'dystopian fiction'

This sentence stopped me in my tracks the second I read it. It caught me so off guard I didn’t know what to do. It immediately made me imagine that image in my head and it almost made me laugh out loud. In all of my time of reading, no book has made me stop and think so much by the first sentence. I read this series of books in the 8th grade, and I am a senior in high school now, but this sentence has still stayed with me.

Throughout the series, my favorite character arc is that of Aaron Warner. I love his arc so much! If I had just read the first book and you were to describe how the end of series Aaron was to me, I would have been dumbfounded. There was absolutely no way that I would have predicted how he turned out. I won’t spoil too much because you should really read this series (It’s my favorite!), but the author Tahererh Mafi has a way with character development that I absolutely love!

Also available in ebook

For description alone, I love this book. It is a beautifully descriptive love story. This is the most detailed book I have ever read. The scenes are enticing and imaginative. They are so exquisite, that you can visualize and see everything in your head. This is also the only book, because of it’s expert description, that I have ever read that uses the 2nd perspective. That is when the author is putting the reader into the story.

Also available in ebook

This book is no ordinary how-to book. Unlike other how-to books that might tell you how to bake the perfect cake or knit the coziest sweater, this book will make you think differently about the traditional way we do things. Instead, this book might suggest that you launch the cake into the sun to bake or train mice to knit the sweater for you. All of this while telling you what velocity you would have to launch said cake into the sky to reach the sun, and how many weeks it would take to train said mice along with some helpful tips on how to do so. Humor is so nicely tied into this book full of science and instruction. I couldn’t read it without laughing!

The book Hidden Figures, set in 1961, is centered around three black women: Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughn. All three women work at NASA Langley Research Center during segregation in the United States. Katherine works as a human computer along with others at the research center. Segregation laws make it so Katherine has to walk half a mile to use the nearest colored bathroom. Mary Jackson is an aspiring engineer who is trying to take the mandatory classes necessary to become an engineer for NASA. The problem is, the classes are taught at an all-white school. Mary has to overcome prejudice and belief as she tries to pursue her career. Dorothy learns about an upcoming super computer that is going to be installed at NASA, making the working human computers obsolete. In response, she teaches herself and later other women how to code in the hopes that they could keep their jobs. These women are all segregated by their race and gender, but they don’t let that stop them in the pursuit of their careers and equality. This book is empowering for everyone, and it gives a small glimpse at what life was like for people of color during these times.

A fierce storm forces a team of astronauts to evacuate from Mars. The team of astronauts leave behind fellow crew member Mark Watney after he is presumed dead. Mark Watney is left to fend for himself with deep wounds from the storm and only a small amount of provisions to survive off of. With no way to communicate and everyone on Earth thinking he’s dead, there is no help coming. With all of the odds against him, Mark doesn’t give up. He will do anything he needs to do to survive. But surviving is no easy feat, things can go wrong at every turn. Mark has to overcome: bleeding out, starvation, dehydration, low oxygen levels, freakish storms and much more. This book is full of action, anticipation, and leaves you wondering and wanting more. This book has also been turned into a movie featuring Matt Damon!

Tally Youngblood is an ugly. She is desperately waiting for her sixteenth birthday to come so she can have the life changing operation to make her a pretty. In Tally’s world, everyone is born an ugly. They are kept in a small town called Uglyville that is secluded from the rest of the population. When an ugly has had the surgery they move to New Pretty Town. Uglies aren’t allowed in New Pretty Town and get punished if they are caught sneaking in. Once an ugly turns sixteen, they can get an extensive surgery to make them pretty. A perfect jawbone, slim waist, fit muscles, big eyes, flawless hair and more. What every person would want, right? Tally has waited her entire life to become pretty so she can see her already changed friends, and start a life of partying and nonstop fun.

Everything changes for Tally on the day of her sixteenth birthday. Her newfound friend, Shay, runs away after declaring she doesn’t want to get the mandatory surgery. Instead of getting the operation on her birthday, Tally got an ultimatum. Find Shay and bring her back, or never become pretty. Tally is forced to make a decision. Betray her friend or give up the life she has always wanted.