language. At first, the island inhabitants rejected Roz and were afraid of the new addition to their lives, but after Roz responded with kindness, gave a helping hand in many situations, and showed the animals her adopted gosling, Brightbill, the animals loved Roz. She then beca...

As the year wraps up, I’m doing an analysis of a song on The Tortured Poets’ Department, Taylor Swift’s new album. So High School is a song based on how Taylor Swift feels about Travis Kelce, her current boyfriend.  This song is one of my favorite songs on the album, and she’s basically saying being with Kelce makes her feel like she’s in high school again. It takes her back to her experience in high school or just when she was younger, which was an amazing experience for her. The experience of being with Kelce just made her feel more alive and more exciting in a very wholesome way, which was definitely what she needed after breakups with Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy. The song starts with a classic, stereotypical high school crush:               I feel so high school every time I look at you                I wanna find you in a crowd just to hide from you Generally what she means by “so high sch...

 Ender's game is a sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card published in 1985. While it seems quite old for a sci-fi novel, it's a true classic and one of my favorite sci-fi novels. In this blog, I will talk about why I like this book so much and what made me want to constantly revisit this book. In Ender’s Game (1985), a little boy named Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin is recruited by the International Fleet for its Battle School, a training school for the best children in the world so that they can meet an alien invasion that’s just around the corner. Ender is short but tactically brilliant and a great leader, and he quickly learns how to take orders. He also learns how to obey his masters, who lie manipulatively to him at every turn. His brilliance and gifts tend to come with loneliness and isolation, as he begins to “win” battles and get promoted in his training. The alien threat becomes his playground. Of course it wouldn’t be a military sci-fi novel if young genius Ender didn’t wreak total...

You know that feeling when you're really into a TV show and you discover there's a book within the show or written about the show? That's exactly what always happens to me when I read books and I tend to gravitate towards books like this most of the time. In the TV show Jane the Virgin the main character lives a crazy life (as the TV show is based off of telenovelas)  and Snow Falling by Jane Villanueva ( the main character in this show) is the novel that she works tremendously hard to finish throughout the eight seasons this show ran for.   Snow Falling is a romance novel and takes you back to 1900s Miami, where the main character Josephine Galena Valencia and Diego de la Vega fall head over heels for each other. I'm not entirely sure where the writers of the show or the book put the credits to the person who actually wrote this novel but it's a very well written book and really proved me wrong about the depth and plot of this book. If you have watched the show ...

     Stephen E. Ambrose's book "Citizen Soldiers" and John Eisenhower's writings offer profound insight into the experiences of ordinary soldiers during World War II, highlighting their resilience, resourcefulness, and unwavering commitment in the line of fire. Ambrose focused on the contributions of citizen soldiers, rather than just the actions of generals. This book provides a more nuanced perspective on the war. Through vivid accounts of bravery and courage, Ambrose illuminates the untold stories of those who fought not for glory, but out of a sense of duty and a desire to uphold what is right. As Ambrose guides readers through pivotal moments like the Battle of the Bulge, connections to broader historical narratives become apparent, underscoring the sacrifices made by millions of soldiers, often overlooked in popular retellings of the war.      One particular story from Ambrose's book really tells and shows the experiences of ordinary soldiers: that of...

       To revisit books I’ve read younger from my last blog (go read it first!), in which I explained why The Wild Robot was such a heartwarming book, I will be reviewing the book’s sequel in this blog, The Wild Robot Escapes . What makes this book more unique than the first one is that it touches on identity and purpose a lot more than the previous one did.      Before I summarize The Wild Robot Escapes , I must introduce Roz to you in The Wild Robot . She is a robot who found herself activated on a island without humans. To survive, she had to learn from the island’s animals, so she learned their language. At first, the island inhabitants rejected and were afraid of the new addition to their lives, but after Roz responded with kindness, gave a helping hand in many situations, and showed the animals her  adopted gosling, Brightbill, the animals loved Roz. Then, at the end, her robotic past haunted her, and a battle of nature versus ...

Little Women is an internationally known book written by Louisa May Alcott that discusses the lives of four sisters in 1860s Massachusetts, during the Civil War. It’s pretty easy to read and is good for comfortable, easy reading. It was made into a movie in 2019 and is generally considered a classic book. Little Women begins when the girls are just starting their teenage years. Their names are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March, ranked from oldest to youngest. They each have unique personalities and hobbies, and they always find ways to spend time with each other. The family is pretty poor and tries to make money while their father is fighting in the Union. At the beginning of the book, Jo meets a young rich boy named Laurie who lives across the street. Laurie spends a lot of time with the family and becomes one of their best friends. As the book continues, the characters grow and change, going to parties with Laurie, and getting letters from their father who is in the war. Each character ha...

     Despite many reviews of the dystopian novel Legend being posted already this year, even by my own blog-mate, Abby, I am still determined to finish my analysis on the Legend trilogy in reverse. Instead of telling you if I like this book or not, I am going to tell you straight up why you should read this book. I have already summarized the plot of Legend in my past two blogs so I will not be summarizing the book in this blog. If you need a summary, just read one of my past two blogs.       The reason why I am recommending Legend to everyone is because I genuinely think everyone would like it. Legend contains so many different elements but it also mixes it together so well. I know that many people like books with action, and this book has so many breathtaking and thrilling action scenes. In this book you will find heart racing escape scenes, thefts, and fights. Marie Lu does a great job of both describing the action and the result of the action....

