Dune

Dune was originally a book published by Frank Herbert in 1965. It is a true unsung origin of modern sci-fi and world building in general. This book was the inspiration for many famous space and sci-fi stories, including Star Wars. However, this story wouldn’t get a proper film adaptation or recognition by the general public until 2021. Dune is about Paul Atreides and his family becoming the new governors of the planet of Arrakis. When they arrive, however, the locals believe that Paul is the chosen one who would help them reclaim their planet from those who want to exploit it for a fuel source called spice. He is thrown into this prophecy when the planet is attacked, and the only way to fight back is with Paul at the front lines. It’s a gorgeous story with themes of leadership and religion, a wonderful place to start for classic sci-fi.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a sci-fi genre staple. One of the biggest names in sci-fi next to Star Trek. This world has been expanding since 1977 and continues to this day. Star Wars is, in its most basic form, about a family of magic knights, called Jedi, who are both the galaxy’s saviors and destroyers. The original movies, episodes 4-6, focus on Luke Skywalker, the prequels, episodes 1-3, focus on his father, and the sequels, episodes 7-9, are about the Skywalker legacy in general. The other properties of Star Wars, the spin-off movies, the shows, and the video games, are about the consequences and ripple effect the Skywalkers had on the galaxy.

If starting Star Wars, it is important to know the order to watch everything. Different people will give you different recommendations, and while there is no wrong way to watch Star Wars, here is my recommended order. Episodes four through five, episodes one through three, Solo, Rogue One, Episode seven through nine, Clone Wars, Mandalorian, Book of Boba, Andor, and then the other shows and video games if you’re up for them. Star Wars can be complicated and has lots of time jumps, so don’t feel disheartened if you’re confused at first. Watch with a friend who knows the world and story. They will be able to explain, and watching with someone is always fun. If you are looking for a sci-fi staple that you can get lost in, Star Wars is a perfect place to start.

2001 a Space Odyssey

2001 a Space Odyssey is a one-off movie, but still a staple of sci-fi. Released in 1968 and created by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, this movie is a deep look at the past, present, and future. The movie is less about a central story and more about the positives and negatives that could be in the future. The moon landing wasn’t until 1969, so a majority of the film focuses on the fear of the unknown and the introspection of the vastness of space. The movie is severely trippy, but it’s meant to be less of a story and more of a conversation starter. If you are looking for something with incredible visuals and an ending that leaves you reeling, I couldn’t recommend this movie more.

I have no Mouth, and I must Scream

I have no mouth, and I must scream is a short story by Harlan Ellison published in 1967. The story may be 10-15 pages long, but do not let that fool you. This story is one of the most haunting stories of the genre as a whole. The story is about an AI that named itself AM, wiping out humanity and putting five humans on trial for their crimes. AM talks about the complexities of humanity and its perspective on the topic as an AI. The story ends with all of those on trial dead except for one. It is definitely the scariest sci-fi staple. It does not hold back with its debates over man vs machine. If you are someone who loves horror and wants to shift into sci-fi, then this story is perfect. However, if you are squeamish, I would stick to the other recommendations on this list.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a much lighter and funnier option than the others. Written by Douglas Adams in 1979, this book is a comedic take on the sci-fi genre as a whole. There are still themes and moments that are incredibly sci-fi. But most of the book is more about the silliness of sci-fi’s debates on philosophy and the future. The book is about a man named Arthur Dent who finds out that his friend, Ford, isn’t from earth and is a researcher for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They then get forced into this grand adventure, succeeding through knowing zero to nothing about Aliens and other planets. The book is a hilarious and trippy ride through the genre as a whole. While it is not something for someone new to sci-fi, it is required reading for anyone who enjoys the genre.

There are so many to recommend and experience, including my current watch, Trigun: Stampede. However, the world of sci-fi is as vast as space itself. There are many more stories in sci-fi, but you can’t explore a whole galaxy without a good starting point. So take some of these recommendations and dive into the world of sci-fi; a galaxy awaits you.

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The Factors of Grit

“It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit.” – Angela Duckworth.

