The Not-So-Required Reading List

Now that I’m an adult(ish), I strangely miss having a required reading list—books that have been chosen for being valuable in some form or another. I’ve also come to realize that not every school had the same required reading lists and that there are quite a few books I missed out on simply because I wasn’t forced to read them.

I wanted to expand my bookshelf to include some of the most important required reading books taught in school, maybe even create a makeshift required reading list for the summer. So, I went to Facebook and asked: what required reading books did you actually enjoy?

The response was overwhelming. It was fascinating to see the variety of books on the list—a reflection of what was most powerful for students during their formative reading years.

Obviously, this list is far too long for me to complete in one summer, but I wanted to collect these works in once place so others might be able to use it for themselves. And, if there’s a book you loved in school that isn’t on this list, let me know in the comments, or add it to the Goodreads list!

CliffNote Reviews

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’ve been a bit behind on my reviewing here. But I’ve been doing plenty of reading!

That said, since it’s been awhile, I wanted to post a digest/update to give you the quick and dirty on my reading in the last few months. Think of it like CliffNotes. But with way less stress, because you’re totally not getting quizzed on any of this.

More complete reviews possibly to come at a later date.

 

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Unlike most people in my generation, I missed the wagon on Mindy’s first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns). Regardless, when Mindy’s second book arrived, I decided to jump in—and why not, she’s hilarious!

This book was definitely a fun, quick read, with plenty of Mindy’s signature “I-know-you’re-jealous-of-how-fabulous-I-am-deal-with-it” humor peppered throughout. However, once the book was done, I felt like it didn’t stay with me the way other memoirs have. Rather than a dinner to chew on, this was like a macaron dessert: a treat that’s over too quickly and lacks real substance.

(But that never keeps you from eating a macaron, now does it?)

 

 

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter was one of my most anticipated titles for this year. I started reading the Lunar Chronicles way back when I first started this blog, and have been hungry for more ever since.

At a whooping 800 pages, this took me longer than I expected to get through. My biggest problem is that there seemed to be a lot of bluff within those 800 pages—there was obviously a lot happening, but a lot of chapters didn’t feel like they pushed the story forward in a meaningful way.

Overstuffed with plot while trying to weave in a Snow White retelling made this finale suffer, and I was a little disappointed with this read. However, Meyer did an excellent job of tying up all of her loose ends (and leaving a few open for fanfiction writers to exploit at will).

 

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

Okay: I’m a sucker for holiday-themed short story collections. (Is that technically a category?) With a phenomenal line-up of today’s top young adult writers, I quickly reserved my library copy, and committed to reading one short story a day in the days that lead up to Christmas.

Like all collections, this was hit-or-miss. A few of the stories felt like pulling teeth to get through (but, at 20-30 pages each, it was hard to come up with a valid reason not to.)

My two stand-out favorites came early in the collection: “Midnights” by Rainbow Rowell, a friends-to-lovers story set on various New Year’s Eves, and “Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me” by Jenny Han, a quick story about a girl living with elves on the North Pole and longing for love. At the very least, this collection definitely got me in the holiday spirit.

 

You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart

Mamrie Hart is one of the funniest, most outrageous women on YouTube. That’s not an opinion—it’s a fact. And her collection of personal essays quickly made its way into my favorites.

Mamrie talks about all manner of things (with a Mamrie Hart-twist, of course). From doing shrooms at a Flaming Lips concert, dealing with panic attacks and anxiety with a tall glass of whiskey, and getting generally drunk off her ass whenever the occasion arises—things I would be horrified and embarrassed to deluge—Mamrie lets it all hang out in the most well-written, honest, and hilarious fashion one could hope for.

Even if you’re not familiar with Mamrie’s work on YouTube, this book is easy to dive right into. Recommended.

 

Sweet Baby Jesus! by Caroline Praderio

Every semester, the publishing students at my alma mater (hi Emerson!) publish one book submitted by a student in the department. It’s a great experience to gain expertise in the overall publishing process: from acquisition, copyediting, marketing, and production.

Or so I’ve heard. I, obviously, was too busy reading comics studying to participate.

