a library for the sophomore class
the pessimist
the observer: Heather, the Totality
author:
Matthew Weiner
Best known for creating the television series Mad Men
summary:
​
Step into the mind of a psychopath as you flip the pages of Heather, the Totality. A book about a girl that meant the world to everyone, but is it possible that people started caring too much? From one page to the next, curiosity becomes obsession, and everyone should watch their backs.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys creepiness
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Enjoys short books
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Enjoys books that jump from one perspective to the next
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Wants to read something different
genre:
Suspense and thriller
my experience:
Quirky doesn’t begin to cover Heather, the Totality. In a heartbeat, I was done reading and although the ending is somewhat underwhelming, I couldn’t seem to put the book down. There is simply something about the way it is written: it’s weirdness and unusualness. Honestly, it might not be great literature, but it certainly is a breath of fresh air.
where can it be found?
iBooks $9.99
the observer: Heather, the Totality
author:
Matthew Weiner
Best known for creating the television series Mad Men
summary:
​
Step into the mind of a psychopath as you flip the pages of Heather, the Totality. A book about a girl that meant the world to everyone, but is it possible that people started caring too much? From one page to the next, curiosity becomes obsession, and everyone should watch their backs.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
-
Enjoys creepiness
-
Enjoys short books
-
Enjoys books that jump from one perspective to the next
-
Wants to read something different
genre:
Suspense and thriller
my experience:
Odd doesn’t begin to cover Heather, the Totality. In a heartbeat, I was done reading and although the ending is somewhat underwhelming, I couldn’t seem to put the book down. There is simply something about the way it is written: it’s weirdness and unusualness. Honestly, it might not be great literature, but it certainly is a breath of fresh air.
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
the romantic foodie: Like Water for Chocolate
author:
Laura Esquivel
Mexican novelist and screenwriter
author:
genre:
Romance
summary:
A mash between a story about a typical Mexican lifestyle and a classic fairy-tale. Like Water for Chocolate is a book about forbidden love, where Pedro is hopelessly in love with Tita and her magical recipes. However, Mexican traditions get in the way and Pedro must marry Tita’s sister instead. Will Tita and Pedro have their fairytale ending, or will traditions remain the same?
my experience:
Like Water for Chocolate is a tale that will win your heart over with traditional Mexican food and a battle for love. Between a rumbling stomach and a beating heart, I couldn’t put the book down. Not only was I rooting for the forbidden couple, but I found myself smiling uncontrollably at the more than expected Mexican ways that reminded me of my own life.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys cooking
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Enjoys food
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Is a hopeless romantic
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
-
The ASF Upper School Library
the thinker: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
author:
Milan Kundera
Czech born French writer
genre:
Romance
summary:
Two love stories tied together by more than one book. The first couple: a woman utterly in love with a man that although loves her back, fights a battle with himself and his womanizing. The second couple: the first man’s mistress and her lover. A web of love stories that are beautifully told throughout the novel.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys philosophical thinking
my experience:
This is a book that I would call great literature. An Unbearable Lightness of Being truly made me think and question both the story that was placed before me and my own life.
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
-
The ASF Upper School Library
the pessimist: Never Let Me Go
author:
Kazuo Ishiguro
Born in Nagasaki, Japan
Nobel prize winner
British author and screenwriter
Travel back in time to the 1990s in England. However don’t expect the 1990s that your parents told you about; instead, wait for the dystopian version. Accompany a group of kids as they grow up in an English boarding school. As you read, you’ll uncover the secret that they’re all hiding-- a secret that they might not even be aware about.
summary:
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
-
Enjoys reading about dystopian societies
genre:
Science Fiction
my experience:
A book that contains both the past and the future. That’s how I would describe Never Let Me Go. Although I am not an absolute fan of science fiction, this book is definitely the exception. It contains characteristics and factors from all genres, from romance to mystery to drama. It's a book that fills the needs of any reader. Although it might start a bit slow at first, it’ll quickly speed up, so don’t leave the book behind!