The book Grit follows Angela Duckworth’s study of grit, described as the mix of determination and passion, and was published in 2016. In the beginning of the book, she talks about her dad and their relationship. Her father told her that she was “no genius” and would not be successful because of it. However, Duckworth proved that talent is only a minor factor in grit. Other traits heavily outweigh pure talent. In the book, she discusses the many and varied ingredients of grit, as well as how it can be developed, not only in yourself but also in the people you care about. Duckworth writes about perseverance, discipline, passion, loyalty to your interests, and deliberate practice, and how these qualities create grit.

“The highly accomplished were paragons of perseverance.” 

On page eight of her book, Angela Duckworth discusses various psychological projects and the people involved in her studies, but most importantly, she emphasizes perseverance. Perseverance is a very important factor of grit. You must get back up when knocked down and not be discouraged by failure. Motivation and encouragement from failure are perseverance, using those experiences as stepping stones towards greatness and improvement. Perseverance, determination, and grit go hand in hand. In terms of grit, perseverance signifies overcoming complex tasks or emotional hardships because you are loyal to a single long-term goal.

On page 64, Duckworth states, “What I mean by passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about that same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way.” In the book Grit, passion, and holding on to your interests are key aspects of Angela’s research. Being gritty is not only about persevering and getting yourself back up when you’re down, but also about longevity and consistency. Having grit doesn’t mean doing something effortfully for only a year or two. It means working hard over many years to make meaningful improvements. Overall, passion is a very key element of grit, and it comes after discovering your interest.

On page 126 of Grit, Duckworth writes that, “Deliberate practice predicted advancing to further rounds in competition far better than any other kind of preparation.” In terms of grit, ‘deliberate practice’ essentially means actively paying attention to what you’re doing and looking for ways to improve. Deliberate practice requires complete focus and entrapment by the task at hand. Doing intentional practice pushes you to success and greatness. Doing deliberate practice takes perseverance to endure the hard activities that help you get better. People who practice deliberately do it for the rewards afterwards. For most grit paragons, this is a state of calmness and serenity, called ‘flow’. In summary, deliberate practice is an essential part of grit and building a path to success.

Angela Duckworth’s Grit is revolutionary research on success and its cultivation, discussing factors of grit such as perseverance, passion, and practice. Getting up when you are down and staying determined in the face of failure are qualities of gritty people. They have a passion — one that is independent, long-term, and overall — a goal they strive to achieve throughout their career. However, their mindset when it comes to failure and mistakes is not the only things that make a gritty person. They do focused, intentional, deliberate practice, with only improvement in mind. Grit is the common denominator among successful people, and each of its factors serves a different purpose.

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By: Victoria Spear

In the past two years, I’ve gone over a lot of hobbies that interested me as an artist as well as an author. Finding them wasn’t hard if you have TikTok on your phone. Bear with me, I know many people despise the app and think it’s over-hyped, but remember your fyp (for-you page depends on the content you absorb, and one of those was ‘Booktok’ for me! Booktok is a community that shares a range of books not broadcast as often, as well as giving recommendations to others after you’ve read said book. Although this community seems straightforward, it does have a number of problems, ranging from problematic authors, bullying, and even going so far as to have unrealistic expectations for toxic men. I know it sounds horrible, but we are not talking about that today. We’re talking about the small corner of ‘booktok’, which is known by the name ‘Bookbinding TikTok’. With this side of the community, were calling into question how fanfiction and copyright come into play with one another when binding said fic for one’s bookshelf and then trying to sell it for monetary gain. 

The Rules of Bookbinding

The bookbinding community is often a spectrum that takes weeks to understand. As we’ve gone over in class, bookbinding is an art that’s been seen over many years within cultures. In the community, they keep the traditions and even teach new people within the community how to bind their own books. An example of this would be if a paperback book is damaged but the text block remains perfectly intact Of course instead of throwing the whole book away, they will want to keep the book and rebind it with a hard cover instead. This is a part of the many reasons I’ve joined the community, learning many things: paper marbling, the history of binding, different forms of binding, learning how to make smaller books, how to emboss your pages, etc. The list can honestly go on.

