Our Favorite Books!
By Kelly Barros ('23)
Reading is a hit or miss with people. You either love it or you hate it. You may crave the ability of fantasizing a different world created by yourself and the author. Or, you may find yourself zoning out and dreading every single word you read on a page. Either way, there are some books everyone must read. I recently got into reading and found myself loving it. Although reading is somewhat time consuming, being able to imagine how the characters look in your mind and reading all different types of genres is super fun! Each member of our editorial team each chose a book they love. Out of the millions of books out there, these are our favorites.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Barros
Kelly’s Choice: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Now, I know this book has been “overhyped” by many but trust me it deserves all the hype it can get. “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, is the book that got me into reading. I was never a crazy fan of reading because I would zone out quite often. However, this book swept me off my feet. It spoke about things that unfortunately happen to some women in their relationships and life. The articulate way Colleen Hoover speaks of domestic abuse and how the book is connected to something her mother went through, is truly a work of art. Not only is the meaning of this book powerful, but its impact is too. The book creates a mix of emotions, from anger to happiness and from tears of sadness to cries of joy. It allows people to feel and experience obstacles through a different point of view and with the characters. I have and will always say, read this book!
Brief Description:
This book follows a woman named Lily through her past/current life. Lily had just moved to Boston to start her life after college, but then meets a guy named Ryle, who at first doesn’t want a relationship. Lily begins to develop feelings for Ryle and things are going well until her first love, Atlas, reappears. Lily and Ryle’s relationship is challenged by a series of events that can either make them stronger or break them apart.
Photo courtesy of The Nerd Daily
Christina's Choice: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
Christina’s favorite book is, “Act Your Age, Eve Brown” by Talia Hibbert, because she “really enjoy[s] romance genres that give a sense of rom-coms.” She says “it shows that people love and care for each other even while focusing on each other’s flaws.”
Brief Description:
The book's about a girl, Eve Brown, who struggles to do good and is known for having things go terribly wrong. Eve Brown must prove to her parents that she can succeed and do well. Instead of searching for more jobs if one doesn’t work out, she “accidentally” hits the bed-and-breakfast owner, Jacob Wayne, who won’t hire her. Wayne’s arm breaks and Eve Brown is stuck helping him until he recovers. Jacob Wayne and Eve Brown start to spend a lot of time together which makes them see each other in different lights.
Photo courtesy of Good Reads
Kevin’s Choice: The Maze Runner by James Dashner
What is Kevin’s favorite book? Hm, Kevin’s “favorite book of all time” is “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner and he loves it for multiple reasons. Kevin “love[s] all the intrigue at the beginning, and as the book progresses, suspense rises in a way that [he’s] never witnessed before, leading towards an awesome cliffhanger conclusion.” Kevin also said that “Thomas is one of [his] favorite main characters ever because of his intelligence and his determination.”
Brief Description:
The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a dystopian science fiction novel. In the book, the protagonist, Thomas, wakes up in a lift surrounded by other boys and can only remember his name. There’s only one way out, through a maze, where no one’s made it through alive. Then mysteriously, a girl arrives with a terrifying message and the boys must try their best to survive.
Photo courtesy of KISS THE BOOK
Valentina's Choice: Smile by Raina Telgemier
I’m very intrigued by Valentina’s book. Based on the way she connected to it, I can already sense I will absolutely love reading it. “Smile” by Raina Telgemier is Valentina’s favorite book because “all [her] life, [she has] honestly always hated [her] smile and [felt] as though [she] truly [does] not know what [her] real smile is.” Reading through this book “was a childlike joy [she] experienced, such as when kids felt represented and connected to characters in a TV show who they related to.” For Valentina, “it gave [her] a different view and perspective on [her] smile, [and] for once, [she] didn’t have to care what others thought, [she] was allowed to be expressive of [her] happiness in any moment of time without being conscious of how weird [her] smile was.” I admire Valentina for sharing something so personal about her feelings. She expresses that she still struggles with this today, but it’s much better than it was before. I’m extremely proud of her for pushing through her struggles and if this book helped Valentina with her confidence, I recommend it to everyone.
Brief Description:
“Smile” by Raina Telgemier is a book about a sixth grade girl, Raina, who injures her two front teeth from falling. Raina goes through a very long journey with surgery, braces, multiple times, embarrassing headgear, and a retainer with fake teeth attached. Not only does Raina worry about her teeth, but she has to deal with bad friends, boys, and an earthquake!
Cover photo courtesy of Laurel County Public Library
Banner photo courtesy of World Economic Forum