The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

I like the book because I love reading fantasy and it represents a different magical world. My favorite character is Alex because she is brave, a risk taker and strong. I would rate it 10 out of 10 because when I was reading it I felt that the story is kinda real.

12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

How did you come across this book?

Jordan Peterson is a psychologist at the university of Toronto. He is a very popular read in Toronto, where I grew up and he became even more popular because of a controversial youtube comment he left about one of the bills that was being passed in Canada as a whole.

Why did you specifically chose this book of his?

Because of Covid I feel like everything has been thrown off track for myself in terms of my regular routine, and it has sort of given me some time to self reflect. The book is mainly about how to organize your life but from a scientific perspective. So everything he suggests is actually clinically proven.

What age group would you recommend this book to?

Definitely grades 11 and 12 because it talks about how you should choose your friends, organize your time, and money manage. It talks about all of the skills that you definitely need for life with very nice examples. He also brings up ideas of religion, politics, and science into his rules and examples.

If you had to give this book a rating on a scale of 1-10, what would you give it?

Probably an 8.

Is there any reason why it isn't a 10?

I think that he can condense some of the ideas down, but in other cases the monologue drags on a little bit too long. It is an easy read, but at the same time it is time consuming. However, it is definitely worth it because he splits up the book's important contents in a nice and easy to navigate format.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

This book is about a girl who is an American high school student that has OCD and anxiety. The story centers around her investigation for a fugitive that is her neighbor's father whilst grieving the loss of her father while she grows her relationship with the billionaire's son. I like this book because it's interesting and shines a light on the difficulties of living with a mental illness. Goodreads page is here!

O Lugar das Arvores Tristes by Lenia Rufino

What would you say is a general summary of the book?

This book is about the lives of a family through different generations. We start in the present, and then it goes back in time to tell the story of why we find the characters in their present circumstances. It is a sad story, and there are crimes involved.

Who would you recommend this book to?

I would recommend this book to Grade 9 students and above.

What stood out to you about this book specifically?

I think it stood out because its composition is beautiful. I am a languages teacher, so I always look for inconsistencies in the author's writing style, but the book is perfectly written. You cannot spot anything out of place. The words are all carefully chosen, so you can picture it in your head. It would make an amazing movie; hopefully it will become one eventually.

What is your favorite aspect of the book?

The setting of the book, because it is in a small town in South Portugal, which is where I am from. Even though this village does not exist, I can see similarities to the place where I was raised. It just easily created pictures in my head while I was reading it.

How did you find out about the book?

It was interesting because I actually follow the writer on Instagram, and before that around 15 years ago I used to read her blog! So I already knew she was an amazing writer, but now she's published her first book and I cannot wait because I know she is writing a second one which will hopefully be out soon. I'm sure it will be just as interesting as this first book.

The Goodreads page is here!