So you’re probably wondering, how did bookbinding become a huge problem in the first place? Well, the answer lies within another section, primarily a section where fandoms come together to make their works based on their favorite media. You guessed it, fanfiction. Now we’re not strangers to the fanfiction community, but if you are, I’ll go ahead and give you a bit of a rundown. Fanfiction is a form of work written by a fan about a book, movie, or even show. Fandoms are a group of fans of books, movies, and shows as well.  The two of them go hand in hand with one another in this case. Fanfictions are known to be published in all kinds of places on the internet; Wattpad, Fanfiction.net, Tumblr, and my all-time favorite AO3. It’s important to remember that fanfiction is made by fans, not the actual original creators who made the series in the first place. From a monetary gain perspective, it’s hard to get upset with fans in this case with fan works because in a way they’re bringing in more money to the original creators due to fandom engagement. The more fans there are for the media, the more likely people will absorb it and bring in value. 

The article ‘What is fanfiction and what does it matter?’  by Lauren V highlights this, breaking down the works of fanfiction as well as the legality behind it. The section ‘Selling Fanfiction Through LuLu Bookstore’ says the following: “Publishing fanfiction online is considered legal in the United States because it is “noncommercial distribution.” In other words, when you post fanfiction on AO3 or another ad-supported, free-to-use site, nobody is making any money from the actual intellectual property itself.” This is the explanation of how authors can publish fandom works online without trouble because they do not have a monetary gain. However, in the next paragraph, it’s said as follows, “Once a piece of fanfiction has been published for sale on the Lulu bookstore (or any other online retailer, for that matter), it has crossed the line into ‘commercial distribution,” which is a copyright infringement and is illegal. In other words, if you are selling, for-profit, derivative work of copyright-protected material, you are breaking the law. ” So people can publish their works online for free if they’re writing fanfic; however, it becomes a problem once they try to sell it for money. The world and characters have already been published and claimed by the original creator of that media, and if found, it will be taken to court.

The Problem With Fanfiction and Bookbinding

The important thing to remember about fanfiction is that the authors and creators have to make sure to give credit to the original media and that they do not ‘own’ it in any way. This way they are protected and they won’t have any issues thrown their way later. That goes for any form of merch trying to be sold or even possibly fan art (again, a whole other section as well). So, how does Fanfiction affect BookBinding TikTok? Well, with lovers of books and having the need to feel pages run through their fingers of their favorite works, there has come a problem for fanfiction. In the community, there has been discussion of fanfiction being bound for personal use. The fandoms have desires to have the actual works by fanfic authors on their shelves instead of worrying about authors deleting their favorite works online and never finding them again. The fanfic authors started to make rules about this issue, asking fans to do as follows: 1. Make sure to give credit for the text block and story to the fanfic author, 2. DO NOT SELL OR DISTRIBUTE FOR MONETARY GAIN, 3. If the binding is not for yourself, then you are allowed to give it to friends or family. 

In late February of 2024, the Bookbinding community was in shambles due to a mass hoard of fanfics being removed from AO3, due to sellers of fanfiction being bookbind. The specific fandom causing the madness? Harry Potter. Now, as a girl who reads a lot of fanfiction, I don’t know if I should be glad I’ve never indulged in the Harry Potter fandom or utterly scared due to the reactions and outrage the fandom truly has at the moment. The fanfics that have sparked this outrage are Dramione fanfics, our enemies-to-lovers (Draco and Hermione). The most popular of these fanfics is the only Manacled made by Senlinyu. The story is basically a dark romance between Draco and Hermione with a heavy Handmaid’s Tale romance. So not only is it infringing upon the Harry Potter series but The Handmaid’s Tale as well, but of course, we can only focus on the crazy fandom that has lost their ever-loving minds by worshiping it as if it’s the best novel ever written.  Personally, I haven’t read the fanfic due to how crazy everyone has been reacting towards it, but from a close friend they did say it was really good. However, it’s not good enough to break the law and risk getting the author sued over it. 