A friend of mine published a collection of her personal essays one year, and thank goodness she kept a few extra so I could read it in the near future. This is  an honest and beautiful collection of personal essays, with punches of humor that hit you right in the gut. Loved every second of reading this book!

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

I think I’ve got a thing for book covers with ultra thin san serif fonts. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right?

Wow.

There have been very few books I’ve read in my life that have left me speechless—utterly, totally dumbfounded about what to say. This is how I felt when I finished Nina LaCour’s Everything Leads to You.

I finished the book and gave myself some time to sleep on it, hoping it would help me put my thoughts into more coherent sentences. But now, as I sit here typing this up, all I can think is…where to begin? Anything I say about this book isn’t going to do it justice. My writing is in no way worthy of even alluding to LaCour’s.

But I’ll try.

Everything Leads to You tells the story of Emi, an aspiring film production designer in L.A. as she finishes high school and prepares for the next chapter in her life. Her girlfriend, Morgan, has just broken up with her for the sixth time, leaving Emi heartbroken and vulnerable. Interning for the art department at a film studio, her job is to go from garage sale to estate sale and everything in-between to find the perfect pieces for the sets she puts together—which is how she finds a note hidden in the home of a Hollywood film legend, the first clue in a string of mysteries that lead her to something truly life-changing.

Much of the novel focuses on Emi’s passion for film and set design, how even the smallest pieces in a room can give a viewer clues about the character. Just as Emi crafts her sets with an eye for detail, LaCour has crafted a novel that comes together with a beautiful, cinematic quality. In many ways, it felt like I was reading the novelization of a Sundance film. It made my heart ache, and reminded me what the beginning of love feels like—the energy in the air, the way the world hums with possibility and uncertainty, the sparks, the rush of your heart. The way the world seems to swell with light, music, sound, emotion…like every moment is a scene in a film. Reality feels heightened.

(It’s also worth noting that I actually understood a lot of the film jargon, since I went to a school with a large film student population. Thanks, Emerson!)

Every page, every moment was written beautifully. I loved the element of mystery added to the novel, which became more like the design of fate as the details unfolded. Each character brought a new life to the story, each scene enriched with detail and whimsy. I couldn’t put this book down.

This is also a story of two girls falling in love. I was hesitant at first about this, since the majority of LGBT stories I’ve seen focus on either coming out or being rejected from the family—which are important to discuss, but have become stereotypical in the genre. While these aspects are still in this novel, the main focus is on the love story between the two characters, not the politics. In this way, it felt more authentic, more alluring, more real.

Needless to say, I loved this novel. The writing and story made my heart ache—in joy, in sadness, in longing—and left a mark on me long after I finished. I’m grateful for everything that lead me to reading this book, and look forward to discovering more of LaCour’s work. Even though my writing doesn’t do this book justice, do yourself a favor and read it as soon as you can.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

To whoever designed this cover: how do I throw all of my money at you???

What’s the best part about reading? Is it about using your imagination to see the world through different people, places, and situations? Is it about appreciating beautiful language and writing? Is it the rush you feel when you finish a story that begs for it not to be over?

In many ways, the best part about reading is finding a book that does all this and more: it’s the endless and wandering search for Your Next Favorite Book. There are duds in-between, as well as some pretty good reads, but it’s when you strike reading gold that the journey feels all the more satisfying.

Which brings me to These Broken Stars.

I’ve never considered myself a sci-fi fan; not in the hardcore sense, at least. Even though some of my favorite pieces of media are considered science fiction (Cinder, “Firefly”, Star Wars, Sailor Moon, even video games like Super Mario Galaxy and Portal), the genre as a whole has seemed inaccessible to me for years. Contrary to everyone else in middle school, I never liked Ender’s Game or Uglies; the year of high school that Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and 1984 were required reading was an absolute nightmare for me.

Now, I’m about to generalize, which I know is not fair to the entirety of a genre and should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, I think the main issue I have with traditional sci-fi books is that they are largely based in technical writing—so, anything that has lengthy discussions of the mechanics of technology, relies on heavy sci-fi jargon, or generally reads like an outline. When writers take forever to explain the inner workings and intricacies of the world they’ve created…snooze. I want to read about humans, not ships and blasters.

