en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 21:18:53 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 49552 The Stranger has long been considered a classic of twentieth-century literature. Le Monde ranks it as number one on its "100 Books of the Century" list. Through this story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explores what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd."]]> 123 Albert Camus Mango 5 4.04 1942
author: Albert Camus
name: Mango
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1942
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:
Ate this book up, so interesting!
]]> 5129 Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. “A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine� (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history’s keenest observers of human nature and civilization. Brave New World, his masterpiece, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, Brave New Worldd likewise speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites.

"Aldous Huxley is the greatest 20th century writer in English." —Chicago Tribune]]> 268 Aldous Huxley 0060929871 Mango 4 RTC 3.99 1932
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Mango
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1932
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves:
review:
RTC
]]> 15839976 "I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.]]> 382 Pierce Brown 0345539788 Mango 0 to-read 4.26 2014
author: Pierce Brown
name: Mango
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50875841 A teen edition of the New York Times best-selling TED TALKS: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, chock-full of tips and techniques to help teens become confident, capable speakers

For today’s teen, being able to communicate clearly in front of an audience is essential. From class presentations to interviews to online videos, an engaging talk can not only inspire and electrify a room, it can change people’s minds, and even change the world.ĚýĚý
Ěý
Thank You for Coming to My TED TalkĚýis the definitive guide to public speaking for a teen audience. Drawing from a teen’s day-to-day world—school, extracurriculars, online videos, college admissions procedures, bat and bar mitzvahs, debates, and more—head of TED Chris Anderson shares proven techniques honed through years of watching teen speakers, including Tavi Gevinson and Chelsea Clinton, wow TED audiences. It includes everything teens need to persuade, inspire, and inform others. This comprehensive, accessible guide will help any teen become a confident, capable speaker.]]> 160 Chris J. Anderson 1328995070 Mango 5 4.17
author: Chris J. Anderson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:
Very useful book as someone who hates public speaking (my AP Research presentation is next week).
]]> 216879705 From the author of the instant New York Times bestseller I Hope This Doesn't Find You, Never Thought I'd End Up Here is another hilarious and romantic romcom from Ann Liang, this time following a former model determined to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA - it's all she's ever known. But after accidentally wishing her cousin ill health and a very depressing marriage at her wedding, her parents stage an intervention. She's forgotten most of her Mandarin, has zero regard for etiquette, and can't hold a conversation with her own grandparents for longer than a minute. Their solution? Send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China's most beautiful cities. To them, it's the perfect opportunity for Leah to get back to her roots. To Leah, it's simply a much-needed escape.

But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is her former classmate and least favorite person cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who's somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome since they last saw each other.

While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody's looking, she can't get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Yet the deeper they wander into China's provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love - with the boy she once thought she despised, the home she never thought she'd call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.]]> 320 Ann Liang 1546110674 Mango 0 to-read 4.57 2025
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 156714412 Ann Liang Mango 0 to-read 4.85 2026
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.85
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203578730 Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.

Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All she has to do is infiltrate the enemy palace as a spy, seduce their immoral king, and weaken them from within.

Trained by Fanli in everything from classical instruments to concealing emotion, Xishi hones her beauty into the perfect blade. But she knows Fanli can see through every deception she masters, the attraction between them burning away any falsehoods.

Once inside the enemy palace, Xishi finds herself under the hungry gaze of the king’s advisors while the king himself shows her great affection. Despite his gentleness, a brutality lurks and Xishi knows she can never let her guard down. But the higher Xishi climbs in the Wu court, the farther she and Fanli have to fall—and if she is unmasked as a traitor, she will bring both kingdoms down.]]> 325 Ann Liang 1250289467 Mango 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222582194
Confused and frightened, Raman is whisked away to a hidden temple where he learns about his accursed past and the incredible power of the Cosmic Seed. With the fate of the world at stake, Raman must find a way to keep the Seed out of the hands of the Asuras, or risk losing everything he holds dear.]]> 386 Najeev Nadarajah 0991722965 Mango 4
Isva Raman is not your typical 15-year-old. Although he is frequently bullied by his peers, Raman is the opposite of timid and cowardly, but a loyal friend. After his world is turned upside-down by an attack from an Asura who unlocks his ability to access a completely different world (one filled with Asuras, vanaras, elemental magic, and so much more), Raman discovers that Asura attacks like that don’t happen often. In fact, that attack wasn’t a coincidence. It was targeted� very targeted. Almost at once, a stack of responsibilities is dropped onto Raman’s shoulders, as the fate of this magical world lies in Raman’s hands.

The Tale of Isva Raman is so much more than the “South Asian version of Percy Jackson.� It has its own unique traits that makes it stand out from books that attempt to mimic Percy Jackson. Nadarajah’s interpretation of Hindu narratives are very unique, which is what makes this such a gripping novel. The pacing is very fast and it maintains this steady pace throughout the novel, making it difficult to put down.

As mentioned above, the story follows Isva Raman as the main character. I admire Raman’s loyalty and bravery throughout the book and how he faces his internal struggles head-on, though the development could have been slightly more thorough. Nadarajah’s consistent use of internal dialogue makes this book very readable and makes Raman a relatable character to all audiences, especially teenagers.

In addition to Raman’s loveable nature and the fast plot, Nadarajah’s writing style is impressive. He knows how to shift tones very well, when to establish a light-hearted tone through Raman’s humor, and to transition to more serious tones when Raman faces obstacles of all kinds, from physical ones, to socal ones.

What impressed me the most was Nadarah’s beautiful world-building. There are very few books that build a world as well as Nadarajah and make it easy to understand to all readers� regardless of whether they are aware of Hindu culture.

As a side note, I found it very cute that Raman’s love interest’s name is Sita, just as Rama’s wife is Sita in the original epic, the Mahabharata.

Overall, The Tale of Isva Raman is a beautiful interpretation of Hindu narratives and I really believe that this will spark an interest in South Asian culture, in particular Hinduism. Although I said above that this book is more than Percy Jackson, I recommend this read to anyone who is a fan of both Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Nadarajah brings a completely unique story to the table and I just know anyone who loves fantasy/mystery novels will enjoy it thoroughly.



]]> 4.87
author: Najeev Nadarajah
name: Mango
average rating: 4.87
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
“Do not let a foolish word like destiny decide who you are and what you can do.�

Isva Raman is not your typical 15-year-old. Although he is frequently bullied by his peers, Raman is the opposite of timid and cowardly, but a loyal friend. After his world is turned upside-down by an attack from an Asura who unlocks his ability to access a completely different world (one filled with Asuras, vanaras, elemental magic, and so much more), Raman discovers that Asura attacks like that don’t happen often. In fact, that attack wasn’t a coincidence. It was targeted� very targeted. Almost at once, a stack of responsibilities is dropped onto Raman’s shoulders, as the fate of this magical world lies in Raman’s hands.

The Tale of Isva Raman is so much more than the “South Asian version of Percy Jackson.� It has its own unique traits that makes it stand out from books that attempt to mimic Percy Jackson. Nadarajah’s interpretation of Hindu narratives are very unique, which is what makes this such a gripping novel. The pacing is very fast and it maintains this steady pace throughout the novel, making it difficult to put down.

As mentioned above, the story follows Isva Raman as the main character. I admire Raman’s loyalty and bravery throughout the book and how he faces his internal struggles head-on, though the development could have been slightly more thorough. Nadarajah’s consistent use of internal dialogue makes this book very readable and makes Raman a relatable character to all audiences, especially teenagers.

In addition to Raman’s loveable nature and the fast plot, Nadarajah’s writing style is impressive. He knows how to shift tones very well, when to establish a light-hearted tone through Raman’s humor, and to transition to more serious tones when Raman faces obstacles of all kinds, from physical ones, to socal ones.

What impressed me the most was Nadarah’s beautiful world-building. There are very few books that build a world as well as Nadarajah and make it easy to understand to all readers� regardless of whether they are aware of Hindu culture.

As a side note, I found it very cute that Raman’s love interest’s name is Sita, just as Rama’s wife is Sita in the original epic, the Mahabharata.

Overall, The Tale of Isva Raman is a beautiful interpretation of Hindu narratives and I really believe that this will spark an interest in South Asian culture, in particular Hinduism. Although I said above that this book is more than Percy Jackson, I recommend this read to anyone who is a fan of both Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Nadarajah brings a completely unique story to the table and I just know anyone who loves fantasy/mystery novels will enjoy it thoroughly.




]]> 386142 The hilarious novel that inspired the blockbuster movie--including what's next for Elle Woods!

Elle Woods, California University senior, seems to have it all. President of Delta Gamma sorority, she's aced her major--sociopolitical jewellery design--and is on the verge of becoming Mrs. Warner Huntington III. Too bad Warner, bound for Stanford Law, dumps her with the explanation he needs a more "serious" woman at his side. Faced with this unexpected reversal of fortune, Woods doesn't get depressed, she gets busy.