On February 4th, 2024, SenLinYu revealed that they would be publishing her own professional dark fantasy romance of her own inspired by the fanfic she originally wrote called “Alchemised”. She addresses the fandom about staying silent with her publishing journey and not worrying them about her feelings in regards to her famous fanfic Manacled. She sympathized with them but got straight to the issue saying, “During the last several years, there has been a growing issue with illegal sales of Manacled, putting both me and the incredible community that shares fanfiction freely in legal jeopardy.” Here she’s addressing the fact that the bookbinders of her story and the mass out of control of the fandom has led her to take a step back and consider her options. Although the fandom ruined (in my opinion) her enjoyment of her best-written work, she decided to write an ‘original’ story that still holds the ‘spirit’ of Manacled. “Then I suddenly had this idea of alchemy, which was peculiarly appropriate; an academic world filled with unique transmutational abilities, and a necromantic war against people who had discovered the secrets of immortality, and I could see a path to reimagining the story while still holding on to as much of the original spirit of Manacled as possible.”

How to Enjoy Bookbinding While Remianing Respectful

So again, you might be wondering: What went wrong here? Everything seems pretty solid. she’s writing an original story with the same elements of her fanfic that everyone loved so much, but what’s the issue? The issue is her following lines, “Manacled is not going anywhere at present. It will remain online throughout 2024, at which point it will, if you’ll pardon the pun, Alchemise for 2025 and be removed from AO3.” This. This is what sparked outrage out of crazy Harry Potter fans who loved the original story. Because one, they couldn’t read it for free anymore, and two, she was going to publish a completely different work without their favorite characters Draco and Hermione.  For me, I love this author’s integrity and understanding what was going wrong with the fandom in the first place. People were binding and selling the work without her permission when she told them not to, and she got a lawyer because her work was ironically growing more popular than the actual Harry Potter series published by J.K. Rowling. K Rowling. It’s honestly really sad it has to get to the point where the author grew scared but still wanted the fandom to be happy and she wanted to do it by giving them something original. Unfortunately, you can’t keep everyone satisfied. 

Back to the bookbinding community, as of that post you can understand that there’s grown to be an influx in the community growing angry. One tiktoker that stood out to me the most was NeatFreakGreek stitching another Dramione fanfic writer by the name of Emerald_Slytherin author of Secrets and Masks. The fanfic writer talked about how many times she saw her fanfic being bought or sold online even after she told the fandom not to do so and was on the cusp of deleting the whole fanfiction off of  AO3.  NeatFreakGeek  is another well-known bookbinder) begs the Harry Potter community to stop buying fanfiction and that there is bookbinders on the app that are willing to teach them how to bookbind all the way down from the start of the text block to finishing off with the hardcover design. It is insane how bookbinders have tons of tutorials online for people to use for free but they would rather buy from an Etsy owner even though they know it’s illegal. The community knows once the authors are done with the disrespect the fanfic writer could be sued or even get in trouble but it’s a give or take process; as long as people are buying illegal fanfiction, there will be illegal binds being sold. 

Do you know who I blame for this process? Booktok. Oh my gosh! Crazy right we’ve reached full circle! The problem with Booktok is that when fanfiction came into the mix, they all started to invade the community asking for recommendations and even went so far afterward to illegally start purchasing fanfiction. Booktok is a consumer side of the book-loving community, and I hate to say it but they honestly are too busy trying to absorb the book that’s popular of the month, rather than to take their time and enjoy the books they currently have before moving to the next. Another thing would be the aesthetic book lovers have with bookshelves buying books, and trying to look the part. It’s so sad because I was made fun of for reading so much, including fanfiction, when I was younger, and now the community is just filled with just horny individuals obsessed with dark romance and smut scenes. If not done right I will hurl over my bed.  

Here we are two months later and the discussion is still going on. The one thing I’m scared of is losing the bookbinding community on the app due to the drama fanfiction as well as Booktok has brought upon them. In a way, bookbinding was teaching a part of history and something we needed to learn to maintain the books we know and love in tack with something happening to them and they ruin it over fanfiction that isn’t even canon. However, this may be a good thing. Perhaps with the largest fanfiction being gone in that community others will finally learn that doing this will get them nowhere but trouble, and to respect the art and love behind bookbinding one stitch at a time.

