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Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

What makes a story? The characters? The setting? The writing? The plot? Of course, it is a combination of all of this and more, but never has it been more apparent and worked so well together than in Sabrina & Corina, a collection of short stories by Kali Fajardo Anstine.

Each of these stories reaches a certain level of vibrancy in only twenty or so pages and strikes so deeply. Most are set in Denver, Colorado, and explore often-buried themes of heritage and identity. ‘Sugar Babies’ is about an eighth grader, Sierra, dealing with the absence of her mother through both a school project and an archeological dig site that connects to her roots. ‘Sisters’ explores social norms of relationships, and grapples with the violence within them. ‘Galapago’ brings forth a sense of place and belonging in the face of time and gentrification.

But really, that’s just the bare bones. Summaries don’t do justice to the beautiful and conjuring descriptions, the structure and subtle pauses somehow woven in that tell more of the story. It does not illustrate how it feels to read each story, to have connected with these characters and their unique experiences, and to feel a sense of completion, but somehow know that, much like us, their lives go on—because their stories do.

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

Headstrong by Rachel Swaby

Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

When you think of the word genius, who do you think of? Undoubtedly Albert Einstein comes to mind. If you think of genius scientist, maybe it’s Thomas Edison or Charles Darwin.

What do these popular geniuses have in common? They were men with the privilege of education, unharmed by societal norms that told them that they were incapable of learning. And because of this, it is these figures that hold the spotlight in the STEM field and our collective view of history.

Headstrong begins to change that.

This is a book about scientists who made major contributions to their field and entirely changed the world yet were buried under prejudice and patriarchal ideas of who is a scientist and who isn’t over something as simple as gender. As Hertha Ayrton, inventor, and physicist, put it, “Either a woman is a good scientist or not; in any case she should be given opportunities and her work should be studied from the scientific, not the sex, point of view.”

In Headstrong, Rachel Swaby celebrates the groundbreaking accomplishments of women in science, to even out the playing field and provide role models for girls aspiring to STEM fields. Now the next time you think about the word ITALIC genius, you’ll think about Jane Wright, the “mother” of chemotherapy, Mary Anning, a groundbreaking paleontologist, or Maria Agnesi, the unifier of algebra, geometry, and calculus. Undoubtedly, you will be inspired by all these women who beat the odds and impacted our world. I know I was.

Find it in print here.

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

El Reino del Sol is a shining isle of light in the looming threat of the evil obsidian gods. In order to protect this haven, ten semidioses are selected to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner will replenish Sol’s light to the cities within the kingdom, but the loser has the greatest honor of all—to be sacrificed to Sol himself and continue their light for generations to come.

Seventeen-year-old Teo has always been dubious of this centuries-old tradition. As a Jade semidios, he is looked down upon: for his status as the son of a lesser dios, for a lack of powers and formal training, and for the very nature of not being a lustrous Gold semidios. In terms of the Trials, he’s not very concerned for his own safety, comfortably assuming that, as always, no Jade semidioses will be selected to compete.

But this year, Sol chooses him.

And suddenly the nature of this tradition comes into deeper focus. Teo is not only trying to keep himself alive, but also his friends. He hasn’t been trained for this and he’s never been ready to accept everything his society is throwing at him—and certainly doesn’t plan on starting now.

The Sunbearer Trials is an amazing read, with fantastic world-building dripped in Mexican culture and a well-developed, relatable cast of characters. It dares to challenge societal norms and redefines what bravery is: daring to stay true to what’s right and what you believe in against all odds.

Find it in print here.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Hi, my name is Rya. I am a sophomore and I enjoy reading, swimming and traveling.

As a victim of cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disease, Stella has been in and out of hospitals her entire life. She is determined to fight the illness that has robbed her of so much, but without a cure, this prospect seems nearly impossible. Her only hope is to receive a lung transplant, a possibility that she clings onto tightly.

When Will is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, his mother immediately signs him up for a medical trial, desperately trying to find a cure for the disease. But Will wants nothing more than to escape the endless maze of new medications, surgeries, and hospitals. He has accepted his fate of an untimely death and plans to spend his remaining years traveling once he turns eighteen.

Patients of cystic fibrosis must stay six feet apart from each other, otherwise, they risk deadly bacterial cross-contamination. When Will and Stella end up at the same hospital, they are both well aware of this rule. But through their conversations and shared experiences, they become close, even from six feet away. In the name of their rebellious love, Will and Stella neglect the six-feet-apart rule and steal one foot of distance, one foot of safety, so they can love each other not six, but only five feet apart.

This simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking novel about a romance with unique. Circumstances. I loved this book and recommend it very highly.

Find the book, eaudiobook and DVD here.

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart

Hi, my name is Rya. I am a sophomore and I enjoy reading, swimming and traveling.

The grieving of a dead, yet ever-present family member, that everyone else seems to have forgotten. The growing addiction that becomes enslaving. The careless and painful romances with the new boys on the island. The family secrets that went undiscovered for years. The sisterly love and sisterly loathe. This is the story of Carrie Sinclair’s seventeenth summer on Beechwood Island, a summer that proves that the Sinclairs have always been beautiful liars.

Family of Liars by E. Lockhart is an impressively crafted prequel to her novel We Were Liars. It is written from the point of view of a relative of Cadence, the protagonist in We Were Liars, and takes place several decades earlier. These novels do not necessarily have to be read in a certain order, however, I highly recommend reading We Were Liars first so that you can better appreciate Lockhart’s masterful storytelling and plot-twisting abilities in both books. Also, Family of Liars hints at a major spoiler.

This book exceeded my expectations. In my experience, prequels and sequels are often not as impressive as their predecessor, however, this book was an exception. I was not disappointed by E. Lockhart’s engaging and immersive storytelling, which makes this book worth the read!

Find the book in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Hi, my name is Rya. I am a sophomore and I enjoy reading, swimming and traveling.

Daisy Jones is a wealthy, confident, beautiful girl growing up in California during the late 70s. With a natural talent and a budding passion for music, Daisy begins to get involved in the rock ‘n roll scene on Sunset Strip, where her captivating presence is becoming noticed.

The Six is a rock ‘n roll band that is rising to fame, with Billy Dunce as the lead singer. But when Billy finds out that his wife, Camila, is pregnant, he struggles to find a balance between stardom and loyalty.

Daisy Jones and The Six, already two powerful forces in the music industry, collaborate to create an album that wins awards, tops charts, and sells out stadiums. Daisy and Billy become the face of rock ‘n roll, but their relationship behind the scenes is extremely complex. Hatred, indifference, and love entangle until Daisy and Billy don’t know where they stand in each other’s lives.

However, this story is far from a predictable romance. It is both a nostalgic and animated recognition of the iconic era of 70s rock ‘n roll in America. This book is also written in an interview format, a unique approach that made the characters and story seem entirely real. All in all, this book was amazing. It usually takes me several weeks to read a book, but I finished this one in three days because I enjoyed it so much. I highly recommend Daisy Jones and The Six!

Find the book, large print, and CD here.