Thanks to a creative application video and a demand for "diversity" at Stanford Law, Elle gets admitted. Soon she's packing her convertible--as well as her pet Chihuahua "Underdog"--and heading north, determined to win back her man. Smart, fast, and funny, Legally Blonde proves how much fun blondes really can have!]]> 272 Amanda Brown 0751534552 Mango 0 to-read 3.68 2001
author: Amanda Brown
name: Mango
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214333691 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 Mango 0 to-read 4.71 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Mango
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61374793
Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.]]> 320 Ann Liang 133552312X Mango 4 4.09 2025
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
A really moving novel that emphasizes the importance of self-love and pursuing your passions.
]]> 18007564
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error� are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills � and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit � he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

]]> 384 Andy Weir 0804139024 Mango 5 4.41 2011
author: Andy Weir
name: Mango
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
Really gripping, Mark Watney is an iconic character.
]]> 198688520
" Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak ." —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone

Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitorsĚýin the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipersâ€� nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .]]> 496 Alexandra Bracken 0593481682 Mango 0 to-read 3.82 2023
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Mango
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220223963 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder—now a hit Netflix series—returns with her first novel for adults: a twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.]]> 400 Holly Jackson 059397705X Mango 0 to-read 4.41 2025
author: Holly Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Mango 5
Dr. Ryland Grace has spent his entire life trying to prove that extra-terrestrial life doesn’t require water to survive. After being mocked for his theories by researchers worldwide, he decides to hang up his lab coat for good, becoming a junior high science teacher. However, after a recent discovery of a microscopic organism that has been observed to eat the Sun, Grace is pulled into the research world again due to his experience doing extraterrestrial research. The more he uncovers, the more Earth’s fate seems to be at risk. Grace eventually is coerced to become an astronaut to uncover information to destroy the organisms. In this timeless epic, Grace must overcome various obstacles (including meeting intelligent extraterrestrial life!) to save his planet.

Project Hail Mary isn’t just your typical sci-fi novel. In addition to typical story elements, it emphasizes the power of science and its practical applications, making the book as intellectually stimulating as entertaining. This story teaches us the power of perseverance and curiosity in scientific inquiry, making it a great book for adolescents considering STEM careers.

Weir’s pacing of this novel is sublime, as it maintains its quick speed throughout the novel. Weir’s flashbacks also beautifully weave in Grace’s past life with his current, smoothly explaining how he got himself into such a precarious predicament, keeping the reader in a sweet spot where he/she doesn’t know everything, but aren’t completely confused when reading.

As mentioned above, the story follows Dr. Ryland Grace as the main character. Weir develops his character well, showing a clear yet gradual growth of his attitude towards science. In the beginning, although Grace’s interest in scientific research is apparent, he lacks the endurance and determination in face of obstacles. Throughout the story, Grace gradually gains the endurance and maturity to face any hurdles thrown his way. Grace also has a very distinct personality, not as a stereotypical serious researcher, but as a constantly curious scientist with a classic American sense of humor. Weir’s consistent use of internal dialogue also makes Grace a loveable character that readers across a wide age range can relate to. Overall, Weir makes Grace a loveable character to his audience while making his flaws and character development apparent.

In addition to an exceptional plot and characters, Weir also maintains a conversational writing style, keeping the audience’s attention throughout the entire story. Weir’s casual writing also allows for a wide range of audiences to easily understand the scientific and technical aspects of the novel. Without this writing style, this book wouldn’t have captivated such a wide audience.

Simply put, Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is a brilliant piece of science-fiction that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It is one of the rare books I would recommend to anyone� not just sci-fi enthusiasts. Weir brilliantly instills a love for science into his audience through this captivating, high-stakes adventure.
]]> 4.49 2021
author: Andy Weir
name: Mango
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
“Sometimes, the stuff we all hate ends up being the only way to do things.�

Dr. Ryland Grace has spent his entire life trying to prove that extra-terrestrial life doesn’t require water to survive. After being mocked for his theories by researchers worldwide, he decides to hang up his lab coat for good, becoming a junior high science teacher. However, after a recent discovery of a microscopic organism that has been observed to eat the Sun, Grace is pulled into the research world again due to his experience doing extraterrestrial research. The more he uncovers, the more Earth’s fate seems to be at risk. Grace eventually is coerced to become an astronaut to uncover information to destroy the organisms. In this timeless epic, Grace must overcome various obstacles (including meeting intelligent extraterrestrial life!) to save his planet.

Project Hail Mary isn’t just your typical sci-fi novel. In addition to typical story elements, it emphasizes the power of science and its practical applications, making the book as intellectually stimulating as entertaining. This story teaches us the power of perseverance and curiosity in scientific inquiry, making it a great book for adolescents considering STEM careers.

Weir’s pacing of this novel is sublime, as it maintains its quick speed throughout the novel. Weir’s flashbacks also beautifully weave in Grace’s past life with his current, smoothly explaining how he got himself into such a precarious predicament, keeping the reader in a sweet spot where he/she doesn’t know everything, but aren’t completely confused when reading.

As mentioned above, the story follows Dr. Ryland Grace as the main character. Weir develops his character well, showing a clear yet gradual growth of his attitude towards science. In the beginning, although Grace’s interest in scientific research is apparent, he lacks the endurance and determination in face of obstacles. Throughout the story, Grace gradually gains the endurance and maturity to face any hurdles thrown his way. Grace also has a very distinct personality, not as a stereotypical serious researcher, but as a constantly curious scientist with a classic American sense of humor. Weir’s consistent use of internal dialogue also makes Grace a loveable character that readers across a wide age range can relate to. Overall, Weir makes Grace a loveable character to his audience while making his flaws and character development apparent.

In addition to an exceptional plot and characters, Weir also maintains a conversational writing style, keeping the audience’s attention throughout the entire story. Weir’s casual writing also allows for a wide range of audiences to easily understand the scientific and technical aspects of the novel. Without this writing style, this book wouldn’t have captivated such a wide audience.

Simply put, Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is a brilliant piece of science-fiction that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It is one of the rare books I would recommend to anyone� not just sci-fi enthusiasts. Weir brilliantly instills a love for science into his audience through this captivating, high-stakes adventure.

]]> 436045
"Gutsy, gritty and often very funny ... irresistible theatricality."
- Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press]]> 83 Zora Neale Hurston 1559360240 Mango 3 3.70
author: Zora Neale Hurston
name: Mango
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 33917 Interpreter of Maladies established this young writer as one the most brilliant of her generation. Her stories are one of the very few debut works -- and only a handful of collections -- to have won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Among the many other awards and honors it received were the New Yorker Debut of the Year award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the highest critical praise for its grace, acuity, and compassion in detailing lives transported from India to America.

In The Namesake, Lahiri enriches the themes that made her collection an international bestseller: the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations. Here again Lahiri displays her deft touch for the perfect detail � the fleeting moment, the turn of phrase � that opens whole worlds of emotion.

The Namesake takes the Ganguli family from their tradition-bound life in Calcutta through their fraught transformation into Americans. On the heels of their arranged wedding, Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli settle together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An engineer by training, Ashoke adapts far less warily than his wife, who resists all things American and pines for her family. When their son is born, the task of naming him betrays the vexed results of bringing old ways to the new world. Named for a Russian writer by his Indian parents in memory of a catastrophe years before, Gogol Ganguli knows only that he suffers the burden of his heritage as well as his odd, antic name.

Lahiri brings great empathy to Gogol as he stumbles along the first-generation path, strewn with conflicting loyalties, comic detours, and wrenching love affairs. With penetrating insight, she reveals not only the defining power of the names and expectations bestowed upon us by our parents, but also the means by which we slowly, sometimes painfully, come to define ourselves.]]> 304 Jhumpa Lahiri 0618485228 Mango 1 4.01 2003
author: Jhumpa Lahiri
name: Mango
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2003
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
This book was genuinely garbage. I kept waiting for it to get better but it never did. RTC because I am fuming
]]> 61319750
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.

Xavier asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers how many secrets he’s hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom—a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.]]> 352 Catherine Bakewell 0063214598 Mango 0 to-read 3.46 2023
author: Catherine Bakewell
name: Mango
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 207293948
Flash forward months later, and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.

Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with rom-com-worthy grand gestures she loves. Only . . . Liz will have none of it! Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend . . . a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.]]> 442 Lynn Painter 1665947136 Mango 0 to-read 3.99 2024
author: Lynn Painter
name: Mango
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 53331577 Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.]]> 325 Madeline Martin 133528480X Mango 0 to-read 4.07 2021
author: Madeline Martin
name: Mango
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 22521938 The inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history

A gorgeously told novel in verse written with intimacy and power,ĚýAudacityĚýis inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth centuryĚýand foughtĚýtenaciously for equal rights. Bucking the norms of both her traditional Jewish family and societal conventions, ClaraĚýrefuses to accept substandard working conditions in the factories on Manhattan's Lower East Side. For years, Clara devotes herself to the labor fight, speaking up for those who suffer in silence. In time, Clara convinces the women in the factories to strike, organize, and unionize, culminating in the famous Uprising of the 20,000.
Powerful, breathtaking, and inspiring,ĚýAudacityĚýis the story of a remarkable young woman, whose passion and selfless devotion to her cause changed the world.]]> 389 Melanie Crowder 0399168990 Mango 0 to-read 4.13 2015
author: Melanie Crowder
name: Mango
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 73945 The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399BCE against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel" (24b). "Apology" here has its earlier meaning (now usually expressed by the word "apologia") of speaking in defense of a cause or of one's beliefs or actions.