Citations 

 V, Lauren. “What Is Fanfiction and Why Does It Matter?” The Lulu Blog | Take Control of Your Creative Journey with Advice from the Team at Lulu., 12 Dec. 2023, blog.lulu.com/what-is-fanfiction-and-why-does-it-matter/.

SenLinYu. “Announcing Alchemised.” Announcing Alchemised, SenLinYu’s Substack, 5 Feb. 2024, senlinyu.substack.com/p/announcing-alchemised.

 NeatFreekGeek. “Make Your Day.” TikTok, 20 Feb. 2024, www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwMRh2K/.

 (I tried to site tiktok as best as possible here, when you click on the link you should be able to see the video. Let me know if you can’t and I’ll fix it!) 

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To cultivate a child’s interest, you must find a book that is entertaining, imaginative, and educational. When I say educational, I do not mean that the book teaches a child about the history of math. A book needs to teach a child about how to deal with loss, how to make lasting friendships, and how to have courage in hard times. Children will have plenty of time to learn how to do taxes and how to boost their college application, but while they are kids they should be able to read about fun adventures filled with love and kindness. They should not just be surrounded by mind numbing and shallow videos. Since it is so important for children to create an interest in reading, here are five book recommendations for young readers series that can help children venture into the world of the written word. 

The Chronicles of Narnia By: C.S. Lewis 

Probably one of the most famous book series in the world, The Chronicles of Narnia has caused many children to love reading. Set in the magical and beautiful world of Narnia, the story focuses on the importance of family and hope. It has lovable characters that many people can see themselves in, a wonderful plot, and it is easy for young readers to understand. 

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library By: Chris Grabenstein

This book series is filled with quirky and creative plotlines that follow a group of friends as they try to decipher riddles set before them by a wacky billionaire. The book is filled with puzzles and riddles not just for the characters but for the audience as well. Not only is it entertaining to read and easy to understand, it teaches its reader about how to create long lasting friendships. Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is an exciting and fun read for any kid that loves a good challenge.

The Land of Stories By: Chris Colfer

This story follows a set of twins as they travel through a land filled with fairy tales. The book centralizes on the importance of family and finding out who you are. The books can be enjoyable for everyone and can add depth to fairy tales that all children will recognize. It is a comedic, loveable story that all children would love to read. 

Kingdom Keepers By: Ridley Pearson 

The Kingdom Keepers book series is an adventure-filled and suspenseful story that will have many children on the edge of their seats. Set in the Disney World Parks, the main characters have to protect magic from classic Disney villains. This series teaches children about how to balance your responsibilities and how to protect your friends. Filled with heart-warming and devastating scenes, Kingdom Keepers is a great series for children to fall in love with.

Harry Potter By: J.K. Rowling

Another famous book series, Harry Potter has had a massive impact on millions of individuals world wide for good reason. Harry Potter is not afraid to confront the hard topics in life but rather is able to deal with them in a delicate manner. Filled with adventure, grief, friendships, love, and of course magic, this book series can awaken a child to the beautiful world of reading. 

There are a million other book series that can cause a child to love literature. However the books I have mentioned have a special place in my heart. Many of these books have grown my love of reading and I hope that they can help another to fall in love as well. I hope you enjoyed these book recommendations for young readers.

Happy Reading!

If you enjoyed 5 Great Book Recommendations for Young Readers, check out these other book reviews!