I do, however, have a fascination with the vastness of the cosmos, and the way people interact with it. It’s the fine line between astronomy and astrology, theory and practice, left brain and right brain. It’s the same kind of distinction I see between sci-fi and fantasy: sci-fi exists within set rules (usually of astrophysics), while fantasy runs wild with creative possibilities.

Bottom line, the best sci-fi stories use elements of fantasy, just as the best fantasy stories use the logic of sci-fi. Which is exactly what Kaufman and Spooner achieve in These Broken Stars.

The story reads much like Titanic in space. An heiress and a soldier are the only survivors of a hyperspace shipwreck (a giant ship aptly named the Icarus), flinging them onto a uninhabited planet. I hesitate to include more detail, because one of the reasons this was so satisfying to read were all the plot twists and turns it took. Oftentimes it would raise questions without fully answering them, and answers only lead to more questions. Every page was mesmerizing, as entrancing and strange as the universe itself.

The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the two protagonists: Lilac LaRoux, the daughter of the wealthiest man in the galaxy, and Major Tarver Merendsen, a solider from humble upbringings that skyrocketed into a decorated war hero. These perspectives are handled beautifully, providing complete pictures of not only the characters but the miraculous future they inhabit, filled with hyperspace technology, planet creation, and intergalactic politics. It is especially wonderful (or heartbreaking, depending on the situation) when both characters are thinking the same thing but don’t say so aloud to the other.

These Broken Stars is a beautifully written romance that takes place amongst the stars, the cosmic backdrop pulsing with eerie mystery. Part survival story, part intrigue, I could not put this incredibly original book down. This book has easily made it onto my list of favorite books, and I look forward to more work from Kaufman and Spooner, an uncommonly talented writing duo whose writing shines like starlight.

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

Love. Amour. Die Liebe. Liefde. Rakkaus. Caru. Aroha. Elske. Amare.
(Am I super cultured or just looking things up on Google Translate? You decide.)

It’s February—what can I say, I’m in a romantic reading mood! Erin McCahan’s debut young adult novel, Love and Other Foreign Words, came to me through a grapevine of recommendations, and while it wasn’t True Love for me, it certainly was a fun fling while it lasted.

The novel follows Josie, a 15-year old genius trying to figure out two things: how many rats she’s accidentally consumed in her life in processed food, and the nature of love itself. She also wants a pet goat, for reasons exclusively limited to producing her own goat cheese. While she cycles through several versions of teenage love (from a relationship with solid friendship but with no chemistry, to a gigantic one-sided crush on her teacher), she watches in horror as her sister, Kate, get engaged to someone Josie dislikes immediately.

In the months leading up to Kate’s wedding, Josie tries to break the happy couple up through a variety of sisterly pranks and arguments, putting a wedge between the two sisters who used to be inseparable. Though Josie has a phenomenal grasp of logic and intellect, she has to learn that love is something not easy to define.

This was a fun read, and reminded me of Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss in both style and pacing. The dialogue was quick, and the cast was filled with a variety of characters that made Josie’s world seem believable as a teenage girl.

I think the best part of this story was that Josie’s romantic love life was not the main point of the story. Sure, it made up a large part of her character development and personal growth, but the true story arc focused on her relationship with her sister, and how that love changes (and stays the same) as time moves forward. Though Josie often uses biting wit to battle her sister in conversation, Kate often nit-picks at Josie’s appearance in preparation for the wedding and blames her for not giving her fiancé a chance. It’s sisters getting on sisters nerves in an authentic manner, and offers up some hilarious (and heartbreaking) conversations.

My biggest issue with this story turned out to be Josie herself. Though McCahan tries to write her as the socially awkward teenage genius, some of Josie’s actions came off as…well, more socially impaired than awkward; I genuinely through she was on the autism spectrum for the first part of the book. While I love young adult literature and all of the socially awkward situations it can present, sometimes authors oversell this aspect, and it just comes off as unbelievable rather than endearing. However, this was only distracting for me in the micro rather than macro scope of the book.

