CLAUDIA'S BOOK WRAPPED 2025
BY CLAUDIA RIBEIRO, CLASS OF 2025
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Belles Clochette is excited to present Claudia Ribeiro's Book Wrapped. During the year Claudia, Class of 2025, complied a 'wrapped' for all the books she read, writing summaries and reviews for each. Read below to find your next book!
TOTAL BOOKS READ:
100
(WOW! That's a lot of books!)
CLAUDIA'S TOP TEN
(in no particular order)
The Goldfinch By Donna Tartt
GENRE: Literary Fiction, Thriller
SUMMARY: The Goldfinch centers around a young boy, Theo Decker, as he grapples with the loss of his mother, who passed away following a surprise attack in an art museum. As Theo leaves the museum’s wreckage, he manages to take one small Dutch painting, whose name translates to “The Goldfinch.” The book follows Theo through his teenage years as he grows more and more attached to the painting, while simultaneously losing his grasp on real life.
REVIEW: Having read and loved another of Tartt’s novels, The Secret History, I went into this book knowing that I would enjoy it. Little did I know, it would not only surpass The Secret History but become one of my favorite books of all time. Though the novel was the longest I read in 2024, Tartt does an excellent job keeping the story entertaining, and by the end, I felt Theo and the rest of the characters were figures in my own life. I highly recommend this one and encourage you not to be intimidated by its length!
Piranesi By Susanna Clarke
GENRE: Fantasy, Mystery
SUMMARY: This novel follows Piranesi, who lives in a very unusual house, in fact more labyrinth than house. Piranesi has been sheltered for his whole life, kept clueless about understanding true human connection and behavior. However, there is one person, named “the Other,” who has been his only tie to the world. As Piranesi becomes more and more curious, secrets about the labyrinth, himself, and the world begin to be uncovered, culminating in a surprise ending!
REVIEW: This novel is a great starting point if you have any interest in magical realism. I went into it having no idea what the story was about, but it quickly became one of my favorites. Piranesi himself is such a loveable character, and I think this novel does a fantastic job of reminding us about the joys of being human!
A Lesson Before Dying By Ernest J Gaines
GENRE: Historical Fiction
SUMMARY: This book takes place in the South during the 1940s, and it follows two men, Jefferson and Grant, as they each navigate the barriers set for Black men during this time. After Jefferson is wrongly sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, he must grapple with his morality and identity, while Grant steps in as a mentor to teach him one last lesson before Jefferson’s death.
REVIEW: I read this book in Ms. Ray’s Faith and Doubt class, and while she prepares you for the sadness, I still had no idea how much this book would affect me, both physically and emotionally. I have never cried harder reading a book, and I have never finished a book with as much gratitude as I had for Gaines’ novel. Please read this!!
James by Percival Everett
GENRE: Historical fiction, Retelling
SUMMARY: James is a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this time told from the perspective of Jim. Though following the same story as Huck Finn, Everett’s version includes important commentary on both the ignorance and intelligence that went unseen during this period of time. James is a brilliant, humorous, and truly revolutionary novel, and it deserves all the awards in the world.
REVIEW: You absolutely do not need to have read Huck Finn to read this book. Everett’s version is so uniquely itself that despite having read Twain’s novel, I was instantly hooked by this one. 1000000/10!!!
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
GENRE: Historical Fiction
SUMMARY: This story takes place over many decades, and it follows a white Christian family as they do missionary work in Africa. There are four wildly different sisters, one quietly brave mother, and one totalitarian fanatic father, each of whom has their own journey within the novel acknowledging their faith, identity, and prejudices.
REVIEW: This was another one I read in Faith and Doubt, and I am so glad it was on the syllabus. It is a great one to discuss with a group, and even though it is also on the longer side, it is so layered with the most complex characters and plots.
I Who Have Never Known Men By Jacqueline Harpman
GENRE: Speculative/Science Fiction
SUMMARY: This book follows a group of women who have been kept in an underground bunker, never allowed to leave and explore the world. One woman, the youngest of the group, finds freedom and begins the process of rebuilding her life and identity. Having never known men, she must encounter the harsh truths of the world, yet ultimately will find the most beautiful elements of being human.
REVIEW: This book blew my mind!!! It is on the shorter side and is so easy to read in just a couple of days. The narrative is gripping, fast-paced, and so, so rewarding. Cannot recommend it enough.
The Overstory By Richard Powers
GENRE: Fiction/Ecofiction
SUMMARY: This book is harder to explain, but it is about trees and nature and respecting our world. It sounds cheesy, but Richard Powers is so skilled at weaving together characters and their stories. By the end, I felt like I was practically in these characters’ worlds, and I also had a whole new love for trees and the living world.
REVIEW: The Overstory is dense, it is long, but it is so worth it. I think I spent the most time on this one out of many of the books from the year, but I truly was just trying to savor the story while it lasted. This one is probably not for everyone, but I still highly recommend it for someone who may not know much about nature but wants to learn more about our world!
Playground By Richard Powers
GENRE: Science-Fiction, Dystopian
SUMMARY: This novel is another one where the characters intersect so beautifully and seamlessly. It follows four main characters, all of whom have some relationship to the sea.
REVIEW: Wow, it’s Richard again! Richard really did his thing with this one, and I actually read it before The Overstory, which is what made me want to keep reading Powers’ work. This book is his latest, and I had been seeing it on a few awards lists and chose to pick it up on a whim. Holy moly! It turned into one of my absolute favorites, and these characters and their stories are so mesmerizing. Go read it!!!
Atonement by Ian McEwan
GENRE: Psychological Fiction
SUMMARY: Atonement is the story of a young girl who, in a fit of jealousy toward her sister, commits an irreversible mistake. As you watch the girl grow up and live with the consequences of her crime, you learn and mature with her.
REVIEW: This one was a bit of a slow burn for me, not because it was boring, but because its complexity and mastery were not apparent to me until the end. I am not going to give too much away with this one, because I really did not know a lot going in, and I am so glad I didn’t. BUT speaking of the end: HOLY COW!! I was shocked, and I still think about it way too much. Highly recommend!
Skippy Dies By Paul Murray
GENRE: Fiction, Mystery
SUMMARY: Skippy Dies opens with the death of the main character, Skippy, and from that point forward, it chronicles his life before that moment, mostly focusing on his time in boarding school. This school is full of boys who are mostly normal but often very complex, which is not what you might expect from rich boys at a boarding school.
REVIEW: Oh my goodness, my dear Skippy!! Skippy is a character who has stuck with me since I finished this book, and he will probably always hold a special place in my heart. This book is LONG, but I think I knew the end would make me very sad, so I probably took longer than I should have. Love this one!!
CLAUDIA'S LEAST FAVORITE
Bear By Julia Philips
GENRE: Fiction, Fantasy
SUMMARY: Bear follows two sisters on an island who want to leave and start fresh somewhere new. However, a bear begins making its presence known on the island, ultimately visiting the sisters’ house. One sister immediately attaches to the bear and the other sister starts to disdain the bear’s presence. This novel is a story about relationships and the sacrifices we make for ourselves and each other.
REVIEW: UGH! I can’t go much into my dislike for this book, as I don’t want to spoil it, but I really did not enjoy this one. The author’s writing style was not my personal preference, and one sister made me absolutely furious. The ending made me very angry, the plot made no sense at times, and the themes/overall message were useless. Sorry!
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