The majority of Eastern European Jews who perished during World War II met their demise in overcrowded ghettos or concentration camps across the Third Reich. These camps were either designed for extermination on an industrial scale or forced labor, where the younger and stronger were slowly starved. However, some, like Władysław Szpilman, managed to escape this fate by going underground, saved from certain death on trains to camps like Treblinka. Born in Sosnowiec, Poland, in 1911, Szpilman gained fame as a pianist and composer before the war disrupted his career. He recorded his survival in his memoir, "The Pianist," recounting his time in the Warsaw Ghetto and hiding. Initially published in 1946, it was later reprinted in various languages, solidifying his legacy as a survivor and artist. In August 1939, as German troops invaded Poland, Szpilman continued his work at Warsaw Radio during the siege and bombardment. Life for Jews in Warsaw deteriorated rapidly as laws by the N...

                                              Stephanie Land's memoir "Maid" is an honest and candid account of her experiences as a single mother navigating poverty, domestic abuse, and the challenges of the welfare system. Throughout Stephanie's novel, she sheds light on the hidden struggles faced by many Americans living in poverty. This book shows the raw portrayal of her struggles, and highlights the roadblocks she had to face in order to raise her daughter safely under these circumstances.      The title of the book comes from the job that changed the trajectory of her life and brought hope and light onto her situation. Finding friends and allies to help her steer through her tough times and to help Stephanie follow her dreams in creative writing. Because she wasn't close with her family, she bonded with people while she cleaned their houses or bon...

     As I was combing through books I’ve read when I was younger, I stumbled upon a book that tells a captivating tale of friendship, identity, and nature versus technology: The Wild Robot . It may be labeled as a story most suitable for children, but I believe people of all ages should read this heartwarming work. The Wild Robot takes the reader from bullying moments and being an outcast to those of indestructible bonds of friendship and family. Hold on to your seats because you’re about to be in for a banger of a book!       The Wild Robot begins with a robot named Roz who finds herself activated on a mysterious island without any human inhabitants. She is completely lost in terms of purpose, and strives to learn how to survive in the wilderness. However, that proves to be a challenge, so she must turn to the island’s animals. After learning their languages after a long time of observation, Roz discovers that she is labeled as a “monster” a...

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera is a young adult novel that focuses on the romance of Rufus and Mateo. The teenagers are in a dystopian world where you get an alert the day you die, so they try to live their entire lifetime in a single day. At the beginning of the novel, Mateo is a very shy character. He spends time with his father and his best friend Lydia for most of his life, until his dad goes into a coma. As a result, he hides in his room for most of his life, and he’s especially interested in the lives of Deckers (people who are dying that day). Mateo has always been very kind to everyone and everything, even burying a baby bird on the side of the road in one of the earlier scenes. When he gets the call, he’s pretty shocked and scared. Eventually, he builds up the courage to download the Last Friend app in the hopes of meeting someone to support him. He’s very put off by some of the people on the app, and is about to give up when he meets Rufus. Rufus’s life is almost th...

     In my last blog post, I reviewed the third book of the Legend trilogy, and I've recently been rereading the series backward. In this blog, I'm going to go over the plot of this book and the book before to explain why Prodigy is the perfect dystopian novel.        Legend shows a dystopian future where the United States has become the Republic. The story follows two protagonists, June, a military prodigy, and Day, a wanted criminal. On one fateful night, June's brother is killed, and Day becomes the prime suspect. June is assigned to capture Day, but she uncovers government secrets and corruption as she investigates. The story unfolds by switching between the two characters, who soon discover that their real enemy is the Republic and become partners and soon lovers, in crime.         In the sequel Prodigy, Day, now a public hero, and June join forces with the Patriot rebels, who seek to overthrow the oppressive gov...

                                             I am going to first say that I did not know that Speak was a book. I have always thought it was just a movie (even though I haven't seen it.) Interesting 🤔. OH also! This novel does have a very heavy topic that if I explain it all in my review it would spoil the majority of the book so I am going to try my best and go into as much detail as I possibly can. Ok now enjoy!      The novel  Speak by: Laurie Halse Anderson follows a shy freshman girl named Melinda Sordino and her start at a new school. Being new and an awkward teenager in general Melinda finds it difficult to talk to classmates and make friends. After a life changing incident unfolds at a party she is invited to, she has to learn how to navigate her emotions alone and looses all connection with her peers...

  Arnhem stands out as one of the most extensively documented battles of the Second World War, and it's not surprising given the crazy events it contains. The airborne operations, executed by the British 1st Airborne at Arnhem, the US 82nd Airborne at Nijmegen, and the US 101st Airborne at Eindhoven, represent the most ambitious airborne and maybe also military undertaking in military history. Involving a stunning 35,000 parachute and glider troops, it also featured an armored advance by Brian Horrocks’ XXX Corps (30th corps), amphibious assaults on major rivers, a massive air-resupply effort, repeated air-to-ground rocket strikes, and fierce German counterattacks led by elite SS units. The Operation Market Garden plan's distinctive aspect relies on the precision and timing of all aspects of the operation to ensure one aspect does not affect the other. Another noteworthy feature is how the plan gained momentum, evolving into an unstoppable force, even in the face of intelligenc...

  As a new member of this blog group, I wanted to skim the blogs my new blogmates posted and read a few. While doing so, one blog caught my eye: a book review of Hatchet by my fellow blogmate, Alberto. As I read his exhilarating review of the book, I immediately added this book to my to-be-read list, and here I am with a review of Hatchet . Today, for the first time ever, I am sad to proclaim that my review is mostly a dissatisfied one of Hatchet . Hatchet , by Gary Paulsen, was published in 1986. It begins with thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson riding a tiny plane above the Canadian forests, on a trip from New York to visit his father in northern Canada. Suddenly, the pilot he’s sitting next to suffers a fatal heart attack and, soaring above the wilderness at 70,000 feet, he’s alone in a dreadful situation. After the miraculous survival of the crash, which sends the plane deep in a lake, Brian must learn the way of the caveman. With only a hatchet from his mother and the resour...