A quick, original young adult read, Love and Other Foreign Words is a quirky addition to my bookshelf.

25 romantic reads for Valentine’s Day

Love comes in many forms, be it romantic, affectionate, friendly, or unconditional. It can be overpowering or underwhelming, unexpected or sweeping, awkward or harmonious, melodramatic or hilarious. First loves are filled with embarrassment, flushed cheeks, and heartbreak; romantic loves are ripe with electricity, passion, and steadfast commitment. All of it deserves to be celebrated and embraced—what better way than through books?

This list includes some of my personal favorite love stories, broken down by genre to help you find your perfect literary date: each romantic adventure (or misadventure) has a thing or two to say about the nature of love, in all of its forms. Happy Valentine’s Day, and happy reading!

---

Love lost and found: Contemporary romances 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Behind the scenes of a mysterious circus, two dueling magicians battle to prove their skill…but end up falling in love along the way. What happens when their relationship threatens those around them? A beautifully written, enchanting read from beginning to end.

 

 

 

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

You probably saw the movie—or at least the trailer. After the death of her husband Gerry, Holly is devastated and finding it hard to move on with her life. But on her 30th birthday, she gets a bundle of letters from Gerry, one for each month after his death, all signed “P.S. I love you”. Equal parts romantic and heartbreaking.

 

 

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

Set during the Great Depression, a young man stumbles upon a traveling circus when he jumps on their train. Schooled as a doctor, he becomes the circus veterinarian and falls into a circle of odd entertainers—among them a star animal tamer, Marlena. Written with superb detail mixed with historical research, this book is an experience as sublime as a circus act.

 

 

A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Yes, I know: objectively, it’s nothing special. It’s your basic Good-Christian-Girl-changes-Local-Bad-Boy-for-the-better romance, but there’s also stars and wind set across a charming 1950s backdrop. Even though, at the end of the day, it’s just another sappy paperback Sparks romance, this early novel stands out amongst his melodramatic oeuvre for its prose and bittersweet conclusion.

 

 

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Set in early 20th century Japan, this story follows the life of Nitta Sayuri, who is taken from her poor fishing village and sold into slavery at a geisha house. As she grows up, she learns the art of the Japanese geisha—dance and music, tea ceremony, elaborate kimonos coupled with hair and makeup—and becomes one of the most sought-after geishas. Despite being in a profession where virginity is auctioned off to the highest bidder and profit is made from pitting jealous men into rivalries, Sayuri finds herself falling in love with a customer. This book is rich with historical detail, and is equal parts romantic, erotic, and suspenseful as it explores the lives and politics within the geisha house.

---

  I ❤ U: Unconventional romantic reads

The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

I couldn’t put together this list without including this book. Constructed as a series of dictionary entries, the book unfolds as a non-chronological telling of a couple falling in love, painting the highs and lows of relationships and the quiet moments in-between. Abstract and lyrical, this quick read will make you melt at Levithan’s poetically crafted prose.

(Braggy side note: Levithan signed my copy “To Ashleigh—With many words about love” inside a heart. Needless to say, I’m never selling this book.)

 

 

Belle de Jour: Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl by Anonymous

A memoir about a London call girl’s adventures hardly qualifies as romantic—but oof, is it a steamy read. If you enjoy the book, check out the Billie Piper television series (“Secret Diary of a Call Girl”).

 

 

 

The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

Told entirely through email correspondence, this is a fun read about a gossip columnist and a crime reporter from rival newspapers meeting and falling in love under unusual circumstances. If you enjoy this read, pick up Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments, or really anything else by Cabot (special shoutouts to The Mediator series, Size 12 Is Not Fat, Boy Meets Girl, Every Boy’s Got One, and All-American Girl.)

 

 

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

Similar to The Boy Next Door, this book is told through emails, letters, and notes, chronicling a series of missed opportunities between two friends, Rosie and Alex. As they date, marry, have children, divorce, and grow old, the two stay close…and find that fate isn’t quite done with them. A charming page-turner.