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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder- Holly Jackson

This book had me on my toes. The storyline was great and the twist at the end was unpredictable. Well, at least for me. This book is a little on the mature side- the rating is 14 and up. After I read the book I watched the show on Netflix and I thought it was very enjoyable.  There are some differences between the show and book but overall I rate it 4.5/5.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians Series- Rick Riordan

This is my favorite book series. Hands Down. All of the books are great. I read this series when I was in the 5th grade and I loved them, so I decided to give them a reread. There are 5 in total, and I encourage  you to read all of the books. All of the characters are so well written, which makes it so relatable to kids and teenagers. It is just a good story for ages 9 and up. I totally recommend checking out the show on Disney + as well. I rate this book 5/5.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – Rex Ogle

For all my graphic novel lovers, this is the book for  you. This book radiates girlhood. It is the modern retelling of Little Women and how they would be in the modern world. This story is very wholesome and is good for ages 9 and up. I rate this book 5/5.

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“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy books portray the best amount of female main energy. Feyre from the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series sums up a ‘strong woman’ to me. First, she provides for her family, protects them, and defeats a whole kingdom. That is pretty awesome.

Next to her is the famous Nesta who doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do or how to do it. This fearless woman has powers of fire, and I think that is a perfect aspect for her personality. Fire can create warmth but it is also very dangerous. Like a moth to flame as some would say, Nesta draws in more than moths and like her sister, Feyre, she wins a war and defeats a kingdom.

Mor and Amren are also no less than these two power-sisters. Amren scares people with her presence alone, and Mor who is nicknamed “The Morrigan.” You have to be some type of powerful to have a ‘the’ in your name.

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros

Transferring Universes a little bit, if we head all the way to Basgiath College of Poromiel, we will not only find Violet Sorrengail, but also Rhiannon Mathias, and Imogen. All of these talented women have each been through the Basgiath war college. These women take no disrespect and they don’t give anyone the chance to even think about underestimating their abilities.

Violet, who defies all ‘laws’ that everyone says are true, still finds a way to beat every system she is put in. Imogen who is one of the strongest of her year not only helps violet become greater but is actually very caring underneath her protectiveness. Last but not least Rhiannon is a dark skin queen has been with Violet since day 1 at the college, and is Violet’s ride-or-die. She proves to everyone that she needs to be there and that she earned her spot. She ends up becoming a leader and earns great respect, while still being respectful to others. 

“A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson

This book is a little on the modern side and it takes place on earth. Pip Fitz-Amobi, a high school student, dedicates her senior year to solving a murder, just to prove that the nicest person she knows innocent. Solving a murder is one thing, but she takes this case to heart, because the crime happened only a few years ago in her own town. She goes through various hardships while solving this fresh case such as death-threats and the loss of her dog. Still, she proceeds to persevere because she knows it’s the right thing to do. Even when her own life is in danger all she wants to do is help others.

Every day we all should strive to be like these extraordinary female characters. They’re fearless, strong, witty, sincere, and powerful. These women have all gone through their hardships, but they all made it out to the top, and so will you. 

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1. “Pumpkinheads” by Rainbow Rowell

It’s clear from the title that this graphic novel is perfect for getting into the Fall mood. “Pumpkinheads” is about two seasonal best friends Deja and Josiah. They both work at what they believe to be the best pumpkin patch in the whole world every autumn. They only get to see each other once a year on Halloween, when their friendship rekindles. However, this Fall is different. Since Deja and Josiah are seniors, this will be not only their last time working on the pumpkin patch together, but probably the last time they will see each other again. Instead of moping, they decide to make their last Halloween an adventure they will not forget. Although I don’t normally read graphic novels, this is one surprised me! It’s one of the best ones I have ever read. It’s a simple yet sweet story of friendship that takes place in Fall at a pumpkin patch, making it perfect for the Autumn and Halloween season. 

2.“The Night Circus” By Erin Morgenstern

This book is a perfect mix between fantasy and adventure, making it a great Fall page turner. Les Cirque des Reves is no ordinary circus: It appears seemingly out of thin air! It is there and then gone all within a night. As you might have expected, it’s only open at night. Under a big circus tent, a competition is at full force. Celia and Marco compete in a harsh game they have been training for their whole lives, and only one can win. Though romance sparks between them, the game must go on. Who will win and how will love prevail? When I read this book I was surprised at how head turning it is. “The Night Circus” has elements of almost every genre, making it perfect for so many people. The magical feel of this book makes it perfect for Fall. 

