Off The Shelf

After completing my last final exam on Friday, I can officially say that summer has started. Not only does the arrival of warmer days and longer hours mean it is time to re-read and re-watch Harry Potter, but to finally check out those books that I have been adding to my "To-Read" list all year long. Here is what I plan on reading over the next few months: 1. Daisy Miller , Henry James 2. Bad Feminist , Roxane Gay 3. Saint Anything , Sarah Dessen 4. Attachments , Rainbow Rowell 5. The Poisonwood Bible , Barbara Kingsolver * 6. How to Read Literature Like a Professor , Thomas C. Foster * 7. Beloved , Toni Morrison * 8. Unbearable Lightness , Portia de Rossi ** 9. The Return of Martin Guerre , Natalie Zemon Davis *** 10. Paper Towns , John Green *Required Reading for AP Literature **Required Reading for Women's Studies and Literature ***Required Reading for AP Modern European History

{Entrance to the show floor} {If you haven't heard, there's quite a lot of controversy about Harper Lee's new book} So BookCon was AMAZING. Last Saturday, after waking up very early to board the first ferry to NYC, a friend and I made our way to the Javits Center. Upon arrival, we both quickly decided that if Heaven looked anything like the BookCon show floor, we would be completely satisfied :) BookCon was a two day public convention held at the Javits Center in New York City. The event is an extension of Book Expo America, which unlike BookCon, is only open to industry professionals. In 2016, both conventions will be held in Chicago from May 11 th -15 th .  On the show floor many publishers, including Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins, had free giveaways and books for sale. Pins, brochures, books, and too many tote bags - were among the many free items I came away with. Links to some of the things I saw, and things I brough...

The Nightingale Kristin Hannah 440 pages "Perhaps that's why I find myself looking backward. The past has a clarity I can no longer see in the present." In Carriveau, France in 1939, Vianne Mauriac must say goodbye to her husband when he is called to the Front. Soon after he leaves, the Nazis march into the village and she must quarter one in her home. As food supplies and hope dwindles, Vianne tries to stay spirited for her daughter, but when she is forced to make one hard choice after another, her true resilience is put to the test. Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl who has been kicked out of boarding school more times than she can count. When the Germans occupy Paris, she joins the Resistance, delivering notes by bicycle until she realizes she was meant for something greater.  I again apologize for my long absence. Preparing for AP tests has consumed most of my life for the past few weeks. Yesterday and today were the ...

"This is the only chance we have to rescue what little civilization we have left." On Friday night, I saw Insurgent in the theaters. The film is based upon the second novel in the Divergent Series by Veronica Roth.  All of the main cast members from Divergent (including Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet) reprise their roles in Insurgent. Naomi Watts joined the cast to play Four's mother, Evelyn, and Octavia Spencer to play the Amity leader, Johanna.  As was seen in the movie's trailer , there are clearly some big differences between the book and the film. Veronica Roth endorsed the changes though, so, as I always say, if the author thinks its fine, then its fine by me too. At this point, I'd like to discuss some of the most important differences. If you have not yet read Insurgent , I encourage you skip down to the paragraphs at the end. Spoiler alert.  The biggest change is that hard drive in the book was replaced with a mystery box...

Hello! So..long time no see. But I have returned (Hurray!) and here is what I have recently been reading, interested in, and working on. Here we go! Currently Reading I am currently reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. This novel was included on several "Best of 2014" lists last year, so I figured I would give it a try. I really, really love it so far. Mandel's sentences are so elegant and beautiful, and she switches perspectives with such ease. I very rarely comment on a book's s cover, but the cover of Station Eleven is just so pretty - the lighted tents, the starry sky, the simple bold font. Here is a brief look as to what it's about: On a snowy night, Arthur Leander, a famous actor, drops dead of a heart attack while portraying King Lear on stage. On the same night, a terrible flu begins to spread, engulfing the city of Toronto and its residents in sickness and death. Fifteen years later, Kirsten Raymonde is an actress with the Travelin...

{Driving north on Vermont 100, is always happier than driving south, towards home} I spent last week up in Waitsfield, Vermont, skiing Sugarbush with my family. The weather was great, the snow was good, and I felt the happiest I had been in a while. To get to Waitsfield, we drive through New York state, and when we finally cross the border into Vermont, the journey further northward continues on Vermont 100.  On this trip, I sat in the back seat of our Jeep Cherokee, looking out of the window for most of the way, watching the mile count on the green road signs dwindle with excitement. The further north we traveled, the taller the mountains became, the denser the forests, the fewer cars on the road. Red barns and silos, cloudy skies, and a popping sound in my ear as the incline became steeper.  I've discovered over the years that long car rides are one of the perfect times to think - that speeding along roads, watching the outdoors blur past, is both quiet and ...

Hello! I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays - eating lots of gingerbread and spending lots of time with family. Today, I will be wrapping up my "Best of" posts for 2014. So far, I have posted my Best Nonfiction / Memoir / Autobiography  books and my Best Historical Fiction books of the year.  In 2014, I read a total of 26 books, or 7,876 pages. I gained several new favorites this year, including Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye .  I re-read several books this year before seeing their movie adaptations on the big screen. The Fault in Our Stars and Mockingjay Part 1 were just two of many Hollywood blockbusters of 2014 that were based on novels. This past year I was also selected to attend a five-day creative writing program at Alfred University, and became the Editor-in-Chief of my high school's literary arts magazine.  2014 was a great year for books and for me...so without further ado, here are my top 10 Fiction novel...