Names, names, names…The names are the first things to go, after the breath has gone, and the beating of the heart. We keep our memories longer than our names.” -Neil Gaiman, Coraline Synopsis: Coraline loves to explore, but when she enters a tiny door in her house and finds a home that is nearly identical to…
Stones are just stones and rain is just rain and misfortune is just bad luck. Some things are simply more rare than others, and that’s why there are locks.” -Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See Synopsis: Marie-Laure is a blind girl in France who adores her father, a museum keeper who carries a valuable, magic…
What it is: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a story of a boy who travels from his own planet around the world, seeing all the wonderful and terrible things that exist and comparing what it means to be a child vs. an adult. It’s half magical realism, half universal truths. What I liked…
What it is: The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye is a fairytale filled with princesses, animal friends, spells, and whimsy. It tells the story of Amy, whose gift from her fairy godmother is to be ordinary, instead of extremely beautiful or charming or graceful like her sisters. When no prince wants to marry her, she runs away…
What it is: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a dystopia/sci-fi novel set in the 2040s. The world has become a complete wasteland due to human overconsumption, and people stay sane by escaping to the virtual reality world of the OASIS, created by a man named James Halliday who releases a quest after his death…
What it is: Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan is set in India, where 13-year-old Koly must prepare for her arranged marriage. Her husband turns out to be quite sickly, and soon after the wedding leaves her a widow. According to Indian culture, she doesn’t have a future without him. Koly has to learn to survive–and…
What it is: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz is the story of a Dominican family with a curse that dooms them to tragedy and ill-fated love. Oscar, our overweight, nerdy protagonist, never seems capable of winning, either in his dreams of writing the next great sci-fi novel or in having his first…
What it is: Order of Seven by Beth Teliho is a young adult novel that combines supernatural and realistic elements to tell the story of Devi Bennett, who must discover her roots to figure out a family secret. What I liked about it: Teliho’s writing is excellent, and she draws the reader in with a voice that feels human but still…
1. Mr. Penumbra from Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore 2. Liesel from The Book Thief 3. Anne from Diary of Anne Frank (I realize she’s not exactly a “character” but she loved words) 4. Alison Bechdel from Fun Home (also not exactly a character but she’s on the list anyway) 5. Piper Kerman from Orange is…
What it is: I Am No One You Know by Joyce Carol Oates is a collection of nineteen short stories surrounding the lives of women and girls encountering a whole range of human experiences from love to grief to danger. She reveals new understanding of humanity through mystery and intrigue. What I liked about it: If you’ve never…
Victim to Charm 