3. “Mrs. Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children #1” By Ransom Riggs

This novel is a perfect read for fall because of the spooky and haunted element it brings to the table. Jacob, a 16-year-old boy, discovers photos of peculiar children on a mysterious island. He decides to visit the island after his grandfather’s horrific death to make sense of everything. What he finds on this island and in the orphanage far exceeds what he expected or even imagined. Jacob finds children with all different types of personalities and powers. He also discovers a dark truth, that he and the children are in grave danger. This novel has a haunted aspect that is perfect for Fall. Its captivating pages will make you want to keep reading all the way to the end!

4. “The Silent Patient” By Alex Michaelides

This thriller will keep you up at night in a good way! Alicia has a seemingly normal and perfect life. She is a painter and has a husband, Gabriel, who is a high fashion photographer. One night, Alicia suddenly shoots her husband in the face five times. She refuses to talk about why she did such a thing, leaving the public wanting to know more about what happened. Theo, a psychotherapist, starts to work with Alicia to unravel why she committed the violent act. His obsession with the case begins to consume him until eventually, he goes too far. This novel is perfect for fall because of its thriller aspect. It truly is like no other book I have ever read. 

5. “The Pumpkin Spice Cafe” By Laurie Gilmore

Lastly, this book is what I would consider the quintessential Fall read- not only because of the title, but  because of the hint of romance and the scenic picture it paints. Jeanie’s aunt gives her the ownership of the beloved Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Jeanie is overjoyed to run this cafe, a pursuit far better than the mundane desk job that she once had. Logan is a local farmer. Will they fall in love, and if they do, what will it cost them? This is the perfect novel to get you into the Fall mood because of its autumnal location and Hallmark romance!

If you enjoyed reading, you can find more great Fall content here!

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If you didn’t know, March is Women’s History Month! This month, we get to celebrate all the accomplishments that have been made by women and all the accomplishments yet to come! One of the ways we can celebrate is by reading books that have female characters that can empower us and motivate us to become better. Here are some books with female characters that everyone should aspire to be like!

1. The School for Good and Evil by: Soman Chainani 

If you like a fantasy book centered around two best friends trying to find out where they fit, then The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani is for you. This story focuses on two teenage girls, Agatha and Sophie, who are transported to a magical school where fairytale characters learned how to survive in their stories. While Sophie is girly and extroverted, Agatha is socially awkward and stubborn. Even though they are total opposites, they love each other dearly. I remember reading this book for the first time, and I loved how strong these characters were in their own ways. They never let others put them down and relied on each other through the dark points in their lives. 

2. The Cruel Prince by: Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is a young adult fantasy that follows a teenage mortal girl named Jude Duarte. The story focuses on her trying to navigate through a magical world filled with manipulation, deceit, and treachery. Jude has to face so many different challenges, but she faces them all with determination and strength. She will protect her family at all cost, and she always finds a clever way to get out of situations. I love reading about her wit and cleverness. Also, seeing Jude work through her trauma can be inspirational for anyone.  

3. The Inheritance Games by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Avery Grambs is the main character in this comedic, suspenseful mystery. She is intelligent and witty. She is always looking for and solving the riddles and puzzles in life. Reading her sarcastic and witty comebacks made me feel comfortable about who I am. No matter how many people questioned whether she deserved what she got, she remained strong, and she always knew her worth. If you want to read a book full of riddles and witty conversations, then you should read The Inheritance Games. 

4. Once Upon a Broken Heart by: Stephanie Garber 

Evangelina Fox is a caring dreamer who is constantly looking for her true love. While the other characters on this list are fighters, Evangelina is a lover. She always tries to make sure that everyone is happy and puts their needs before her own. Fox is a selfless girl who is a ray of light for all those around her. Reading about her made me realize that strength isn’t just about fistfights and wielding swords – it is about having the strength to smile everyday. 

