Paging Teens

I want to try and turn some of the more boring sides of books into things you look forward to. Scenes such as meals and descriptions of the weather and season are commonly overlooked. I used to fall asleep when authors started talking about what season it was until I read How to Read Literature like a Professor. Here are some tips that I learned from reading the book and hopefully will enhance your next read! 1. Meals can be one of the most important scenes in a novel. I know,…read more

Freakonomics is a book written by Steven  Levitt and Stephen Dubner that applies Economics to everyday life. The authors go through different out-of-the-box scenarios applying Economics to everyday life. That is a technical description and brief summary of Freakonomics that some might find sufficient (i.e. my english teacher.) In reality that description does not give the book nearly enough credit. Freakonomics is a revolutionary book that changed my outlook on the world. In a sense, Freakonomics puts into writing what has been in the back of my mind for years. It puts…read more

I was walking around in the airport bored out of my mind when I passed what seemed like the millionth Hudson News bookstore. I was on my way to California and I realized I had forgotten to pack a book to read. A book is a key essential to a 6 hour long flight and I was in desperate need of some entertainment. The selection of books at airports varies wildly so I was a bit nervous I would not find a good book. I entered the small bookstore and started…read more

Although I am currently swamped with ACT work, SAT subject tests, A.P.s and finals, I am always looking for books to read. I have found some books while strolling through books stores or browsing websites that I can’t wait to get my hands on! Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: Clare is the author of one of my favorite series, The Mortal Instruments. The concept of “shadowhunters” and the entire plot of the Mortal Instrument is extremely unique, allowing the series to expand endlessly. Last month Clare released the first installment in her spinoff…read more

Why do we, as teens, love reading about book about mass-destruction, death, and overall chaos in the world. It’s a little scary  that we find the destruction of the human race so interesting. We thrive on books where adults die, zombies control the world, or a massive plague has hit all the major cities. The question I have is why. Being a teen, I think I understand a little better than most why teens love to read about the end of the world. As a teenager, my life is packed with parents,…read more

Since I was a little kid I have always been told the same thing, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Finding the right book in a crowded store  is extremely hard.  While I have always acknowledged  that the adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is usually applicable to real life, I find that when I am looking for a book to read, I am constantly using the cover to choose which books to check out. It is impossible for someone to read the back summary on every…read more

      Deadly zombies vs. adolescent British kids. The Enemy Series by Charlie Higson depicts the struggle for survival of an assortment of groups of young English children. Throughout the six books the children are faced with challenges such as zombies and other non-friendly children, as well as attempting to restart civilization and find a cure to the virus. Adults have been completely wiped out due to a mysterious virus, killing them, or worse, turning them into zombies.  The series shifts from a few main groups, portraying their battles…read more

        Dragons are alive and well. They walk among us, disguised as humans. They are trained from the day they hatch to mimic human society perfectly. This is the world that Julie Kagawa has created in her thrilling book Talon. Talon is a society of Dragons who have learned to assimilate and live among humans to avoid extinction. Almost no humans know of their existence, save for their mortal enemies the Order of St. George. The Order and Talon have been battling since before the middle ages….read more

Orson Scott Card is famous for blowing the minds of his readers, as well as writing the space oriented highly acclaimed best seller, Ender’s Game. What happens when you take the two and put them together? The Pathfinder series, of course. Throughout the entire series, there have been so many twists and turns it’s been a wild ride just trying to keep up with the storyline. The first book, Pathfinder, starts out relatively simple, introducing some different versions of time travel and an easy to see conflict that gets resolved…read more

Endgame is here. Endgame, co-written by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton tells the story of 12  teens who are descendants from the original 12 lines of humanity.  The first book of Endgame, The Calling, the 12 teens must travel all over the world following clues left by their ancestors in order to find the first key. Whoever finds all three keys, wins Endgame. There are no rules, lying, cheating, and killing are all permitted.  The only catch is, the if you lose Endgame, your entire ancestral line, a huge portion…read more