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
-
The ASF Upper School Library
Heading 6
the historian: Between Shades of Grey
author:
Ruta Sepetys
Lithuanian-American writer
Focuses on writing historical fiction
summary:
Accompany Lina and her family as they get ripped apart by the Soviet-German War. As Lina watches her mother slowly freeze to death and as she struggles to come to terms with not knowing where her father is, Lina uses her art to try to keep her family together.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys learning about the world
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Enjoys books like The Book Thief
genre:
Historical fiction
my experience:
Between Shades of Gray is written in such a way that as the reader, you can connect and feel the characters struggling to survive on a whole other level. As I read, I could feel myself wanting to help Lina keep her family alive and together. The story is great, but there’s simply something special about Sepetys’ words.
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
the easy-going: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
author:
David Levithan
American writer known for including strong LGBTQ characters
genre:
Fiction and Romance
summary:
Dash expects to spend Christmas break alone, but little did he know that picking out the next book he could stick his head into, he would find the adventure of his life. Join Dash as a series of mysterious dares left by Lily will take him all around New York City.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Wants and easy read
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Likes to read for fun
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Is looking for an everyday story
my experience:
Quirky, cute, silly. Those are the words that I would use to describe Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. It’s simply a book that I had fun reading. It was also a way that I could leave my problems behind without having to drain my energy with the intense dramas of other characters.
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $9.99
the optimistically depressed: It's Kind of a Funny Story
author:
Ned Vizzini
American writer
genre:
Coming of age
summary:
Craig Gilner wants to have a bright future, but the pressure he puts on himself becomes a slippery slope. Craig said finds himself battling with depression and even ends up in a psychiatric hospital, but don't worry Its Kind of a Funny Story.
my experience:
Similar to my experience with The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it's kind of a funny story is very relatable and very enjoyable. I was even surprised to see that I could laugh at a book that mostly took place in a psychiatric hospital, but Vizzini does just that. He captures the good moments, and so even when the story has dark moments, you know that laughter is just a couple of pages away. After all, it is called It’s kind of a Funny Story.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Feels sad, but looks on the bright side
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Likes reading about kids our age
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $6.99
the outsider: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
author:
Stephen Chbosky
American novelist, screenwriter, and film director
summary:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower follows the life of Charlie, a highschool boy that has always been on the “outside”. Somehow he comes across a group of friends that welcome him to their “island of misfit toys” and they form irreplaceable bonds.
genre:
Coming of Age
my experience:
Although not necessarily a funny book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was just a book that I had fun reading. It wasn’t sugarcoated, it wasn’t too dark, it was just real, which made it extremely relatable.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Likes reading about kids our age
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Feels like an outsider
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Believes in true friendship
where can it be found?
-
iBooks $10.99
-
The ASF Upper School Library
the seeker: Zazzoo
author:
Richard Mosher
Born in India, but lived in several places such as France, Costa Rica, and Ireland
Used to be a cab driver in New York City
​
summary:
Zazoo was adopted and brought to France when she was just two years old. To her and to everyone around her Zazoo is French, but one afternoon a boy on a bicycle is in Zazoo’s village and her past begins to unfold. Zazoo begins to discover that there is more to her than a french girl.
genre:
Realistic fiction
my experience:
Although the story might not immediately draw your eye, it is definitely worth it to keep reading. It may not be intense, or thrilling, but Zazoo is something different. It amazed me how a simple story could capture me in such a way. On a separate note, it is also written beautifully.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys reading slow and peaceful books
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Enjoys learning about culture
where can it be found?
-
iBooks (audiobooks) $9.99
the spy: The Lying Game
author:
Ruth Ware
British author
Focuses on writing psychological crime thrillers
genre:
Mystery
summary:
They were best friends in boarding school, but the time has passed. They all live in different places and live their own lives, except for one of them: Kate. Kate still lives in the boarding school’s small, basically abandoned, town. One morning, they all get a text from Kate. All it says is “I need you”, but these three words are enough to bring the four girls back together.
my experience:
Honestly, mystery books have never been my “go-to”, but from the second that I read the synopsis on the back of the book, I couldn't put it down. The Lying Game is just the right amount of mystery. On a separate note, I truly enjoyed reading a book about former boarding school girls after I had been in boarding school myself.
who would it appeal to?
Someone who
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Enjoys reading mystery books
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Went to boarding school or is interested in studying abroad
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Likes fast-paced books
where can it be found?
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iBooks $12.99