The revised edition of this popular textbook features revised vocabulary and grammatical notes that now appear on the same page as the text, sentence diagrams, principal parts of verbs listed both by Stephanus page and alphabetically, word frequency list for words occurring more than twice, and complete vocabulary.]]> 127 Plato 0865163480 Mango 4 4.22 -399
author: Plato
name: Mango
average rating: 4.22
book published: -399
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 982310 Phaedo is acknowledged to be one of Plato's masterpieces, showing him both as a philosopher and as a dramatist at the height of his powers. For its moving account of the execution of Socrates, the Phaedo ranks among the supreme literary achievements of antiquity. It is also a document crucial to the understanding of many ideas deeply ingrained in western culture, and provides one of the best introductions to Plato's thought.]]> 144 Plato 0192839535 Mango 3 4.08 -380
author: Plato
name: Mango
average rating: 4.08
book published: -380
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 20262705
But Jarrus won't be fighting alone. Unlikely allies, including a bomb-throwing radical, a former Imperial surveillance agent, a vengeful security officer, and the mysterious Hera Syndulla--an agent provocateur with motives of her own--team up with Jarrus to challenge the Empire. As a crisis of apocalyptic proportions unfolds on the planet Gorse, they must stand together against one of the Emperor's most fearsome enforcers--for the sake of a world and its people.]]> 367 John Jackson Miller 0553392867 Mango 0 to-read 3.80 2014
author: John Jackson Miller
name: Mango
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13206900
When Winter develops feelings for the handsome palace guard, Jacin, she fears the evil Queen will crush their romance before it has a chance to begin.

But there are stirrings against the Queen across the land. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even find the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter claim their happily ever afters by defeating Levana once and for all?]]> 827 Marissa Meyer 0312642989 Mango 5 currently-reading
I just can't get over it. How is the series over? I have grown so attached to all these amazing characters-- Determined and clever Cinder. Caring and sweet Kai. Headstrong and reckless Scarlet. Awkward and protective Wolf. Shy and genius Cress. Charismatic and brave Thorne. Cute and slightly-insane Winter. Serious and defensive Jacin. Delightful and hilarious Iko. And of course, invincible and manipulative Levana.

I can't get over how well Marissa developed these characters. Each of them took an amazing journey to get to who they were at the end of this. It is truly awe-inspiring. I normally don't put an author on my favorite list after just one series, but I am now. This series was a masterpiece, and nothing can change my mind. Marissa Meyer is up there with J.K. Rowling (don't support her beliefs), Rick Riordan, Sabaa Tahir, and so many more.


The plot...I don't even know how she came up with something so creative. The plot was so steadily paced, and it always kept you reading. The ending...it legit made me shed a tear or two. Maybe that's why I'm so triggered--I almost NEVER cry when I'm reading a book. Literally, last time I remember crying over a book was in 6th or 7th grade??
Anyways, the plot was beautifully paced, and I loved the multiple point of views. It was fast paced, with plot twists sprinkled here and there.

Don't even get me started on the writing. How is it so simple, and easy to understand, but it seems so much more than that? I can't describe it. Oh no! Guess you'll have to read the series to find out what I mean. >:)

Moving on, if you still can't get over the end of this series, here is some lovely fanart I found on the Internet.

Cinder









Kai:







Cinder + Kai
[spoilers removed]

Scarlet:





[image error]


Wolf:






Scarlet + Wolf:







Cress:








Thorne:








Cress + Thorne:










Winter:







Jacin:







Winter + Jacin:








Iko:











Levana:









Other:







[image error]



]]> 4.42 2015
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/04
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: currently-reading
review:
How. How is it that this wonderful series is over? I am feeling both happy and sad. I am literally so tempted to get Cinder again and start the series over. Alas, 2021 is coming to an end, and I need to read as many books as possible before that deadline.

I just can't get over it. How is the series over? I have grown so attached to all these amazing characters-- Determined and clever Cinder. Caring and sweet Kai. Headstrong and reckless Scarlet. Awkward and protective Wolf. Shy and genius Cress. Charismatic and brave Thorne. Cute and slightly-insane Winter. Serious and defensive Jacin. Delightful and hilarious Iko. And of course, invincible and manipulative Levana.

I can't get over how well Marissa developed these characters. Each of them took an amazing journey to get to who they were at the end of this. It is truly awe-inspiring. I normally don't put an author on my favorite list after just one series, but I am now. This series was a masterpiece, and nothing can change my mind. Marissa Meyer is up there with J.K. Rowling (don't support her beliefs), Rick Riordan, Sabaa Tahir, and so many more.


The plot...I don't even know how she came up with something so creative. The plot was so steadily paced, and it always kept you reading. The ending...it legit made me shed a tear or two. Maybe that's why I'm so triggered--I almost NEVER cry when I'm reading a book. Literally, last time I remember crying over a book was in 6th or 7th grade??
Anyways, the plot was beautifully paced, and I loved the multiple point of views. It was fast paced, with plot twists sprinkled here and there.

Don't even get me started on the writing. How is it so simple, and easy to understand, but it seems so much more than that? I can't describe it. Oh no! Guess you'll have to read the series to find out what I mean. >:)

Moving on, if you still can't get over the end of this series, here is some lovely fanart I found on the Internet.

Cinder









Kai:







Cinder + Kai
[spoilers removed]

Scarlet:





[image error]


Wolf:






Scarlet + Wolf:







Cress:








Thorne:








Cress + Thorne:










Winter:







Jacin:







Winter + Jacin:








Iko:











Levana:









Other:







[image error]




]]> 56732222 Two twins,Ěýone prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentorĚý to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH andĚýthe 5 Worlds series.Ěý

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they'd wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.
Ěý
But they aren't alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?
Ěý
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.
Ěý

Episodes 1-71]]> 384 MĂ­riam Bonastre Tur 0358468299 Mango 0 to-read 4.38 2021
author: MĂ­riam Bonastre Tur
name: Mango
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13206828
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 0312642970 Mango 5
Advice for those who read this: Be sure to have the next book, Winter in hand, right after you finish this! Trust me, you won't be able to wait. >:)]]> 4.40 2014
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:
What an epic story! Cress is definitely my favorite so far in this series. I really enjoyed the word-building, the plot, and especially the characters. The plot gives you a crazy ride, but at the end leave you hanging on a steep cliff. The characters were remarkable too! I loved the strong female protagonists, their conflicts, and their growth. They were so realistic, and I found them funny and easy to relate to. To top it all off, Meyer executes this story with spectacular word building and word choices. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

Advice for those who read this: Be sure to have the next book, Winter in hand, right after you finish this! Trust me, you won't be able to wait. >:)
]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Mango 3 World-Building: 10/10
Romance: 8/10 (wasn't a smooth transition between enemies to lovers, but Xaden is a huge green flag)
Writing: 6/10 (cussing was excessive and had no class)]]> 4.56 2023
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Mango
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/25
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:
Plot: 10/10
World-Building: 10/10
Romance: 8/10 (wasn't a smooth transition between enemies to lovers, but Xaden is a huge green flag)
Writing: 6/10 (cussing was excessive and had no class)
]]> 222670827 A rumor.
A missing girl.

Sutton University holds too many secrets.

Sophomore Maggie Larson hates living in the shadow of her parents' legacies. As a first-time student reporter, she takes the lead on an investigation piece when a series of hospitalizations surface among the three top sororities. Her investigation stalls when friend and sorority informant Kelsey goes missing. When no one seems to care except an anonymous online contact, warning her of a secret group, Maggie takes matters into her own hands.

A puzzle.
A key.
A murder.

Can Maggie find the truth before it's too late?]]> 324 Elle D. Betz Mango 0 arc
I hope you all check her book out once it's published. You won't regret it!]]> 4.33
author: Elle D. Betz
name: Mango
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: arc
review:
Wow! What a ride. Thanks to the author Elle for giving me a free copy of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I hope you all check her book out once it's published. You won't regret it!
]]> 312043 A magical adventure about the power of dragons...

When David moves in with Elizabeth Pennykettle and her eleven-year-old daughter, Lucy, he discovers a collection of clay dragons that come to life. David's own special dragon inspires him to write a story, which reveals the secrets behind a mystery. In order to solve the mystery and save his dragon, David must master the magic of the fire within - not only with his hands but also with his heart.]]> 340 Chris d'Lacey 0439672449 Mango 3 3.80 2001
author: Chris d'Lacey
name: Mango
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 13206760
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother, or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana.

The adventure continues in this fresh fairytale retelling that combines elements of Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.]]> 454 Marissa Meyer 0312642962 Mango 4 4.24 2013
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:
WAIT WHAT SERIOUSLY WHY DID IT HAFTA END LIKE THAT? Good thing I already have the next book. >:)
]]> 50398 Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen's "Gothic parody." Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story's unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry's mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

Executed with high-spirited gusto, Northanger Abbey is a lighthearted, yet unsentimental commentary on love and marriage.]]> 260 Jane Austen 1593082649 Mango 0 to-read 3.85 1817
author: Jane Austen
name: Mango
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1817
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:
Just watched the movie with my mom and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope to read it soon!
]]> 136116 182 Emmuska Orczy 1576469239 Mango 5 currently-reading
Omg this is SO GOOD and the fact that I was learning about the French Revolution in school while reading this enhanced this experience even more, timing matters!