 

 

 

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli

Mr. Hatch has a usual, solitary routine—until one day he gets a Valentine in the mail, with a note “Somebody Loves You”. A bittersweet children’s book about giving and receiving love.

 

 

---

First loves: Young adult romance

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Move over, The Fault in Our Stars: this tops my list as John Green’s best book. I can guarantee that no one else will agree with me on this point, but I stand my ground. The narrative flip-flops between two boys, both named Will Grayson, as they come of age and fall in love. The common thread between them is Tiny, “the world’s largest person who is really, really gay” and “the world’s gayest person who is really, really large”. Features a wonderful representation of gay romance without falling into stereotypical characterizations or plotting.

 

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

King Arthur characters reincarnated as high school students. Need I say more?

 

 

 

 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

There aren’t enough stories about teenagers transitioning from high school to college, and I’m overjoyed Rowell took that chance. While many people prefer Rowell’s Eleanor & Park, Fangirl is my favorite of Rowell’s books; the perfect love note to fanfiction writers and readers everywhere.

 

 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

What can I say? This is young adult fluff at it’s best. Our protagonist, Anna, is sent off to boarding school in Paris, where she meets the charming (and taken) Etienne St. Clair. A quick read, nothing comes as a shock…but that doesn’t make it any less run to read.

 

 

 

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Macy is a teenager dealing with the sudden loss of her father. When her boyfriend goes away to Brain Camp for the summer, she thinks they can make it work—but he ends up breaking up with her over email (ouch). Feeling lost and alone, Macy finds herself working for Wish Catering for the summer, where she meets a boy named Wes.

Dessen is royalty in the young adult world, and it was hard to pick just one of her books to include on this list. If you enjoy The Truth About Forever, I also recommend Someone Like You, This Lullaby, and Just Listen.

 

---

 Love never dies: Romantic classics

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The quintessential will-they-won’t-they Austen romance. Lizzie Bennet is a heroine to root for, and Mr. Darcy is just about as swoon-worthy as they come…once you warm up to him.

If you’ve already read this one approximately one billion times, there are also quite a few modern interpretations (sometimes serious, sometimes silly). My personal favorites are Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith.

 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Want to read about pirates, princesses, witches, miracles, sword fights, rodents of unusual size, and true love? As you wish. The book that inspired the film is filled with even more adventure to bring the star-crossed Westley and Buttercup together in a fairy tale fashion. Told as a fable, this fantasy romance is inconceivably charming.

 

 

 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

While romance isn’t necessarily the main point of this classic, it still shines enough to include it on this list. Winnie Foster comes across the Tuck family who, after drinking from a stream, have become immortal. It doesn’t take long for Winnie to fall for Jesse Tuck…but she has to chose between immortality and moving on. It’s what Twilight wishes it was, with much more whimsy and much less angst.

 

Shakespeare’s Sonnets by William Shakespeare

I always get so angry when I see Romeo and Juliet listed as one of the greatest romances of all time because…we all know that everyone dies, right? No one is happy. Everything about their relationship is toxic and problematic. I’m personally a bigger fan of the romantic comedies (Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night) which I also suggest.

Even more often overlooked is his collection of sonnets. The best part: the first time you read them, they sound romantic. The deeper you read, the more you realize that Billy was writing a bunch of sleazy pick-up lines. Interrupt as you like. (My personal favorites include sonnets 18, 19, 55, and 116.)

 

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

I think it’s safe to say that this is my favorite classic play. Cyrano de Bergerac brilliant and witty cadet with an extremely large nose; Christian de Neuvillette is a handsome new cadet who hasn’t a clue how to think on his own. They both fall in love with the beautiful Roxane. Cyrano, afraid that she will reject him for being ugly, works with Christian to win her heart by sending her love letters signed as Christian. The play strikes a beautiful balance between humor and drama—best enjoyed as a staged performance, if it’s around.

 

---

 Make my heart go doki-doki: Manga and graphic novels

Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

From the minds behind “Batman: The Animated Series” comes the Eisner-winning origin story of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s sidekick and main squeeze. Before her life of crime, Arkham Asylum psychologist Harleen Quinzel always had a fascination with the criminally insane, and found herself drawn to the Joker. The resulting relationship is one based on manipulation, abuse, and insanity.

