My Reading Nook

     Flowers for Algernon  by Daniel Keyes was an exceptional book. When I started reading it, I had a very biased outlook; I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it. It wasn’t long until I got totally overwhelmed by this book and the message Daniel Keyes is sending.      In this book, you are pulled along on Charlie’s journey of going through a procedure to make him “smart” and his experiences afterwards. He volunteered as the first human subject to have this test, up until him it had only been tested on animals. They had positive results on a mouse named Algernon and were sure of Charlie’s progression after the procedure. As you’re reading the book, you see that Charlie’s IQ levels weren’t the only thing affected by the procedure. He has to learn to cope with adult-level intelligence while still having the emotions of a child. Charlie’s world is turned upside down when he starts to notice romantic feelings that he has never felt before. He doesn’t kn...

      The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon is about Christopher John Francis Boone and about how his brain works differently from most everyone else. Christopher investigates the mysterious murder of the neighbor’s dog, Wellington, and promises to bring the person to justice. While doing his “detective work,” he uncovers secrets that he doesn’t believe to be true. This sends him on a journey to find what he’s been missing for many years and shows him how scary the world truly is.       Throughout this novel, we see how Christopher’s brain works and how it unravels problems. He is very uncomfortable around strangers and cannot stand to be touched. This is a book that should be on everyone’s reading list. It gives you a new perspective from a person who isn’t considered “normal.” It lets you take a peak into the brain of someone who sees the world differently from everyone else.       I have never...

   Everything I Never Told by Celeste Ng is about a Chinese-American family who lives in a small town in Ohio around the 1970s. Marilyn and James Lee have three children, but they favor Lydia above the others. James and Marilyn want Lydia to accomplish everything they were never able to. Marilyn wants her daughter to become a doctor to fight the male stigma and to accomplish her biggest dreams. James wants to do everything in his power to make her blend in, to make her feel less different.    When Lydia winds up dead in the lake near their house, everything turns upside down. Secrets are exposed and people pinned themselves against each other. Marilyn finds that she didn’t know her daughter as well as she thought she did.    Throughout the book, you start to realize that even though Lydia was a “perfect” daughter, she had secrets that she would never be able to tell her parents or her siblings. Her whole life she was trying to live up to her parent...

   What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera is a great book that tested people’s belief in destiny and that the universe can bring people together. Arthur was visiting New York with his parents for an internship at his mom’s firm. One day while making a coffee run, he sees this boy with a box walk into the post office and he follows him in. When a flash mob breaks them apart, it seems hopeless that they will ever see each other again.    After a lot of internet searching, he finds out the boy’s name is Ben. Ben is a New York native and isn’t fascinated by the magnificennce that is the city he lives in. His summer plans were ruined when he failed some classes in junior year and had to attend summer school. His ex boyfriend was also attending summer school which made for some really awkward moments.    When they finally find each other, they find that the other person was just what they were looking for. They find that maybe the universe isn’t...

   Parker Santé hasn’t spoken in five years, not since the accident. He doesn’t see a point in going to college or planning for a future like the rest of his class. He skips school and hangs out at hotels because he finds that they are a good place to steal without sticking out and they all feel the same. His life is turned upside down when a mysterious girl with silver hair, Zelda, shows up at the same hotel with a big wad of cash.    Parker’s father was killed in a car accident five years ago. His mother has resorted to alcoholism and bottling up her grief as a way to cope with the pain. Parker hasn’t spoken since. With the lack of use of his vocal chords, they have become stiff so he can’t talk even if he wanted to. Parker sees a therapist to try and cope with his father’s death, and eventually, his mom attends too which helps them both overcome and understand each other better.    Zelda comes into the book when Parker notices “the girl with platin...

  Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley is about a boy named Soloman Reed who hasn't left the house in three years, two months, and a day. After a panic attack that resulted in him half-naked in the school fountain, he convinced his parents that he was better off at home, away from everyone. Lisa is a know-it-all, straight A student who is determined to help Soloman manage his agoraphobia while using him as an example in her college essay. As they become friends, you see Soloman transform while Lisa tries to hide her secrets from him. Will her secrets stay secret or will they spill and ruin everything she's worked so hard for? "Examines mental illness, connection, and the inner worlds that shape us with empathy and grace." -The Boston Globe "Charming, heartwarming, and profound." -The Huffington Post I really enjoyed this book and found myself relating a lot to Soloman. Soloman is dealing with a mental illness while also trying to figure out wh...

  Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda is about Simon Spier, who has growing feelings for a boy he has been emailing with. When the class clown, Martin, gets his hands on Simon's private emails, he finds a perfect opportunity to blackmail him into becoming his wing-man. Simon has to work to protect his sexual identity and the identity of Blue, the boy he has been emailing with. In this funny, live-out-loud book, you'll fall in love with Simon and watch him learn how to step out of his comfort zone.  "Worthy of Fault in Our Stars level obsession." -Entertainment Weekly "The love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell." -Teen Vogue I had been wanting to read this book for quite some time, but hadn't had the chance to get it. When I finally got it, I couldn't put it down. It is definitely one of my top favorite books. I found myself getting sucked in and being able to tune out the real world. I highly recommend this book. The author, Becky Alber...