Anyway I recommend this to EVERY READER OUT THERE THIS WAS SO GOODASFJLSFJKD

Buddy read with my bestie Kenny :)]]> 4.07 1905
author: Emmuska Orczy
name: Mango
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1905
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:
This book>>

Omg this is SO GOOD and the fact that I was learning about the French Revolution in school while reading this enhanced this experience even more, timing matters!

Anyway I recommend this to EVERY READER OUT THERE THIS WAS SO GOODASFJLSFJKD

Buddy read with my bestie Kenny :)
]]> 36381037
She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.]]> 400 Marissa Meyer Mango 4 ------------------------------
WAIT WHAT. NOOOOOOO IT CAN'T END LIKE THAT. :( Review to come!]]> 4.11 2012
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves:
review:
Why did I wait so long to read this? I absolutely adored this! Some parts of the book were a bit slow, so it wasn't perfect. But otherwise, I loved the concepts and the characters!
------------------------------
WAIT WHAT. NOOOOOOO IT CAN'T END LIKE THAT. :( Review to come!
]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Mango 0 to-read 4.37 2021
author: John Green
name: Mango
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 28921 Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 0571225381 here.

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall, decides to take a motoring trip through the West Country. The six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past of Stevens and England, a past that takes in fascism, two world wars, and an unrealised love between the butler and his housekeeper.]]> 258 Kazuo Ishiguro Mango 0 to-read 4.14 1989
author: Kazuo Ishiguro
name: Mango
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55710822 In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.]]> 356 Lynn Painter 1534467629 Mango 3 Sometimes we all just need a mindless cheesy rom-com. Nothing special or revolutionary, but cute nevertheless.]]> 4.28 2021
author: Lynn Painter
name: Mango
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars
Sometimes we all just need a mindless cheesy rom-com. Nothing special or revolutionary, but cute nevertheless.
]]> 61326735
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?]]> 389 Ali Hazelwood 1408725797 Mango 0 never-reading 4.07 2023
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Mango
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: never-reading
review:

]]> 41453635
Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Việt Nam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn’t know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her.

Hằng is overjoyed when she reunites with Linh. But when she realizes he doesn’t remember her, their family, or Việt Nam, her heart is crushed. Though the distance between them feels greater than ever, Hằng has come so far that she will do anything to bridge the gap.]]> 320 Thanhhà Lại 0062229230 Mango 3
This was a very enimotionally-driven novel and had some powerful themes pertaining to the many losses and suffering the Vietnamese people had to go through during its communist regime under Ho Chi Minh. It's a very heavy books with vivid descriptions of traumatic memories the main character Hang had in her home country and how she's trying to make a better life for her and her brother.

In America, she meets LeeRoy, an aspiring cowboy, who reluctantly agrees to help her in reconnecting with her brother. At first, I didn't like LeeRoy because I was never a fan of the cow-boy aesthetic and that got in the way of me enjoying his character. However, as the novel progressed, his character developed more and I enjoyed him and Hang as a couple.

However, the reason I rated this book 3.5 stars is because of how the author tried to reconnect Hang and her brother, Linh. There were a couple sweet moments, like how Hang used to draw pictures to help Hang remember his favorite tropical fruits back in Vietnam. My favorite one was probably the final moment, when Hang and Linh sung their favorite childhood song, Butterfly Yellow together. But there was no explicit ending that the two of them had reestablished their connection and that Ling actually acknowledged that they were siblings. The overall conclusion to their sibling relationship felt so incomplete and confusing that I had to dock off points.

Another small flaw I noticed was that the author very consistently info-dumped. I felt like often-times she would dump flashbacks about Hang's history without giving context. Half the time, I had to reread what I just read, and the chapter before it to even piece together who was in what scene. These traumatic flashbacks were the center of the plot, of Hang's history, of what made her into this person. Giving the flashbacks more context, or improving the story-telling of them would have significantly elevated the story and brought even more depth to Hang's character than there already is.

Overall, this is a beautiful book. If you need a short book, are a fan of historical fiction, and can handle heavy themes of war, I'd say pick this up. Don't expect perfection, but you will definitely enjoy it.]]> 3.84 2019
author: Thanhhà Lại
name: Mango
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

This was a very enimotionally-driven novel and had some powerful themes pertaining to the many losses and suffering the Vietnamese people had to go through during its communist regime under Ho Chi Minh. It's a very heavy books with vivid descriptions of traumatic memories the main character Hang had in her home country and how she's trying to make a better life for her and her brother.

In America, she meets LeeRoy, an aspiring cowboy, who reluctantly agrees to help her in reconnecting with her brother. At first, I didn't like LeeRoy because I was never a fan of the cow-boy aesthetic and that got in the way of me enjoying his character. However, as the novel progressed, his character developed more and I enjoyed him and Hang as a couple.

However, the reason I rated this book 3.5 stars is because of how the author tried to reconnect Hang and her brother, Linh. There were a couple sweet moments, like how Hang used to draw pictures to help Hang remember his favorite tropical fruits back in Vietnam. My favorite one was probably the final moment, when Hang and Linh sung their favorite childhood song, Butterfly Yellow together. But there was no explicit ending that the two of them had reestablished their connection and that Ling actually acknowledged that they were siblings. The overall conclusion to their sibling relationship felt so incomplete and confusing that I had to dock off points.

Another small flaw I noticed was that the author very consistently info-dumped. I felt like often-times she would dump flashbacks about Hang's history without giving context. Half the time, I had to reread what I just read, and the chapter before it to even piece together who was in what scene. These traumatic flashbacks were the center of the plot, of Hang's history, of what made her into this person. Giving the flashbacks more context, or improving the story-telling of them would have significantly elevated the story and brought even more depth to Hang's character than there already is.

Overall, this is a beautiful book. If you need a short book, are a fan of historical fiction, and can handle heavy themes of war, I'd say pick this up. Don't expect perfection, but you will definitely enjoy it.
]]> 16312
From the Publisher:
What reason would an amiable dentist like Dr. Morely have for committing suicide? He didn't have emotional difficulties, money problems, or love trouble. What he did have was an appointment with Hercule Poirot, who is not persuaded by the suicide story and has therefore taken it upon himself to question the good doctor's patients, partners, and friends. All he's come up with is the numbing fear that Dr. Morely wasn't an unlikely victim at all. Nor the first.]]> 0 Agatha Christie 1572703857 Mango 5 3.79 1940
author: Agatha Christie
name: Mango
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1940
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
THIS WAS SO GOOD I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING
]]> 12938
The play tells us about families struggling between greed and cruelty, on the one hand, and support and consolation, on the other. Emotions are extreme, magnified to gigantic proportions. We also see old age portrayed in all its vulnerability, pride, and, perhaps, wisdom—one reason this most devastating of Shakespeare’s tragedies is also perhaps his most moving.

The authoritative edition of King Lear from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:

-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play

-Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play

-Scene-by-scene plot summaries

-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases

-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language

-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play

-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books

-An annotated guide to further reading

Essay by Susan Snyder

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.]]> 339 William Shakespeare Mango 4 Regan and Goneril are NOT girl's girls]]> 3.91 1605
author: William Shakespeare
name: Mango
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1605
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/17
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Ngl I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would LOL
Regan and Goneril are NOT girl's girls
]]> 17061
In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.

The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only it's different.

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

Critically acclaimed and award-winning author Neil Gaiman will delight readers with his first novel for all ages.]]> 176 Neil Gaiman 0061139378 Mango 4 4.13 2002
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Mango
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/01
shelves:
review:
Cozy Halloween read, but not as scary as I thought it would be? I don't know, I think I was expecting it to be way scarier because everyone told me it was scarier than the movie. But it was a fun story! Loved the illustrations in my edition as well.
]]> 10644930
In 2011, Jake Epping, an English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, sets out on an insane � and insanely possible � mission to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

Leaving behind a world of computers and mobile phones, he goes back to a time of big American cars and diners, of Lindy Hopping, the sound of Elvis, and the taste of root beer.

In this haunting world, Jake falls in love with Sadie, a beautiful high school librarian. And, as the ominous date of 11/22/63 approaches, he encounters a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald...]]> 849 Stephen King 1451627289 Mango 0 to-read 4.33 2011
author: Stephen King
name: Mango
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> 1254876 32 David Eastman 0893756156 Mango 5 4.37 1982
author: David Eastman
name: Mango
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1982
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
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being a ginger while reading this sounds so fun
]]> 47021
Padua holds many suitors for the hand of fair Bianca, but Bianca may not be married until her spinster sister, Kate, is wed. Could any man be rash enough to take on Kate?

The witty adventurer Petruchio undertakes the task. While he sets about transforming Kate from foul-tempered termagant to loving wife, young Lucentio and his clever servant, Tranio, plot to win Bianca.