 

 

The One I Love by CLAMP

This collection of vignettes focuses on different stages of love: from love at first sight and marriage, to long distance relationships and Valentine’s Day. CLAMP’s illustrations are as beautiful as ever, complementing the short and sweet storytelling. A lovely read for romantics everywhere.

 

 

 

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon series by Naoko Takeuchi

It’s the original “miracle romance”! Usagi is just your average clumsy crybaby, until she discovers that she is the defender of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Featuring a reincarnated Moon Princess and a mysterious man named Tuxedo Mask, this groundbreaking series not only tells a wonderful love story, but also celebrates female friendship through Usagi’s fellow Sailor Scouts.

 

 

Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Want more fighting and video game references in your love stories? Scott Pilgrim is the way to go. In order to date Ramona Flowers, the (literal) girl of his dreams, Scott Pilgrim must defeat her seven evil exes. Though Ramona falls somewhat into the Manic Pixie Dream Girl stereotype, O’Malley’s work is fast-paced and downright fun, filled with plenty of in-jokes to keep any nerd happy.

 

 

Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori

Haruhi Fujioka is new to Ouran Academy, an elite high school filled with rich students with too much time on their hands. A scholarship student, Haruhi wanders the massive halls in search of a quiet place to study—and stumbles across the Ouran Host Club. What follows, you have to see for yourself. Filled with self-aware tropes and intriguing gender politics, this is shojo manga at its finest (and funniest).

 

 

---

 

Don’t see your favorite love story here? Send them my way in the comments! 

The Elite by Kiera Cass

I will say, I still love the covers from this series. I want to throw all of my money at this designer.

Man, I wanted so much more from this series.

Though I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, since the first book in Kiera Cass’s series, The Selection, left a lot to be desired. But I couldn’t deny that I was still interested in seeing where the story went, and hoped that maybe the writing would improve come book two. I mean, the first book was such a success, don’t you think they would have put a lot of effort in putting together a second book that delivered?

The Elite continues to follow America as she progresses in the Selection, battling between her growing affection for the Prince Maxon and her long-standing attraction toward her ex-boyfriend Aspen (who happens to now be a guard in the castle). And, as the thought of marrying Maxon becomes more and more realistic, she also must grapple with the idea of becoming princess—and isn’t convinced that she’s cut out for the job.

I wanted to stop reading about halfway through, but since it was such a quick read, I decided to finish it off. A lot of my original problems with this series still persisted in The Elite—vague writing, melodrama, and a poorly written love triangle. In fact, the writing felt even more problematic in this book, in terms of characterization. It felt like Cass was writing certain scenes to make you feel strongly toward one character (namely, Maxon and Aspen) that may not fit into their character, but served the plot to create more drama. At any point in the novel, I could tell at when I was supposed to like either of America’s boys, which is just lazy writing. Let me figure out their characters and make my own decisions—don’t make that choice for me.

And, as far as love triangles go, this one was pretty bland. The choice is between stability (Maxon, the prince who can provide status and commitment) and passion (Aspen, the lower class boy who makes America see fireworks when they kiss). From the looks of it, neither of the choices are good ones for our leading lady, and I really hoped she would end up dumping them both to run off and see the world or something. It would be a better use of her (and the reader’s) time to see her be happy and comfortable with herself.

The writing in general was still nothing to rave about, albeit fast paced. Also, the dystopia elements written in felt like an afterthought, and never enhanced my appreciation of the world building or plot. Though there is a third and final book in this series, The One, I think I’ll have to pass. This series doesn’t deserve any royal treatment from me.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

It’s like the Hunger Games but with princesses. Make of that what you will.

I will admit: this was pretty much 100% me judging a book by its cover.

Can you blame me, though? Every time I walked into a Barnes and Noble, there would be stacks upon stacks of these books on display, with a fashionable young lady giving me an alluring stare that practically cooed, “Pick me up. Read me. You know you want to.” So, I want to start by giving props to the cover artist and designer for piquing my attention. A job well done, pip pip cheerio.

