Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: J. K. Rowling
Synopsis: Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!
Review: As usual, I loved it!
Scoring: 5
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: J. K. Rowling
Synopsis: For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard
Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts . . . he's at Hogwarts."
Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst
Review: I highly suggest starting from year 1 if you are new to the series. Even if you have seen the films, they don't cover as much as the books did.
Scoring: 5
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: J. K. Rowling
Synopsis: Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally
feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord
Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.
Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not
everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will
bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.
Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and
countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.
Review: I highly suggest starting from year 1 if you are new to the series. Even if you have seen the films, they don't cover as much as the books did.
Scoring: 5
The Honey-Don’t List
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: Christina Lauren
Synopsis: Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.
James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.
Review: I thought this book was perfect for anyone who isn't quite ready for valentine's day to be over yet. This is a great book for this time of year. While it was good book. The most confusing part though is the switching back and forth between the story and the book within the book.
Scoring: 3
Love And Other Disasters
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: Anita Kelly
Synopsis: Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face.
Review: It was odd for me to red they/them pronouns at first. However, I’m glad our literature is becoming more diverse. I think that’s important.
Scoring: 5
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: Rick Riordan
Synopsis: Always trouble-prone, the life of teenager Percy Jackson gets a lot more complicated when he learns he's the son of the Greek god Poseidon. At a training ground for the children of deities, Percy learns to harness his divine powers and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime: he must prevent a feud among the Olympians from erupting into a devastating war on Earth, and rescue his mother from the clutches of Hades, God of the underworld.
Scoring: 5
The Unabomber Manifesto
Reviewer: Kaile Brogan
Author: Ted Kaczynski aka The Unabomber
Synopsis: In 1971, Dr. Theodore Kaczynski rejected modern society and moved to a primitive cabin in the woods of Montana. There, he began building bombs which he sent to professors and executives to express his disdain for modern society, and to work on his magnum opus.
Review: The Unabomber, Theodore John Kaczynski, was a serial bomber. He is known as the Unabomber because he was famous for bombing planes and universities. His manifesto is a book about his own thoughts and ideologies. Warning, It is a violent story. However, the book itself is not. The crimes were.
Scoring: 5