A New York Times bestseller, What if? by Randall Munroe, will keep any reader entertained with its absurdity. A book that asks hypothetical questions, and answers them in the most roundabout, crazy, creative way possible. For example “What if someone’s DNA suddenly vanished, how long would that person last?” or for all Star Wars fans “How much Force power can Yoda output?” Any reasonable person would say it’s impossible to calculate that, and you’re not wrong, but Munroe goes into great detail deriving for roughly 3 pages using ACTUAL EQUATIONS to discern the amount of force Yoda could exert. Munroe keeps the reader entertained throughout the whole book with his steady stream of funny commentary, his little doodles, and his footnotes which truly show his ridiculous personality. As it says on the front cover, “When Randall Munroe is your guide, science gets really weird really fast.” Even if you’re not a huge fan of science, you will still enjoy this book out of sheer amusement. But wait, there’s more! Munroe also made a sort of sequel to this book, How to, which describes how to screw in a lightbulb, and many more questions that you may want answers to. If you want a book that is truly absurd, read What if?.
Dread Nation is one of a two-part series written by Justina Ireland. The second book is called Deathless Divide. As February is Black History Month, it is especially important this month to read books by black authors. Dread Nation is placed in the time of the Civil War, but there’s a twist. This is not your typical zombie apocalypse story, although the basis is the same. The shamblers (zombies) have risen from the dead and in order to get rid of them permanently, you must kill the shambler. But be careful, if you get eaten by a shambler you will become one too. The main protagonist, Jane McKeene, is sent to a combat school that is meant to train black girls on how to fight shamblers. At the end of their training, they will be put into the household and be responsible for the safety of a rich white family. Long story short, Jane gets caught in a scheme that she was not prepared for and has her whole life uprooted, not to mention the fact that her only acquaintance is her least favorite person in the world. It is a struggle for survival both physically and mentally in a white man’s world. Jane faces racism throughout her journey, and what’s so amazing about this book is that Jane’s story is not only about the racism (although it is prevalent throughout) but about the adventure she is on, and most importantly it also does not neglect the cruel realities of a black person living in America then and now. Overall this book is a true thriller and is definitely a 5-star rating.
For all the readers out there who are looking for a classic teen romance novel, this is the book for you. Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins, is the best romance novel I have ever read. Anna is shipped off to the academy SOAP (School of America in Paris) even though she’d rather stay home in Atlanta with her best friend and her maybe, maybe not boyfriend. To make things worse, it’s her senior year. While she is homesick, she quickly makes friends with Josh and Rashmi (who are dating), Mer, and St. Clair. Unfortunately, St. Clair already has a girlfriend, but that doesn’t stop Mer from having a huge crush on him. It also doesn’t stop Anna and St. Clair from getting so close that they are almost inseparable. He is her ‘boy best friend’, I’ll let you put the pieces together. This is the first book in a trilogy, all love stories which I would also recommend if you love this book. The characters all appear in the other books as well so if you fall in love with Anna you can look forward to her being present in future books. But also know that all parts of the trilogy have different main characters. This book will keep you hooked all the way through, easily a 5-star worthy rating.
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