Frances Barber and Roger Allam are Kate and Petruchio. Lucentio is played by Alan Cox.]]> 291 William Shakespeare 074347757X Mango 3 3.76 1593
author: William Shakespeare
name: Mango
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1593
rating: 3
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]]> 12957 Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare includes two quite different stories of romantic love. Hero and Claudio fall in love almost at first sight, but an outsider, Don John, strikes out at their happiness. Beatrice and Benedick are kept apart by pride and mutual antagonism until others decide to play Cupid.]]> 249 William Shakespeare Mango 0 to-read 4.06 1598
author: William Shakespeare
name: Mango
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1598
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> 1622 298 William Shakespeare 0743477545 Mango 0 to-read 3.95 1595
author: William Shakespeare
name: Mango
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1595
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> 18068105 A short story by Ray Bradbury 24 Ray Bradbury Mango 5 Awww cute story 4.15 1951
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Mango
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1951
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/10/21
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review:
Awww cute story
]]> 6219656
“The Lottery� stands out as one of the most famous short stories in American literary history. Originally published in The New Yorker, the author immediately began receiving letters from readers who demanded an explanation of the story’s meaning. “The Lottery� has been adapted for stage, television, radio and film.
]]> 30 Shirley Jackson 1563127873 Mango 5 4.08 1948
author: Shirley Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1948
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves:
review:
That's so messed up (I loved it)
]]> 36642458 513 Brandon Sanderson 1473217857 Mango 5 4.45 2018
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves:
review:
This was the sci-fi Star Wars vibe book I needed.
]]> 58055359 In 1895, London is rife with secrets. The Davenport family hides their lost fortune. Lady Julie Bainbridge will go to any lengths to keep her past from becoming exposed. A boy watches everything from the shadows. And the island awaits.

Wendy Davenport can’t dodge the bank much longer, and her family’s dire circumstances aren’t improving. She knows change is on the horizon. It soon comes in the form of Peter, whose name is whispered in the streets by friends and enemies alike. They call him a wish granter. A miracle worker. A demon.

One of those enemies sees an opportunity. Lady Julie Bainbridge, a wealthy woman who knows the truth about the Davenport household. She presents Wendy with a choice—kill Peter and get paid handsomely for her troubles, or all of London will know about her family’s ruin.

With no other alternative, Wendy journeys to Neverland with the intention of ending Peter’s life. A task that may prove even more difficult as her attraction to him continues to grow.

Will Wendy be able to strike when it matters most, or will the magic of Neverland—and the boy who holds its heart—jeopardize all she holds dear?

Content warning: This novel contains scenes or themes of dubious consent, sex, profanity, queerphobia, sexism, murder, amputation, and an animal death.]]> 393 K.J. Sutton 1733461663 Mango 0 to-read 3.49 2021
author: K.J. Sutton
name: Mango
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read
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]]> 53716085
To the People of the State of New York:

THERE is an idea, which is not without its advocates, that a vigorous Executive is inconsistent with the genius of republican government. The enlightened well-wishers to this species of government must at least hope that the supposition is destitute of foundation; since they can never admit its truth, without at the same time admitting the condemnation of their own principles.]]> Alexander Hamilton Mango 3
But it was interesting to read his perspective on the executive branch and why we need a POTUS!]]> 2.88
author: Alexander Hamilton
name: Mango
average rating: 2.88
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/28
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Hamilton's writing is so much harder to read than Madison's LOL-- the original certified yapper.

But it was interesting to read his perspective on the executive branch and why we need a POTUS!
]]> 55987278 How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings... until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy...]]> 408 Stephanie Garber 1250268397 Mango 3 4.06 2021
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Mango
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
The book was good, but honestly one of the forgettable ones. The ending was rushed and it felt a bit corny in some parts. Cute book, but I don't think it compares with Caraval.
]]> 54447482
o the People of the State of New York:
WE PROCEED now to an examination of the judiciary department of the proposed government.
In unfolding the defects of the existing Confederation, the utility and necessity of a federal judicature have been clearly pointed out. It is the less necessary to recapitulate the considerations there urged, as the propriety of the institution in the abstract is not disputed; the only questions which have been raised being relative to the manner of constituting it, and to its extent. To these points, therefore, our observations shall be confined.]]> Alexander Hamilton Mango 3 3.33
author: Alexander Hamilton
name: Mango
average rating: 3.33
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/26
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]]> 15645
A groundbreaking bilingual edition of Dante's masterpiece that includes a substantive Introduction, extensive notes, and appendixes that reproduce Dante's key sources and influences. Of the great poets, Dante is one of the most elusive and therefore one of the most difficult to adequately render into English verse. With this major new translation, Anthony Esolen has succeeded brilliantly in marrying sense with sound, poetry with meaning, capturing both the poem's line-by-line vigor and its allegorically and philosophically exacting structure, yielding an Inferno that will be as popular with general readers as with scholars, teachers, and students. For, as Dante insists, without a trace of sentimentality or intellectual compromise, even Hell is a work of divine art.

Esolen's edition also provides a critical ntroduction and endnotes, with appendices containing Dante's most important sources—from Virgil to Saint Thomas Aquinas and beyond —that deftly illuminate the religious universe the poet inhabited.

Verse Translation by Anthony Esolen
Illustrations by Gustave Doré]]> 490 Dante Alighieri 0812970063 Mango 3 read-for-school 4.02 1320
author: Dante Alighieri
name: Mango
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1320
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: read-for-school
review:
seeing tiresias in hell is CRAZY
]]> 61135560 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Most Anticipated from BookPage â€� Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ â€� The Nerd Daily â€� Paste Magazine â€� LitReactor â€� OverDrive â€� LGBTQ Reads â€� more

“An enchanting tale of Pinocchio in the end times.� —P. Djèlí Clark

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,� he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for Can he accept love with strings attached?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful stand-alone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

� “An epic quest of rescue and discovery [with] the author’s trademark charm, heart, and bittersweetness.� �Library Journal, starred review


At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 432 T.J. Klune 1250217423 Mango 0 to-read 3.99 2023
author: T.J. Klune
name: Mango
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 3120865 47 William Faulkner 0895986825 Mango 3 3.61 1939
author: William Faulkner
name: Mango
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1939
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/13
date added: 2024/09/13
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]]> 2984286 36 William Faulkner 1563127881 Mango 3 3.83 1930
author: William Faulkner
name: Mango
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1930
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/11
date added: 2024/09/11
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]]> 261240
It is set in a nameless Italian city in an unspecified year (possibly during the eighteenth century) and concerns the revenge taken by the narrator on a friend who he claims has insulted him. Like several of Poe's stories, and in keeping with the 19th-century fascination with the subject, the narrative revolves around the possibility of a person being buried alive or enclosed in a small space with not possibility of escape (aka immurement).

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the story "The Cask of Amontillado." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ.]]> 24 Edgar Allan Poe 1594561869 Mango 4 4.09 1846
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Mango
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1846
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/08
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]]> 2267195 32 Kate Chopin 078915479X Mango 5
This story always manages to make its way into my life. The first time I came across this story was at my library. My library had a story printer machine, where it would print a random short story on a long receipt paper. I got this story and enjoyed it, especially the twist at the end.

Then, last year, I was given a list of sources to incorporate into a mock paper for AP Seminar. Interestingly, "The Story of an Hour" was on there. Thinking it'd be amusing to use it, I wrote about how society views gender roles and used it as a piece of evidence.

Now. In my AP Literature class, we have to analyze short stories. Guess which one we had to analyze today?? The Story of an Hour.

I'm not sure if the universe is trying to send me a message about this story, but I am now wondering if next year it will somehow make its way into my life yet again.

Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite short stories out there. It puts you in the place of American women in the late 1800s-early 1900s. It showcases the desperation of women to have independence and how brutal societal norms were for them. Interestingly, this was published during the women's suffrage movement, and I would not be surprised if Chopin herself was a feminist.

I love the subtle theme in this and the dark humor in this work. Truly a must-read for everyone.]]> 4.08 1894
author: Kate Chopin
name: Mango
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1894
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/06
date added: 2024/09/06
shelves:
review:
Poor Mrs. Mallard < / 3

This story always manages to make its way into my life. The first time I came across this story was at my library. My library had a story printer machine, where it would print a random short story on a long receipt paper. I got this story and enjoyed it, especially the twist at the end.

Then, last year, I was given a list of sources to incorporate into a mock paper for AP Seminar. Interestingly, "The Story of an Hour" was on there. Thinking it'd be amusing to use it, I wrote about how society views gender roles and used it as a piece of evidence.

Now. In my AP Literature class, we have to analyze short stories. Guess which one we had to analyze today?? The Story of an Hour.

I'm not sure if the universe is trying to send me a message about this story, but I am now wondering if next year it will somehow make its way into my life yet again.

Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite short stories out there. It puts you in the place of American women in the late 1800s-early 1900s. It showcases the desperation of women to have independence and how brutal societal norms were for them. Interestingly, this was published during the women's suffrage movement, and I would not be surprised if Chopin herself was a feminist.

I love the subtle theme in this and the dark humor in this work. Truly a must-read for everyone.
]]> 45700934 and Balances Between the Different Departments

TO WHAT expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.]]> Alexander Hamilton Mango 5 3.87
author: Alexander Hamilton
name: Mango
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/27
date added: 2024/08/27
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]]> 10210 Alternate editions can be found here and here.

