I've made it to September! I just finished book #43 toward my goal of 60. I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate with some highlights from the summer:
Memory of Light- Another homerun from Francisco Stork. He always packs a punch with the depth of his characters and the grittiness of their situations. This one is the story of Vicky, who attempted suicide but was saved by her cat and her nanny. In the mental ward of a hospital to recover, she meets 3 other teens who have various problems but are able to understand her in ways no one in her family does. Things get intense when each of her new friends has a close encounter with death and Vicky is the one who helps them.
Circe- If you're a reader, you have probably heard of this one. Stories of Greek myths are always a favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint, even with the hype. It focuses on Circe, a minor goddess- daughter of Helios, the Titan sun god and a nymph. She is banished for experimenting with witchcraft but finds love on her own terms living on an uninhabited island. Her island was a minor stop for the hero Odysseus, but year he spent there left her with a son that would change the course of their futures.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe- This one's a modern classic and I finally got around to it because it is one of this year's picks for Battle of the Books. I don't know the right way to describe this story other than to say it just made me feel good. I loved the friendship between the two boys Ari and Dante who meet at the public pool one summer. Their friendship completely changes their lives, even though Dante moves away. Be warned- it is a tearjerker.
Family of Liars- Prequel to We Were Liars. This novel focuses on 3 Sinclair sisters shortly after the youngest dies of drowning. One summer, when some boys stay with them on the island, another tragedy takes place that the girls cover up and take to their graves.
All of Us Villains- Described to me as the Hunger Games competition with the magic of Harry Potter, I knew I would need to read this one. Seven families must send a representative into the Tournament to fight to the death. The winner gets exclusive control over high magic for the next 20 years. This year's tournament will be different- a book was just published revealing families' secrets and the ins and outs of the tournament. One girl, a tournament hopeful, thinks she knows how to end it all.
