Favorite Childhood Books

There are several authors and book series that I really enjoyed reading when I was in elementary school, and today I'm going to be listing several of them.

One of the first series that got me into reading was the Magic Tree House series. They are about siblings Jack and Annie who stumble upon a magic tree house full of books. This tree house transports them back in time; a different place and time period each book. I loved reading about Jack and Annie's adventures as they met historical figures such as Leonardo Da Vinci and the like. I've read up to #38 in the series (there are currently 52 books so far) and eventually grew out of them as I got older. They gave me kind of an overview of different historical events and places and it was a lot of fun reading them.

Andrew Clements was one of my favorite authors growing up. He's written a ton of children books, each one with different characters in different situations. I loved reading about each story and one in particular, Landry News, a story about a kid-written newspaper, inspired me to write my own "newspaper" which lasted 2-3 years until I lost interest in continuing it. Nevertheless, Not only does he write realistic-fiction, one of his books, Things Not Seen, is about a kid who wakes up one day and finds himself invisible. It had a sci-fi twist which I really enjoyed.

Roald Dahl is a British author who wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, The BFG, and many others. His books are always really funny and enjoyable because they always have some twist whether it's a s genius Matilda or a big friendly giant. His children books also have a sense of adventure with them, and still contain that childish lightheartedness and humor. Two of my favorites are Matilda and The Witches. Roald Dahl's books are definitely ones that I will always remember as books I loved during my childhood.

The Main Street series is about two sisters, Flora and Ruby, who move to Camden Falls where their grandmother lives after their parents died in an accident. Now what captivated me the most was the description of Camden Falls because I wish it was a real place that I could visit. It talks about how the sisters try to adjust to life in Camden Falls and how they make new friends. Ann M. Martin also wrote other books I've read such as The Doll People and  A Dog's Life, both of which I also loved and found so unique. The Main Street series is about the adventures the two sisters and their friends have in Camden Falls and I loved the characters and the setting.

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes is about fifth-grader Abby Hayes. The book is written from Abby's perspective (she keeps a journal of everything) and you get to see her journal entries and all the adventures she experiences with her friends. I really liked this series because of the writing style (the journal) and the narratives. Abby also has several siblings with distinct personalities that also make's the characters fun and humorous. It was one of my favorites as a kid and I loved reading about Abby and her friends and the things they did as elementary school students and even into middle school.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is the first of three books in a series by Trenton Lee Stewart. It's about a group of four gifted kids - Reynie, Constance, Kate, and Sticky - and how they try to stop an evil mastermind, Mr. Curtain. I loved the characters and their quirkiness as they tried to solve the puzzles and what not. I really loved the first book; it was full of riddles and it was cleverly written (especially the test they had to take in the beginning). But from there the series kind of degenerated. The series as a whole was decent, but the last two books were less than amazing.

Top 6 Realistic Fiction Books

While books are a way to escape from reality and to delve into another world, sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than reading a story set in the real world rather than a fictional one. Whenever I want to focus more on real characters who undergo a lot of change rather than an action-packed plot, realistic-fiction is there. And so, I bring to you today, in no particular order, my top 6 realistic-fiction books.

First up today is Fangirl, a sweet romance about a college freshman who would rather prefer to lock herself up in her room writing fan-fiction rather than attempting to interact with new people. The characters are all so funny and unique and the story-telling is one of the best. I especially love the use of fan-fiction excerpts to give you a taste of fantasy in a realistic fiction story. The romance between Cath and Levi warms you heart and watching Cath and Wren reconcile as sisters is sweet. Cath grows as a person due to the people she meets and the opportunities she takes. The story-telling and the fleshed out characters make this book stand out from the rest. I loved this book.

Something Real, is about 17-year old Bonnie™ Baker who spent the first 13 years of her life on a reality TV show, Baker's Dozen, along with her parents and her 12 siblings. Four years after its cancellation, after Chloe has finally settled into a normal life, it's back on the air. This story focuses on Chloe aka Bonnie and how she deals with her dysfunctional family and the pressure of being watched 24/7. The characters all feel so real and it's so interesting to watch Chloe, her brother Benton, and their friends as they help each other out. There's a lot of drama and it has a bittersweet ending, but you come to care for the character's and emphasize with their struggles.

Hate List is about Valerie Leftman and how she deals with her family and classmates after her boyfriend Nick opened fire in their school cafeteria, killing several people that were named on a list created by Valerie and Nick of things and people they hated. Now back in school for her senior year, she has to deal with the guilt and isolation she feels, with everyone avoiding her. It's a story Valerie's journey as she finds closure and comes to terms with herself, and learns that she's not the only one who was affected by the shooting. I really enjoyed reading about Valerie's struggles and how at the end she is able to do something for the victims and learn to move on.

Lynn Visible is a book I read a couple years ago yet even now I can remember how much I loved this book. It's about Lynn Vincent, who is passionate about fashion. She loves inventing her own style and is used to being looked down upon due to her unique outfits. When one of her creations lands into the hands of a famous designer, she has to ask herself whether what she wants and what exactly fashion means to her. To her, it's a form of self-expression and a canvas for her never-ending creativity. I loved reading about the characters and Lynn's own struggles with herself.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a story about Clay Jensen who receives a package of thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. In the tapes, Hannah explains the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. This was such a unique story and to learn about 12 people and how their bullying and actions caused Hannah so much pain was heartbreaking. It was so well-written and shows you how much of an impact your actions can have on other people, whether they were with good intentions or not. The narrative and characters were definitely the highlights of this novel.