A gothic masterpiece of tempestuous passions and dark secrets, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre is edited with an introduction and notes by Stevie Davis in Penguin Classics.

Charlotte Brontë tells the story of orphaned Jane Eyre, who grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, enduring loneliness and cruelty. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane's natural independence and spirit - which prove necessary when she finds employment as a governess to the young ward of Byronic, brooding Mr Rochester. As her feelings for Rochester develop, Jane gradually uncovers Thornfield Hall's terrible secret, forcing her to make a choice. Should she stay with Rochester and live with the consequences, or follow her convictions - even if it means leaving the man she loves? A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom.]]> 532 Charlotte Brontë 0142437204 Mango 0 currently-reading 4.14 1847
author: Charlotte Brontë
name: Mango
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1847
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 15372789 0 James Madison 0829032002 Mango 5 3.55 1993
author: James Madison
name: Mango
average rating: 3.55
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/25
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves:
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A diverse nation = no faction majority = good!
]]> 285500
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimous declaration: the thirteen North American colonies would be the thirteen United States of America, free and independent of Great Britain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration set forth the terms of a new form of government with the following words: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Framed in 1787 and in effect since March 1789, the Constitution of the United States of America fulfilled the promise of the Declaration by establishing a republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, became part of the Constitution on December 15, 1791. Among the rights guaranteed by these amendments are freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to trial by jury. Written so that it could be adapted to endure for years to come, the Constitution has been amended only seventeen times since 1791 and has lasted longer than any other written form of government.]]> 112 Founding Fathers 0553214829 Mango 5

(yes I'm counting this towards my goal I'm 2 books behind)]]> 4.41 1776
author: Founding Fathers
name: Mango
average rating: 4.41
book published: 1776
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves:
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Basically Thomas Jefferson venting and Federalists being Federalists


(yes I'm counting this towards my goal I'm 2 books behind)
]]> 56905097 The finale to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series. By the end of this mystery series, you'll never think of good girls the same way again...

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle... and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears...]]> 500 Holly Jackson 0593379853 Mango 4
Crazy plot, loved it!! However, similar to Good Girl, Bad Blood, the ending was rushed :(

Is a satisfying and final ending too much to ask for D:]]> 4.20 2021
author: Holly Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/15
date added: 2024/08/15
shelves:
review:
This book had me questioning my morals LOLLL

Crazy plot, loved it!! However, similar to Good Girl, Bad Blood, the ending was rushed :(

Is a satisfying and final ending too much to ask for D:
]]> 2450315 330 Jacob Grimm Mango 0 to-read 4.07 1812
author: Jacob Grimm
name: Mango
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1812
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
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]]> 51335759
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?]]> 413 Holly Jackson 1405297751 Mango 4 I also didn't like Pip's sudden change in personality. It's not her new personality I didn't like: it was just the way it was transitioned. Pip's development in this book was also not great. I think the author was trying to make her a figure teens could relate to, and it could have worked, maybe if the book was 40-50 pages longer.
As for the mystery, it was pretty good. As mentioned above, it was a bit rushed, and it suddenly took a dark turn. I love dark turns, but I prefer them to be gradual. Here, ironically like Ant said, "The clues were too convenient." I felt like Pip didn't have to work as hard on the mystery as she did previously, losing its mysterious vibe.
I know this is a lot of flaws for a 4-star book, but I really did enjoy it! Honestly, anything that's a murder mystery is an automatic 4-5 star for me haha.
I am definitely reading the next one. Excited for the finale!]]> 4.27 2020
author: Holly Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/27
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves:
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I really enjoyed this one, but I did not find this mystery as intriguing as its prequel. Don't get me wrong, there was a reason I finished this one so fast; I loved it. But I just felt like everything was revealed too suddenly, and the ending was very rushed.
I also didn't like Pip's sudden change in personality. It's not her new personality I didn't like: it was just the way it was transitioned. Pip's development in this book was also not great. I think the author was trying to make her a figure teens could relate to, and it could have worked, maybe if the book was 40-50 pages longer.
As for the mystery, it was pretty good. As mentioned above, it was a bit rushed, and it suddenly took a dark turn. I love dark turns, but I prefer them to be gradual. Here, ironically like Ant said, "The clues were too convenient." I felt like Pip didn't have to work as hard on the mystery as she did previously, losing its mysterious vibe.
I know this is a lot of flaws for a 4-star book, but I really did enjoy it! Honestly, anything that's a murder mystery is an automatic 4-5 star for me haha.
I am definitely reading the next one. Excited for the finale!
]]> 35068705
When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.]]> 545 R.F. Kuang 0062662597 Mango 0 currently-reading 4.16 2018
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 205476 Our Town was first produced and published in 1938 to wide acclaim. This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the small village of Grover's Corners, an allegorical representation of all life, has become a classic. It is Thornton Wilder's most renowned and most frequently performed play.]]> 181 Thornton Wilder 0060512636 Mango 3 3.72 1938
author: Thornton Wilder
name: Mango
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1938
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/24
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves:
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]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Mango 5 favorites 4.57 1999
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Mango
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/18
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 16341
Librarian's note: this entry is for the novel, "The Moving Finger." Collections and other Miss Marple stories are located elsewhere on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ. The series includes 12 novels and 20 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ for: "a Miss Marple Short Story."]]> 299 Agatha Christie 0007120842 Mango 0 currently-reading 3.85 1942
author: Agatha Christie
name: Mango
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1942
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 40916679
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.]]> 433 Holly Jackson 1405293187 Mango 5 4.30 2019
author: Holly Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/11
date added: 2024/07/11
shelves:
review:
This is exactly what I was looking for. Hands down one of my favorite murder mysteries. :)
]]> 214151316
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them...or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.]]> 656 Tracy Deonn 1665951907 Mango 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Tracy Deonn
name: Mango
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 42771754 All's fair in love and anarchy...

The epic conclusion to Marissa Meyer's thrilling Renegades Trilogy finds Nova and Adrian fighting to keep their identities secret. While the battle rages on between their alter egos and their allies, there is a darker threat shrouding Gatlon City.

The Renegades' worst enemy is back among them, threatening to reclaim Gatlon City. Nova and Adrian must brave lies and betrayal to protect those they love. Their greatest fears are about to come to life, and unless they can bridge the divide between heroes and villains, they stand to lose everything. Including each other.

Intrigue and action will leave readers on edge until the final, shocking secrets are revealed.]]> 549 Marissa Meyer 1250078385 Mango 5 [spoilers removed]]]> 4.38 2019
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/02
date added: 2024/07/02
shelves:
review:
Best series of the year <3
[spoilers removed]
]]> 31076583 229 Sarah J. Maas 168119631X Mango 0 to-read 3.77 2019
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Mango
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58064046 Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?]]> 338 Victoria E. Schwab 0062835777 Mango 3
Schwab has some very interesting concepts in this, but she needs to work on her plots, especially regarding pacing.]]> 3.70 2022
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Mango
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/29
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves:
review:
This book was very hard to get into for me because it was slow for the first 220 pages of the book. However, the last 120 pages picked up and it was interesting.

Schwab has some very interesting concepts in this, but she needs to work on her plots, especially regarding pacing.
]]> 60165418 Dinosaurs is both sharp-edged and tender, an emotionally moving, intellectually resonant novel that asks, In the shadow of existential threat, where does hope live?]]> 230 Lydia Millet 1324021462 Mango 0 to-read 3.85 2022
author: Lydia Millet
name: Mango
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60099660 actually invisible.
Ěý
When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.
Ěý
But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.

In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates� most scandalous secrets.]]> 346 Ann Liang 1335915842 Mango 4 Henry 4.01 2022
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/24
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves:
review:
Henry
]]> 56732449
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.]]> 356 Ali Hazelwood 0593336828 Mango 4 4.11 2021
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Mango
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/24
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves:
review:

]]> 35425827
Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they each other's worst nightmare.

In Renegades, Nova and Adrian (aka Insomnia and Sketch) fought the battle of their lives against the Anarchist known as the Detonator. It was a short-lived victory.

The Anarchists still have a secret weapon, one that Nova believes will protect her. The Renegades also have a strategy for overpowering the Anarchists, but both Nova and Adrian understand that it could mean the end of Gatlon City - and the world - as they know it.]]> 560 Marissa Meyer 1250311446 Mango 5 4.25 2018
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves:
review:
This book got me biting my nails for all the good reasons
]]> 52766407 The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow � maybe she’s already fallen for him.]]> 364 Rachel Lynn Solomon 1534440240 Mango 3
Super cute short romance :)]]> 4.04 2020
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Mango
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/04
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

Super cute short romance :)
]]> 199310463
When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different states.

In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.

In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.

Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?]]> 384 Rachel Lynn Solomon 1665901950 Mango 0 to-read 3.84 2024
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Mango
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 28421168 Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies � humans with extraordinary abilities � who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice � and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.]]> 552 Marissa Meyer 1250044669 Mango 5 4.12 2017
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/03
date added: 2024/06/03
shelves:
review:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH THIS MAY BE THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR
]]> 60321392
N amed a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Book of the Year by The Economist , Oprah Daily, BookPage, Book Riot, the New York Public Library, and more!

