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Howl and Other Poems
Ginsberg, Allen
Reviewed: December 1, 2022
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg is an unforgettable book of poetry. This book of poems was published at the rise of the beat poetry movement. It gained national attention when Richard Eberhart described "Howl" as "the most remarkable poem of the young group" of poets in the beat generation. Inside the petite, intimate book "filled with sincerity and lyrically intense lines" is one of the most renowned poems the world has ever read. One of the major poets of the beat poetry movement, Allen Ginsberg brilliantly created his own form of beat poetry with the poem "Howl."... Read Full Review
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The Eye of the World
Jordan, Robert
Reviewed: November 23, 2022
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan is the start of a journey, and it's obvious. I really enjoyed this book because of that very fact, but it is mostly world-building and a whirlwind of new characters. As this is the start of a fantasy series, it is dense, it is more than a thousand pages long, and it focuses on development.
The plot of this book follows the regular formula of the hero’s journey. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and Nynaeve are ignorant villagers who are suddenly attacked and whisked away by a mysterious and powerful woman. The characters must leave their... Read Full Review
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La La Land
Reviewed: November 17, 2022
La La Land is a 2016 film and 3rd directed by Damien Chazelle, and my personal favorite. The movie follows two star-crossed lovers, Mia and Sebastian (played by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling). Mia is an aspiring actress, and Seb is a jazz pianist trying to make a living. The two meet several times and become interested in each other. Things are going in the right direction, but will the City of Stars (otherwise known as L.A.) have different plans? The only way to find out is to watch this film!
The movie's plot is great, but I can not just finish my review without talking... Read Full Review
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The Good Earth
Pearl S. Buck
Reviewed: November 9, 2022
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck details the life of Wang Lung, a peasant in 20th-century China. It begins with Wang’s early life filled with hardships, from begging on the streets to having to kill his own daughter. Despite this, he retained a great amount of devotion to the Earth, which would become one of his defining character traits throughout the novel. As he grew richer by luck of the land, many of his family and friends are spoiled by their wealth which subsequently cause him to be troubled. He realizes that no matter how many concubines he takes in and the opium he smokes... Read Full Review
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Know My Name: A Memoir
Miller, Chanel
Reviewed: November 3, 2022
Written by Chanel Miller, Know My Name is a captivating book that encompasses the author’s experience not only as a sexual assault victim but also as an Asian American. Miller was assaulted by Brock Turner, a former Stanford University athlete, and sentenced to serve only six months in jail after violating her boundaries. The memoir expresses the dark struggles many sexual assault victims face today and the corrupt justice system implemented to combat those who commit life-devastating acts.
In my opinion, Know My Name is one of the most eye-opening books I have... Read Full Review
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A Raisin in the Sun
Hansberry, Lorraine, 1930-1965
Reviewed: October 27, 2022
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry focuses on the life of the Youngers, a Black family living in the south side of Chicago in the 1950s. The family consists of Walter (Father), Ruth (Mother), Lena (Mother of Walter), Beneatha (Daughter), and Travis (Son). This family lives in a small, run-down apartment. This all changed when Ruth receives an insurance check for $10,000 because of her dead husband's life insurance. Each member of the family has different ideas on how the money should be used, which causes a lot of clashes between them all. Overall, the main focus is on the... Read Full Review
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A Memory of Light
Jordan, Robert
Reviewed: October 19, 2022
A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson is the last book in an incredible series. It pulled all the threads woven throughout the previous thirteen books together very well and had me very stressed at many points. It is twisty, well-written, and left me with more questions than answers.
I would say that most of the book is planning, plotting, or fighting, which can be taxing, especially because of the constant death and tragedy. Rand is trying to create a legacy that will eliminate all war while juggling politics, preparing for the Last Battle, and fighting... Read Full Review
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The Raven
Poe, Edgar Allan
Reviewed: October 12, 2022
Poe's narrative poem follows the development of an unnamed speaker/narrator whose interaction with a raven causes him to go mad. The story implies that the narrator lost his lover Lenore and is greatly devastated due to her death. He decides to cope by reading, hoping it will drive his mind off the terrible circumstances. On a cold December night, the narrator hears knocking on his chamber door and wonders who it could be at this time. He opens it only to find no one, which causes him to question more. He looks around into the darkness and sees no one. Upon closing the door, a raven... Read Full Review
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Kiki's Delivery Service
Reviewed: October 5, 2022
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) is the fourth movie by the Japanese Company Studio Ghibli, whose other works include Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. The story follows a witch named Kiki, who, on her 13th birthday, moves away to a seaside town with her talking cat Jiji. As Kiki continues to master her skills as a witch, she befriends new people like the owner of a bakery named Osono and a kid named Tombo, who she’s initially hesitant about. As Kiki lives with Osono and helps around the bakery, she comes up with the idea to start a delivery service with her... Read Full Review
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Concrete Kids
León, Amyra
Reviewed: September 28, 2022
Concrete Kids by Amyra Leon is a fairly tiny book from the Penguin Workshop Pocket Change Collective series that tells a story like many books. Leon uses playful words and unique vocabulary to tell her story as a young girl, up to her teenage years, and what she has experienced growing up. In this small book, she depicts her trauma and struggles throughout her childhood as a Black girl. She talks about how she had been separated from her birth mother without knowing her birth father and was put into the foster care system. From there, she constantly moved from house to house,... Read Full Review
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Along for the Ride
Dessen, Sarah
Reviewed: September 21, 2022
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is a heartwarming and incredibly adorable story that manages to show the readers how while things will not always be smooth-sailing, there will always be a hand reaching out when you need it. It is one of several teen romances written by Dessen, and it is about Auden, who has insomnia. After making a spontaneous decision that lands her somewhere she's never thought she would be, she meets Eli, who‘s an insomniac just like her. Together Eli leads Auden on a series of night tours around town, where they embark on a journey of excitement, love, and... Read Full Review
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Ikigai for Teens: Finding Your Reason for Being
García, Héctor
Reviewed: September 14, 2022
In life, everyone makes choices, from simply deciding what breakfast item they should have in the morning to deciding which college to attend. These choices could impact our lives greatly and decide if one would truly be happy.
Ikigai For Teens: Finding Your Reason for Being acts as a guidebook for young individuals who do not know what they are going to do in the future. The term “ikigai” is roughly translated as a “life goal” or literally “worthwhile life.” García and Miralles assist readers in how discovering what gets them out of bed every morning. They encourage their... Read Full Review