Flash Burnout is about Blake who has a passion for photography. One day he snaps a picture of a homeless woman and discovers that it's the long-lost mother of his friend, Marissa. Blake struggles between his long-relationship with his girlfriend and his increasing involvement with Marissa. This book's story was well-written and I loved how the author was able to use photography as a way to describe the obstacles you have to overcome in life. I loved the end when Blake's project for his photography class immortalizes the events that happened up until when Melissa left. The author is able to tie the story back together really well.

Fangirl

Hey guys! It's been a while. I have to admit, I've been in a reading slump lately and just couldn't find anything I wanted to read. The only two books I read over the summer were... for school.

Pathetic, right? I think it's because I've been reading way too many dystopian YA novels and I've found myself growing tired of them. So instead, I decided to check out a realistic-fiction author I've heard good things about, Rainbow Rowell. Her more well-known book, Eleanor and Park, wasn't available at the library, so I decided to settle on one of her other books, Fangirl.

And wow I enjoyed this book so much.

A brief synopsis from Amazon:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Let's talk about the fanfiction. One unique thing about this book is that it includes several excerpts from the (fictional) Simon Snow series and Cath's own fanfiction story. To be honest, these excerpts were probably my favorite part of the entire book, because it's like a reading a spin-off from Harry Potter (which I LOVE) but it's different enough to make it its own. Fangirl is like two stories in one; Cath's college life and the fictional world she writes about.

Cath and her twin sister Wren were close growing up, especially after their mom left them when they were younger. But now that they are starting college, Wren wants some independence. The two are very different from each other; Wren is more outgoing and likes to go to parties and get drunk, and Cath is more introverted, preferring to lock herself up in her room and write fanfiction all day. Throughout their freshman year, they hardly talk to each other and when they do, it always turns into an argument. By the end of the book however, Wren reconciles with Cath and they are drawn back together through the world of Simon Snow, which I found really touching. Two twins, gone their separate ways, are brought back together because they are sisters and know each other best.

The romance in this book was so cute and sweet. Unlike a lot of YA books where a lot of the romance feels fake or forced, Cath and this guy (name undisclosed to prevent spoilers) start out as acquaintances and slowly develops into something beyond friendship. His and Cath's personalities were both really likable and I thought they were perfect for each other.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to reading more of Rainbow Rowell's books. It's a perfect blend of realistic-fiction, fantasy (Simon Snow), humor, romance, and character development. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light and cute read because I fell in love with the characters and I know you will too.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter. The fifth book of the Gallahger Girl series. This book was amazing.

Wait, rewind. Did you catch that last line? "This book was amazing." Oh, good, I was afraid that you might've missed that vital sentence. Because it's true. This book was way different from the others. It was a mystery, and naturally was full of suspense, shock, and disbelief. Oh, and moments where I was like, "WHY?? NO!!" *sobs in anger*. Which is good thing, trust me.

All that Cammie Morgan remember from her summer vacation was leaving to protect her friends and family from the Circle. That, and waking up to find that months had past, and that she couldn't remember a thing about what she did over her summer. When she comes back to school, she's ready for things to return to normal. But what she realizes is that things may never be normal again. She finds that she is a different person. Someone who knows how to do stuff she couldn't even imagine doing. Things that she does in an instant without it even registering her brain. She is now considered a danger even to her fellow classmates, in the one place she has ever felt safe.

They have to trace back, find out exactly what happened over the summer, and solve the mystery before time runs out. Because the Circle is hot on their trail.

Like I said, I was constantly in suspense, and loved the twists that left me in shock and disbelief. It's a must read. (And yes, my rating is correct. I did consider giving it an 11 out of 10, but I decided that was a bit too much.)

My Rating: 10.5 out of 10 stars

City of Heavenly Fire (NO SPOILERS)

Okay. Okay. It's finally time. *takes deep breath* I just finished reading City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, and I... OMG WHY DID IT HAVE TO END??

Let me tell you something. I have read so many YA books over the past few years. But I have never gotten my hands on a book that caused me to stay up to 2 in the morning just to finish a 725 page book.

Until now.

After reading both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series, I have to say that Cassandra Clare is one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style, and the way she's able to create such a vivid world, The Shadowhunter World, is amazing. Cassandra Clare is able to weave so many characters into one huge story, that has a hundred different things going on at the same time.

Now let me say something. When I first read City of Bones, I liked it, but I didn't think it was a masterpiece. When I read Clockwork Angel, I even thought about dropping the Infernal Devices series, because it wasn't my cup of tea. But I'm so glad I didn't drop it. Because every single book Cassandra Clare writes is 10 times better than the last one. And this book, all 725 pages of it, had me hooked the whole way through.

Sebastian is such a despicable character. He has demon blood in him after all. He's inhuman, and shows no empathy when he tortures and kills. And as much as I hate Sebastian, I can't help feeling sorry for him. This is what Cassandra Clare is able to do. She can create such a twisted and evil character such as Sebastian, and make him have a weakness that almost makes him seem like a lost little boy who might've lived a normal life if things were different.

Now City of Heavenly Fire is the end of the series, and it wraps up perfectly. I can't think of anything I'd change to make it better. Although it's a bittersweet ending; many things are still not resolved and to think of how many people died in the war against Sebastian... Even then, it's a happy ending because it's more like a new beginning or... ARGH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS.

Anyway, if you are a fan of Cassandra Clare's works, you won't be disappointed by this last book of the series, as I think it's even better than the last, which was Clockwork Princess. And you don't know how much I loved Jem, Tessa, and Will after that ended.

Rating: 10 out of 10