In order to spark some excitement back into the world of literature, welcome back to our monthly column What Are We Reading, where myself and other writers talk about what books are our current obsession. A collaborative effort we hope to engage other fellow readers who are looking to be enthusiastic about reading again (like myself). Make sure to comment below about what’s your current page turner and/or if there are any recommendations you have for us!
I am currently facing a crisis I’ve seemed to experience every couple of years due to college and apartment hopping Boston but I am incapable of transporting my books from one place to another in any fashion that makes sense. Suggestions?
So, TYF readers, what are we reading this month? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy reading! To read previous months columns, go here.
Gaby is Reading : A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Initial perplexities aside, you do eventually fall back into the story, which is where I’m at now. If you thought the first book had a ton of tension, just wait until you read this one. Feyre is learning to get used to her immortal abilities as well as sorting out her feelings for Tamlin and Rhys. Sexier and darker than usual YA fare, it’s immediately apparent why so many readers are enticed by this story.
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Camille is Reading :Landline by Rainbow Rowell and Is it evil not to be sure? by Lena Dunham
This is actually the first Rainbow Rowell book I’ve read and I have a little bit of mixed feelings. If you have read the book before, you would know that the story seesaws between the past and the present of Neal and Georgie’s relationship. Some of the transitions aren’t as smooth as I probably would’ve liked them but the story is still interesting nonetheless. Georgie’s marriage is slowly spiraling down but the interesting notion of if love is enough to sustain a marriage is why I continue to read the story.
I actually haven’t read or watched anything that Lena Dunham starred in but I heard really good things about her work so I figured to give this book a try. It’s a really fast read- one that you can enjoy in an afternoon. But despite it’s short length, it really gives you an insight into Lena’s life and the kinds of things she experienced growing up. Her book also inspired me to write things down. Not only is it therapeutic but it can also be gratifying and empowering all at the same time. I’ll probably start keeping a journal- the future me would appreciate it.
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Allyson is Reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The book I just started however is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah which effortlessly pulled by in by the end of the first day. With languid prose and a world that feels rich only 30 something pages in, I’m already ready to get to know these characters, their lives and their relationships and root for them to have a happy ending.
Leigh-Ann is Reading: Inner City Girl by Colleen Smith-Dennis and America by E.R. Frank
I don’t usually read a lot of YA novels focused on Caribbean protagonists because I don’t think they fully address the issues that young adults are experiencing these days but I loved Inner City Girl. Martina is a smart girl living in a rural neighbourhood who manages to pass for Milverton High (a school which is only attended by rich kids and children of influential people). However, everything seems to be against her excelling in this new school; her community’s and Milverton students’ behaviour towards, her family’s problems, constantly being hungry and the consequences that come from being a student of Milverton. It’s a wonderfully written novel that speaks volumes about the struggles inner city children face, the social hierarchy in prestigious schools and surviving against the obstacles that are sure to head your way. Thanks to Inner City Girl, I’m on a quest to read as much Caribbean novels featuring teens as I can this summer.
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I read America by E.R. Frank when I was still in high school and it’s one of those novels that has just stuck with me. America follows the life of a fifteen year-old biracial boy named “America” who finds himself lost in the Child Services system. What he does to survive and the person he becomes is so gut-wrenching to read but still so inspirational. I think this book is one of the roughest novels I’ve ever read and that’s probably why it’s stayed at the forefront of my mind all these years. After reading this book, I started hunting down other books by E.R. Frank like Life is Funny, Friction and Wrecked.
Alex Suffolk is Reading: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
There are two great strengths to Ernest Cline’s first novel. The first is obviously all the callbacks and references to tons of 20th-century nerd culture. Everything from classic arcade titles like “Joust” and “Black Tiger,” to cheesy favorite films like “Ladyhawke,” to obscure Japanese TV-shows like “Supaidaman” all holding some type of reverence. On his quest for the most convolutedly hidden easter-egg ever created, Wade Watts (or Parzival) goes on a wild ride visiting locations pulled entirely “Dungeons and Dragons” or “Blade Runner” in order to engage in tests of skill, including a shot-for-shot re-enactment of the movie “War Games.” It’s a wild, fun ride, one in which you feel like you’re at the edge of your seat, yet in a place you’re entirely familiar and comfortable with.
The second is how surprisingly plausible the entire scenario is. On paper, the premise of this book is laughable – a nerdy schoolboy fan-fiction. And yet, by drawing on trends in our current world, Cline is able to make his crazy future seem likely. With the rise of tech controlling our lives more and more, and with the leaders of this tech more often than not being giant nerds, it isn’t a stretch to believe that a giant nerd would rise to be the most influential person on the planet and infuse his greatest innovations with all his nerdy obsessions. With the advents of more personalized entertainment like Netflix, the innovations with VR technology like the Oculus RIft, and with the internet’s catering to introverts and anonymity, it’s hardly a stretch to imagine a future where everyone willingly plugs into a giant simulation where they can be or do everything they could ever want. How long will it take for our world to feel so corporate and dreary that we all indulge in escapism to the point where events in a video game impact society on a global level? Maybe it’s not too far off.