5. Six of Crows by: Leigh Bardugo 

Now, my all time favorite book is Six of Crows. It is filled with wit, heists, fights, and some of my favorite characters ever. My favorite character of all time is Inej Ghafa. Her story is filled with suffering and darkness, but she never loses hope. Inej believes in her faith and never yields from it. She supports her friends through their hardships, she grows from her past, and wants to make sure no one has to go through what she did. She tries to stay calm and focused on her path. Her strength and determination inspire me everyday.

There you have it, 5 of my favorite books featuring strong female characters!

Check out more March Book Reads Recommendations here!

The post 5 Books With Strong Female Characters by: Corra Maddox appeared first on GirlSpring.

It was in a poetry style, not prose. 15 books make up Metamorphoses, each book containing multiple stories. As I started reading, I noticed the verse, alliteration, and rhyming, and it made the experience much better than if it were prose.

My favorite line from the book is probably from the prolouge: “…may the song I sing be seamless as its way weaves from the world’s beginning to our day.” The alliteration with the “s” and the “w” — I can’t even begin to explain why I like it so much. It just sounds so good!

Ovid basically tells stories to the reader from his own point of view in Metamorphoses. Sometimes characters are telling stories to other characters. There’s the Trojan War, Odesseus, Zeus’s affairs, Perseus and Medusa, anything you might expect to find is in that book.

I think my favorite character might be Athis – a son of a daughter of the Ganges River in India. I mean, yeah, Athis was killed by Perseus and wasn’t mentioned anywhere else, and I don’t really know why he was important. But the fact that he’s from India resonates with me. Somehow. I don’t know. It just does.

I also really loved the way Orpheus’s story was written. It was so tragic and it made me feel so strongly that I almost cried, which I never do when I read. Another thing was how many affairs Zeus had. He had so many it was hilarious!

Overall, I would definitely recommend that you read reading the Metamorphoses of Ovid, even if Greek mythology doesn’t necessarily interest you. It does require a very, very long attention span and lots of time, but I would say it’s definitely worth it.

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I read a lot of romance novels. I know the tropes, the cliches, all the things that make people fall for a good swoony read. Because of this, when I find a romance novel that transcends the simple tropes that I have read numerous times, it sticks with me. That’s how I felt when I was reading Happy Place by Emily Henry. I had read her previous novels and loved them, so my expectations were high but Henry took me by surprise with her fourth novel. The book delves into life after college, strong female friendships, and obviously love. 

Summary:

Happy Place is a dual timeline novel. It covers the main character Harriet’s “Happy Place” which encapsulates the time when the friendships and loves are all new as well as real life, when people are older and have seen and been through more, together and apart. The general plot follows Harriet and Wyn. They are brought together by their college best friends and become very close friends, and eventually much more. For years they are happy but life gets complicated and they end up breaking up. Because their friend group was already going through the changes that life brings, they decided to not tell any of their friends that they split, allowing them to believe that they were just in a long distance relationship. This all changes when Harriet’s best friend Sabrina drags her along to a week-long getaway at the lake house that the friends used to go to every single summer after college. When she gets there she finds out that they got Wyn to go to “surprise” Harriet. This throws the former lovers into a fake relationship in order to preserve the friend group they hold so dear. However, the time together brings back memories, and feelings….

Friends

Despite loving how Henry writes romance, I fell in love with how she wrote the female friendships in this novel. The friendships between Harriet and her best friends Sabrina and Cleo are so complex and real. When you meet as college roommates and remain best friends until your thirties, there are going to be lots of changes. Most importantly, this novel shows how you can disagree with your friends, and be mad at them, but at the end of the day you can love them more than anything else. I’m used to tearing up when I think romance is really cute, but the friendship scenes in Happy Place really got me, multiple times. I could see myself and my friends which made the novel even more special of a read.

Mental Health

Along with lovely interpersonal relationships, Henry beautifully writes about mental health in Happy Place. The characters deal with difficult childhoods, large life changes, loss, depression, anxiety, etc. and all of the plotlines feel genuine and honest. The descriptions of feeling like you are disappointing the people you love hit really hard for me personally. By giving two timelines, you can see so much growth in all of the characters which I loved. 

Overall, this book was incredibly written and covered topics that really meant a lot to me. 4.5/5

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