Now, the book itself is about, as the title suggests, the Selection, a process in which 35 girls from around the caste-divided country are selected to compete for the heart of the Prince Maxon, who is looking for a wife. Hmmm…35 girls living in the same palace, trying to win over one prince, simultaneously dating him collectively for months. What could possibly go wrong here?

Our leading lady, America Singer, is from one of the lower castes, and has a secret boyfriend, Aspen, who breaks up with her at the beginning of the story despite them talking about running away to get married. When she becomes one of the Selected, she is whisked away to a world of luxury and excess she had hardly ever dreamed of—though she remains in love with her ex and spends a lot of her time trying to get over her heartbreak. With no intention of winning over Maxon, she ends up becoming his favorite of the bunch anyway, and she slowly finds herself falling for him, as well.

What’s that? Is that the horrible screeching of a love triangle I hear in the distance? Why, yes. Yes it is. And with that…gag me.

While I wasn’t too thrilled with the love triangle aspect of the story (love triangles are a destructive troupe that, sadly, YA lit is overflowing with), I was pleasantly surprised at how tame the girls in the story were. I was expecting there to be a lot more cat-fighting and general girl-on-girl hate, à la bad reality TV dating shows. However, much of the novel focused on the girls bonding and supporting each other, even if they were in “competition” with each other. It was refreshing to see girls empowering other girls, rather than tearing them down.

In terms of writing, the style wasn’t anything to rave about, but it fit its genre nicely and had a quick pace—which is awesome for slow readers like me. America herself felt like a borderline Mary Sue stock character, but that’s also a usual byproduct of love triangles in general. Cass clearly tried to insert as much world-building as possible to make fit the dystopian trend (see: a caste system, rebels infiltrating the castle, an unclear history of the founding of the country), though it never held my attention in any way. I wanted to get back to the awkward courting, dangit!

This is the first volume in a series of three, and while I wasn’t in love with this book, it was still some great escape reading, and I find myself wanting to know what happens next (despite my better judgement). Because, really, did you expect me to not like a book about princesses? Even with a love triangle? Come on, it’s like you don’t even know me…

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Criminal masterminds. Machine guns. Leprechauns.

For some reason, I missed the train on the Artemis Fowl Express growing up. I don’t know why; my brother thought this book was the coolest thing since the Nerf gun, and it has a shiny cover, like a holographic Pokemon card. And I LOVED holographic Pokemon cards. This should have been a no-brainer for young Ashleigh.

(Then again, now that I think about it, maybe it was because my brother enjoyed this book so much that I never read it…you know, the typical petty need to be “different” from your twin. He liked it, so I didn’t. That happened a lot—it’s why I didn’t enjoy Ender’s Game, and never picked up Inkheart or The Thief Lord. This also might mean I have some deep-seeded competitive issues that will no doubt come up in therapy.)

That said, I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, as my only reference was a smattering of reviews from middle school boys who gave it such high praise to say it was “cool”, “sweet”, and, from the bigger fans, “awesome”. What I got was a 10-year-old boy’s fever dream, filled with action, guns, and kleptomaniac farting dwarfs. Probably should have seen it coming.

In this first book from Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series, we meet the titular Artemis Fowl himself, a 12-year-old criminal mastermind and genius who wants to restore the Fowl name by scrounging up a couple million dollars. However, Artemis goes about this in an unusual fashion: tracking down the legendary gold of the leprechauns.

Of course, the leprechauns are real, and a part of an underground fairy colony known as the People. The phrase “leprechaun” is revealed to be derivative of the LEPRecon (Lower Elements Police Recon) division, which deals with tracking down fairies who go missing to preserve the secrets of their world. Their gold isn’t something you find at the end of a rainbow—instead, it’s a ransom reward for hostage fairies.

So, Artemis goes out to capture a fairy called Captain Holly Short, a member of the LEPRecon force herself. The majority of the book is spent detailing the hostage situation, as Artemis tries to negotiate a high enough ransom, Holly tries to escape, and the rest of the LEPRecon division tries to spring Holly from her captures. This is, of course, filled with plenty of magical hijinks, machine guns, and cheesy dialogue.