In The Song of the Cell , the extraordinary author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Emperor of All Maladies and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Gene “blends cutting-edge research, impeccable scholarship, intrepid reporting, and gorgeous prose into an encyclopedic study that reads like a literary page-turner� ( Oprah Daily ).

Mukherjee begins this magnificent story in the late 1600s, when a distinguished English polymath, Robert Hooke, and an eccentric Dutch cloth-merchant, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek looked down their handmade microscopes. What they saw introduced a radical concept that swept through biology and medicine, touching virtually every aspect of the two sciences, and altering both forever. It was the fact that complex living organisms are assemblages of tiny, self-contained, self-regulating units. Our organs, our physiology, our selves—hearts, blood, brains—are built from these compartments. Hooke christened them � cells. �

The discovery of cells—and the reframing of the human body as a cellular ecosystem—announced the birth of a new kind of medicine based on the therapeutic manipulations of cells. A hip fracture, a cardiac arrest, Alzheimer’s dementia, AIDS, pneumonia, lung cancer, kidney failure, arthritis, COVID pneumonia—all could be reconceived as the results of cells, or systems of cells, functioning abnormally. And all could be perceived as loci of cellular therapies.

Filled with writing so vivid, lucid, and suspenseful that complex science becomes thrilling, The Song of the Cell tells the story of how scientists discovered cells, began to understand them, and are now using that knowledge to create new humans. Told in six parts, and laced with Mukherjee’s own experience as a researcher, a doctor, and a prolific reader, The Song of the Cell is both panoramic and intimate—a masterpiece on what it means to be human.

“In an account both lyrical and capacious, Mukherjee takes us through an evolution of human from the seventeenth-century discovery that humans are made up of cells to our cutting-edge technologies for manipulating and deploying cells for therapeutic purposes� ( The New Yorker).]]> 473 Siddhartha Mukherjee 1982117354 Mango 0 currently-reading 4.25 2022
author: Siddhartha Mukherjee
name: Mango
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 5821978 276 Jenny Han 1416968237 Mango 2 3.77 2009
author: Jenny Han
name: Mango
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at: 2024/05/29
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves:
review:
should i write a rant review? yay or nay
]]> 44107480
Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who's played Carnegie Hall, he's a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that's before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who's already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

Thirty years after these four lovers' fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.

A sweeping, multi-layered romance with a divine twist, by the Printz Honor-winning author of The Passion of Dolssa, set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II.]]> 471 Julie Berry Mango 4 4.23 2019
author: Julie Berry
name: Mango
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/28
date added: 2024/05/28
shelves:
review:
A swoon-worthy romance that integrates numerous aspects of the complexities of WWI.
]]> 7144 671 Fyodor Dostoevsky Mango 0 to-read 4.26 1866
author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
name: Mango
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1866
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]> 498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Mango 1 buddy-reads "I wasn't sure if I didn't prefer being ignored." �

You're probably thinking one of two (maybe both) things.
1. Why I opened this review up with such a trivial quote from this book.
2. You're trying to make sense of the quote above.

The answer is why not kill 2 birds with one stone?
1. There wasn't anything inspirational in this book. Any "cute" quote between Bella and Edward was immediately quashed by Bella and Edward's "character traits" in general.
2. The writing sucked-- like I'm not sure about you but it took me way too long to decipher that quote.

Anyway, this may seem like a review, but no. I've decided I want to try something different. Rather than critiquing, I'm going to teach you! Welcome to Mango Teaches the World How to Write A YA Novel That Leaves You Speechless. It's up to you to decide whether being speechless is a good or bad thing. I'm giving y'all a free trial of this course because I love y'all <33

This course goes through detailed steps on how to write a YA novel that will make readers bored, uncomfortable, and lose their brain cells! This course is also packed with examples to ensure your success.

Plot:

1. Have a rushed romance
You absolutely do NOT want to have a developed romance. Have the characters fall in love with each other within the first 200 pages. What to do for the rest of the 387 pages, you ask? Easy! Have them kiss in every page. Throw in a hug here and there. That should entertain the readers.

"And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him." (pg 198)

Tip: Don't worry if the characters haven't known each other for a while. It's perfectly normal to have them date after 2-3 weeks. Remember, you don't want character development!



2. Have a repetitive plot
"But a plot needs to be complex, with a variety of events to build up to-" *sprays you with water* No. You do NOT want a variety of...well...anything. You must be repetitive.

And don't be shy!!
-Reiterate the same conflicts over and over again without resolving them.

"It's not safe. I'm dangerous, Bella--please grasp that."
"You see...it's dangerous for more than just me, after spending time with you so publicly..."
"Never forget that I am more dangerous to you than I am to anyone else"

Tip: It doesn't matter how many times it's repeated! Just make sure the conflict doesn't develop into anything more and is never solved!!



-Repeat that the main character isn't like other girls.
(see characters, number 1)

-Comment on the love interest's well-formed chest.
"It fit him snugly, emphasizing how muscular his chest was."
"The fabric clung onto his perfectly muscled chest."
"...so that the smooth white skin of his throat flowed uninterrupted over the marble contours of his chest..."

Tip: Personality doesn't matter. It's all about the chest.



3. Randomly throw in an actual plot at the very end and rush it
Worried that readers will get bored of your repetitive plot? Impossible! Readers love repetitiveness.

But in case you're getting bored of writing repetitive material, it's ok to throw in a bit of variety. But don't make it long. Readers don't like different plots, so just rush it! It doesn't matter if it makes sense.

Tip: Don't forget plot holes! Readers love them.

For example:

Clouds don't block out the sun's rays completely-- why don't the Cullens sparkle on cloudy days?

Why can Jasper manipulate Bella's emotions, when she can resist Edward's telepathy?

Why does Bella's blood smell so fRaGrAnt?

Readers absolutely love it when a plot is rich with plot holes. Don't we just love it when the plot doesn't add up!



Characters:
1. Have a not-like-other-girls main character
Omg...a girl who doesn't like shopping!! Who isn't boy-crazy!! Who actually prioritizes school over shopping and boys!!
OH. MY. GOD. A GIRL WHO LIKES READING?!?!?!
Us readers are crazy about such abnormalities.

And omg when all the boys immediately have a crush on her...
When the main character gradually becomes obsessed with the love interest and continues to make stupid decisions...
The way she trips over everything...
My favorite trope is when the MC doesn't report the love interest for stalking her but instead is flattered by it.

"'You spied on me?' But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with proper outrage. I was flattered."



2. Have a love interest who has anger issues but his good looks make up for it
Make sure the love interest is good-looking, mysterious, and that all the girls at school are into him.

He needs to have anger issues! Readers hate love interests who are even-tempered.

"He stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury.

"His eyes were wild, his jaw clenched in acute restraint"



And don't forget the growling. Ah, the animalistic resonations!



We also adore when the love interest grows possessive and throws a tantrum whenever things don't go his way.

Make sure the love interest treats everyone like crap except for the main character. This not only increases the love interest's aloofness but also convinces the reader that the MC is indeed not-like-other-girls.

Btw fun fact: Robert Pattinson (the actor who played Twilight in the movie) actually hated playing the character Edward.

3. Character Development is a no-no
"But character development helps readers relate and-"
*Sprays you with more water* UH UH UH
Readers hate it when you make the characters realistic or change for the better.
Give the MC contradicting characteristics!

"I'm not that delicate"
*faints around blood, has Edward carry her*
*gets injured during PE, has Edward get her out of PE*
*almost gets kidnapped but Edward saves her*
*falls down every other page*

Writing:
1. Add double, no, triple negatives to make sentences seem just as speshul as Bella.

We love sentences that make no sense! It's even more fun than Wordle.
"I wasn't sure if I didn't prefer being ignored"



2. Dedicate every other paragraph to the love interest's perfect body.

Screw the plot! Screw character development! I love reading about male anatomy!

I lightly trailed my hand over the perfect muscles of his arm, followed the faint pattern of bluish veins inside the crease at his elbows.

He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare.



3. Just write goofy sentences in general!

"It had been a while since I'd had a girl's night out, and the estrogen rush was invigorating."

We love estrogen rushes!!



So that, my guys, is how you write a YA novel that will leave you speechless. Whether that's good or not is up to you. I hope you guys find this helpful and keep this in mind when taking out your writing notebook next time.
--------------------
I can’t believe I actually sat through this garbage. I’m too sleepy to write a review right now but y’all are in for a heck of a rant tomorrow]]> 3.66 2005
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 1
read at: 2023/06/04
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves: buddy-reads
review:
� "I wasn't sure if I didn't prefer being ignored." �

You're probably thinking one of two (maybe both) things.
1. Why I opened this review up with such a trivial quote from this book.
2. You're trying to make sense of the quote above.

The answer is why not kill 2 birds with one stone?
1. There wasn't anything inspirational in this book. Any "cute" quote between Bella and Edward was immediately quashed by Bella and Edward's "character traits" in general.
2. The writing sucked-- like I'm not sure about you but it took me way too long to decipher that quote.

