During the school year, it's nearly impossible for me to get any reading done outside of what's assigned for class. When I was younger, I read constantly, and I miss books more than anything. With summer coming up, my goal is to read four books by the time I return to school in August.
1. "Grendel" by John Gardner.
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Grendel is a retelling of the poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist and explains the actions of the monster based on his point of view. I never read Beowulf because I'm not into poetry, but I've been wanting to read this retelling for over a year now. I don't think I've ever read a novel told in the villain's perspective, so that's the top reason why I'm interested in this novel.
2. "The Notorious RBG" by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my absolute icon, so I'm excited to learn a little more about her through this biography. I mean, how can I not love a 5-foot tall Jewish queen who has dedicated her life to taking down the patriarchy?
3. "Mother Night" by Kurt Vonnegut.
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I had never heard of this book until I was searching for Vonnegut quotes after becoming obsessed with Slaughterhouse Five and came across a quote from this novel: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." The novel follows an American on trial after WWII for Nazi war crimes. I love Vonnegut's style, so I'm excited to read more by him.
4. "One of Us Is Lying" by Karen McManus.
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This book has been at the top of my to-read list for over a year, and I actually started it but stopped once I left for college. It's The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars after one student dies in detention and the other students become suspects. I'm a sucker for a teen drama meets murder mystery, so I'm dying (see what I did there) to read this.