I’ll admit that I’ve read better prose. It seems Cline hasn’t sat through enough writers workshops to have “Show, don’t tell!” embedded into his gray matter. A lot of the book is Wade just explaining what he did or felt without any real sensory imagery or literary embellishment. However, for the most part, Cline gets away with it thanks in part to Wade’s charming voice as well as the direct references he’s always making. I don’t need to be put in the scene to hear the boops of Pac-Man; I’ve played Pac-Man countless times in my own life to instantly know what it looks and sounds like at just the briefest mention. This reliance and revelry of nerd iconography is why I can definitely see why this novel is being considered to be movie. If all these classic images are able to play out on the big screen, I feel like the experience will be even more exciting than it is on the page.
Grant is Reading: Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore
What both novels do incredibly well is delve into the mythology of the underworld and rooting it into a contemporary context. Christopher Moore is a master at using language to propel what appears to be a natural sarcastic wit that will have you laughing out loud wherever you choose to read. While I would say that the conflicts in both books wrap up rather quickly and neatly, the progression until the respective final battles are compelling and menacing up until that point. The key highlight though is how Moore blends in comedy to balance everything out. Just as a hint, the sequel, Secondhand Souls, provides us with one of the foulest mouthed 7-year old fictional characters that I’ve ever seen, while also still making her adorable.
Bri is Reading: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater:
Idon’t have a ton of time to re-read books but I made an exception for the first three books in Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Cycle. Filled with prophecies, a handful of psychics, and a curse, The Raven Cycle follows Blue, Gansey, Adam, Ronan, and Noah as they go on a quest to find the sleeping Welsh King Glendower. When I originally read the first book in the series, The Raven Boys, I was surprised by how the characters snuck up on me; about halfway through I was hopelessly attached to each and every one, with no idea how it happened. The persnickety Blue and her curse that prevents her from kissing her true love lest he perish; the scholarly Gansey, the leader of their quest; the dangerous Ronan, with his unexpectedly fierce loyalty; the stubborn Adam, who has always wanted more for himself; and the smudgy Noah, who anchors them all. Put them together with a bunch of psychics, a hit man, and a few unsavory challengers, and you have yourself one of the most unique YA series I’ve ever read.
I adored The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue the first time I read them, but I’m enjoying my revisit even more. Stiefvater is very clever in how she weaves the story together–there are tiny hints and pieces about events that happen later sprinkled throughout the story from the very beginning. Everything feels very casual, but is incredibly well thought out. I can’t wait to see how everything pays off in The Raven King, the final book of the series.
Lesley is Reading: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier 
Inanother edition of “sometimes your parents have good taste”, my father and I are bonding over our mutual love for Daphne Du Maurier. Turns out, after he recommended I read her best-known books (Mary Anne, Rebecca, and The Birds…all highly recommended by the way) I finally got around to picking up my dad’s favorite; My Cousin Rachel. And I’m glad to report, so far it’s also my favorite book by Maurier. Most of her novels are from the female perspective, about women who find themselves in tense situations in strange places. But in My Cousin Rachel, the book is narrated by the male protagonist who suspects such a woman. Narrator Philip suspects his cousin of causing the death of his guardian/cousin, and after he inherits the family farm and estate, he comes face to face with the woman. The focus on morose Philip having been raised without a single female influence, causing his lack of awareness and suspicion of women, adds a nice edge to the mystery about a possible black widow. Maurier’s unique brand of modern gothic style and easily is so good at sucking you in right from the start. Considering the sunburn I got reading the book on my porch this weekend, if you’re looking for a summer/beach read to devour one weekend, a Daphnne Du Maurier s novel’s a safe bet.
Lauren is Reading: The Memory Book by Lara Avery 
I’m currently reading The Memory Book by Lara Avery (releases from Poppy/Little, Brown 7/5/16). This book tells the story of Sammie, a highly-motivated high school senior set to start at NYU in the fall who has just been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that will take away her memory and then her health. She’s recording her life so that when her memory begins to fail, she’ll know who she is and what her life has been like. Sammie is absolutely determined not to let this disease get the best of her and her determination is both inspiring and heartbreaking. So far, it’s been an emotional and touching read.
Stories based around health issues can have the tendency to skip over the hard parts or have some kind of magically happy ending that wouldn’t happen in real life so I’m nervous to see how this ends. That being said, so far I’m cautiously optimistic with where Sammie’s story is going. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the novel, and I have my fingers-crossed that the ending is both truthful and gratifying.
(On Goodreads)
What have you been reading?
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