Anyway, this may seem like a review, but no. I've decided I want to try something different. Rather than critiquing, I'm going to teach you! Welcome to Mango Teaches the World How to Write A YA Novel That Leaves You Speechless. It's up to you to decide whether being speechless is a good or bad thing. I'm giving y'all a free trial of this course because I love y'all <33

This course goes through detailed steps on how to write a YA novel that will make readers bored, uncomfortable, and lose their brain cells! This course is also packed with examples to ensure your success.

Plot:

1. Have a rushed romance
You absolutely do NOT want to have a developed romance. Have the characters fall in love with each other within the first 200 pages. What to do for the rest of the 387 pages, you ask? Easy! Have them kiss in every page. Throw in a hug here and there. That should entertain the readers.

"And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him." (pg 198)

Tip: Don't worry if the characters haven't known each other for a while. It's perfectly normal to have them date after 2-3 weeks. Remember, you don't want character development!



2. Have a repetitive plot
"But a plot needs to be complex, with a variety of events to build up to-" *sprays you with water* No. You do NOT want a variety of...well...anything. You must be repetitive.

And don't be shy!!
-Reiterate the same conflicts over and over again without resolving them.

"It's not safe. I'm dangerous, Bella--please grasp that."
"You see...it's dangerous for more than just me, after spending time with you so publicly..."
"Never forget that I am more dangerous to you than I am to anyone else"

Tip: It doesn't matter how many times it's repeated! Just make sure the conflict doesn't develop into anything more and is never solved!!



-Repeat that the main character isn't like other girls.
(see characters, number 1)

-Comment on the love interest's well-formed chest.
"It fit him snugly, emphasizing how muscular his chest was."
"The fabric clung onto his perfectly muscled chest."
"...so that the smooth white skin of his throat flowed uninterrupted over the marble contours of his chest..."

Tip: Personality doesn't matter. It's all about the chest.



3. Randomly throw in an actual plot at the very end and rush it
Worried that readers will get bored of your repetitive plot? Impossible! Readers love repetitiveness.

But in case you're getting bored of writing repetitive material, it's ok to throw in a bit of variety. But don't make it long. Readers don't like different plots, so just rush it! It doesn't matter if it makes sense.

Tip: Don't forget plot holes! Readers love them.

For example:

Clouds don't block out the sun's rays completely-- why don't the Cullens sparkle on cloudy days?

Why can Jasper manipulate Bella's emotions, when she can resist Edward's telepathy?

Why does Bella's blood smell so fRaGrAnt?

Readers absolutely love it when a plot is rich with plot holes. Don't we just love it when the plot doesn't add up!



Characters:
1. Have a not-like-other-girls main character
Omg...a girl who doesn't like shopping!! Who isn't boy-crazy!! Who actually prioritizes school over shopping and boys!!
OH. MY. GOD. A GIRL WHO LIKES READING?!?!?!
Us readers are crazy about such abnormalities.

And omg when all the boys immediately have a crush on her...
When the main character gradually becomes obsessed with the love interest and continues to make stupid decisions...
The way she trips over everything...
My favorite trope is when the MC doesn't report the love interest for stalking her but instead is flattered by it.

"'You spied on me?' But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with proper outrage. I was flattered."



2. Have a love interest who has anger issues but his good looks make up for it
Make sure the love interest is good-looking, mysterious, and that all the girls at school are into him.

He needs to have anger issues! Readers hate love interests who are even-tempered.

"He stopped, clenching his teeth together in sudden fury.

"His eyes were wild, his jaw clenched in acute restraint"



And don't forget the growling. Ah, the animalistic resonations!



We also adore when the love interest grows possessive and throws a tantrum whenever things don't go his way.

Make sure the love interest treats everyone like crap except for the main character. This not only increases the love interest's aloofness but also convinces the reader that the MC is indeed not-like-other-girls.

Btw fun fact: Robert Pattinson (the actor who played Twilight in the movie) actually hated playing the character Edward.

3. Character Development is a no-no
"But character development helps readers relate and-"
*Sprays you with more water* UH UH UH
Readers hate it when you make the characters realistic or change for the better.
Give the MC contradicting characteristics!

"I'm not that delicate"
*faints around blood, has Edward carry her*
*gets injured during PE, has Edward get her out of PE*
*almost gets kidnapped but Edward saves her*
*falls down every other page*

Writing:
1. Add double, no, triple negatives to make sentences seem just as speshul as Bella.

We love sentences that make no sense! It's even more fun than Wordle.
"I wasn't sure if I didn't prefer being ignored"



2. Dedicate every other paragraph to the love interest's perfect body.

Screw the plot! Screw character development! I love reading about male anatomy!

I lightly trailed my hand over the perfect muscles of his arm, followed the faint pattern of bluish veins inside the crease at his elbows.

He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare.



3. Just write goofy sentences in general!

"It had been a while since I'd had a girl's night out, and the estrogen rush was invigorating."

We love estrogen rushes!!



So that, my guys, is how you write a YA novel that will leave you speechless. Whether that's good or not is up to you. I hope you guys find this helpful and keep this in mind when taking out your writing notebook next time.
--------------------
I can’t believe I actually sat through this garbage. I’m too sleepy to write a review right now but y’all are in for a heck of a rant tomorrow
]]> 124932739 I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...]]> 320 Ann Liang 1338827154 Mango 5 4.17 2024
author: Ann Liang
name: Mango
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/19
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves:
review:
Fully of witty banter, personal growth and conflicts, and a driving plot, this book does the academic rivals trope justice.
]]> 62047984
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]> 319 R.F. Kuang 000853277X Mango 4 3.69 2023
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Mango
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves:
review:
A gripping tale about the modern publishing industry and its complexities.
]]> 22489107 Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour� to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story � a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.]]> 272 Marissa Meyer 1250060559 Mango 2 3.95 2015
author: Marissa Meyer
name: Mango
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2021/10/29
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 310146 232 Avi 0380714752 Mango 5 3.85 1990
author: Avi
name: Mango
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/25
date added: 2024/05/25
shelves:
review:
How I love female pirates <3
]]> 41154302 Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

·ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Never trust an outsider

·ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

·ĚýĚýĚýĚýĚýĚý And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts.ĚýBut before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.

Ěý]]> 481 Sonali Dev Mango 0 to-read 3.65 2019
author: Sonali Dev
name: Mango
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 182484360
Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And � could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.]]> 448 Holly Jackson 0593374207 Mango 3 -----------------------
When Holly says this is her favorite book she's ever written...
I can't imagine anything better than AGGTM so I'm in!]]> 4.09 2024
author: Holly Jackson
name: Mango
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/29
date added: 2024/04/29
shelves:
review:
Fun quick-read thriller but I kind of saw the twist coming. Not my favorite Holly Jackson book but I still enjoyed it!
-----------------------
When Holly says this is her favorite book she's ever written...
I can't imagine anything better than AGGTM so I'm in!
]]> 56271394 Ěý
IndianĚýAmerican journalistĚýSmita has returned to India to cover a story, but reluctantly: long ago she and her family left the country with no intention of ever coming back. As she follows the case of Meena—a Hindu woman attacked by members of her own village and her own family for marrying a Muslim man—Smita comes face to face with a society where tradition carries more weight than one’s own heart, and a story that threatens to unearth the painful secrets of Smita’s own past. While Meena’s fate hangs in the balance, Smita tries in every way she can to right the scales. She also finds herself increasingly drawn to Mohan, an Indian man she meets while on assignment. But the dual love stories of Honor are as different as the cultures of Meena and Smita themselves: Smita realizes she has the freedom to enter into a casual affair, knowing she can decide later how much it means to her.

In this tender and evocative novel about love, hope, familial devotion, betrayal, and sacrifice, Thrity Umrigar shows us two courageous women trying to navigate how to be true to their homelands and themselves at the same time.]]> 326 Thrity Umrigar 161620995X Mango 0 to-read 4.32 2022
author: Thrity Umrigar
name: Mango
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 18528190
She ends on a serious note� because the ultimate problem is the silencing of women who have something to say, including those saying things like, “He’s trying to kill me!�

This book features that now-classic essay with six perfect complements, including an examination of the writer Virginia Woolf ’s embrace of mystery, of not knowing, of doubt and ambiguity, a highly original inquiry into marriage equality, and a terrifying survey of the scope of contemporary violence against women.]]> 130 Rebecca Solnit 1608463869 Mango 0 to-read 3.84 2014
author: Rebecca Solnit
name: Mango
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 8855321
Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.]]> 592 James S.A. Corey 1841499889 Mango 0 to-read 4.30 2011
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Mango
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58065033 390 Bonnie Garmus Mango 4 4.23 2022
author: Bonnie Garmus
name: Mango
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves:
review:
Women in STEM are the people I have the highest respect for in this world
]]> 47520 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

In which a humble young carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams

Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet.

That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess....]]> 298 Diana Wynne Jones 0064473457 Mango 0 to-read 3.87 1990
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: Mango
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 29056083
It was always difficult being Harry Potter, and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and a father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son, Albus, must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is the complete and official playscript of the original, award-winning West End production. This updated edition includes the final dialogue and stage directions, a conversation piece between director John Tiffany and playwright Jack Thorne, the Potter family tree, and a timeline of events in the wizarding world leading up to "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."]]> 343 J.K. Rowling 0540027340 Mango 3 3.42 2016
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Mango
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/04/01
shelves:
review:

]]>