“Subtle” is not a word I would use to describe this book. It reads like an action film, naming specific weaponry that I’m positive made young boys weak at the knees at the mention of all the heavy artillery and “advanced” technology (“advanced” in quotes because most of the tech in the book involved video loops, audio bugs, and blowing up images to get a closer look. The future is now, it appears.) It’s also pretty violent for a young adult book, but in a way that anime is violent: everyone gets hurt to the point of death, and then magically recovers because screw-you-medicine-I-have-more-faces-to-punch.

Colfer’s writing also lacks the subtle finesse he might have been aiming for, as much of the narrative makes explicit call-outs on the human race (“Humans are so barbaric, how could they be so violent, look at your choices, YES I AM TALKING TO YOU TINY HUMAN WHO IS READING THIS BOOK”). A lot of the dialogue is pretty cheesy, but in a way that is audience-appropriate.

Bottom line? I liked this book okay, but definitely felt like I was not a part of the target audience (which is actually a good sign for me—whew, I’m not a 12-year-old boy after all!) I think a lot of people enjoy this book because of the memories they keep of it from when they first read it, and I’m glad that I at least know what they’re talking about now.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Rapunzel is a hacker. REPEAT. RAPUNZEL IS A HACKER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I told myself I would be patient. I told myself to wait, that I should read other things, expand my reading horizon. But in the end, I just couldn’t help myself and dove head-first back into Marissa Meyer’s world (willpower is, apparently, not my strong suit). And I’m so glad I didn’t wait, because Cress, the third installment in the Lunar Chronicles series, has been my favorite installment by and far.

There are a lot of reasons why I enjoyed this novel. First and foremost, we are introduced to Cress, aka Rapunzel, a Lunar shell who has been locked up in a satellite for seven years to—get this—serve as the Queen’s spy and tap into the Earthen networks, cameras, and satellites. Oh yeah, you heard right. Rapunzel is a freaking hacker. And hackers are probably the coolest kind of characters to have (expect for kick butt cyborg ladies, but, Meyer already had that covered).

Cress, however, doesn’t really enjoy her gig (being locked up can do that to people), and wants nothing more than to see the Earth she orbits every day. Her orders require her to track Cinder and her growing gang of fugitives, and Cress finds herself wanting to help them take down Levana—while forming a huge crush on Thorne, who she fantasizes as the hero to her damsel in distress.

This last statement is, of course, untrue, because the Thorne we have come to know is actually kind of a self-centered jerk. But I know that, and you know that, so it was satisfying to watch Cress get to know Thorne for the man he actually is, rather than the man she dreamed him to be (cough cough idolizing people as someone they’re not is toxic to both parties cough cough).

Another huge reason why I enjoyed this novel was the way each plot line was handled. About every other chapter switched character point of view, and it was clear that Meyer learned a thing or two while writing Scarlet on how to better handle these switches. Nothing felt too jerky or out-of-place; the prose was nicely balanced, and each chapter flowed effortlessly into the next. Plus, nothing felt too overly melodramatic, which was another mark of growth in Meyer’s writing (or in her editor. You decide).

There was also quite a lot going on in this novel—with no less than seven character story lines to tackle, and with each being separated at one point or another throughout the book, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I was able to follow along. Each character began to grow on me more and more, as Meyer did a great job of fleshing them out and giving them depth. Even better, all of the foreshadowing in Cinder and Scarlet finally came together, and the story is becoming increasingly epic. Meyer has obviously had this all planned out from the start, and her smartness is showing.There is nothing better than a well thought-out, tightly written plot!

And, of course, I still have a huge literary girl crush on Cinder, who continues to be the resourceful, gusty lost princess we met in the first book. I told you I’m a sucker for cyborgs.

However, now that I’m all caught up with this series, it means I have to wait until 2015 to get my hands on the final installment, Winter. So, um, if you happened to be reading this in a future in which time machines are readily available, would you be so kind as to beam me back a copy? I promise to cover shipping and handling. It’s kind of an emergency.