Epic Reading Challenge: June

Written by Grace H.

Welcome back to the Epic Reads Challenge 2024, where each month some of the TBG members choose a book that fits a specific prompt. Provided by Epic Reads, these prompts inspire new and unique book choices among readers. We encourage the community to join in this challenge with us and participate each month!

The prompt for June was… a book genre outside your comfort zone.

Most readers have a genre (or maybe a couple) to which they are loyal readers. Maybe your bookshelf is largely disproportional with a ton of books of a single genre (Romantasy, I’m looking at you). But this month the Teen Book Guild encourages you to step outside your comfort zone and try a different genre than you normally read, whether that’s romance, thriller, or even non-fiction!

This month I chose The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst, which is a YA thriller. I read a small amount of thrillers, but usually it’s not my favorite genre.

This exciting novel follows Claire, an anxious teenager who is spending the summer at a remote camp with people she’s never met before. But when she arrives at the camp, Claire and her new acquaintances discover that the entire facility has been burned. But that’s not all, something or someone in the woods has killed the camp director, and now is hunting the three girls.

This thriller really surprised me. It started off just like any other, with a scary problem for these teenagers to solve, but as the story went on, it took twists and turns that I’m not sure any reader could have predicted. The ending really surprised me, and I think if I was the author, I might’ve taken it a different direction, but all in all, I was happy I picked up this thriller.

I would certainly recommend this one to any readers who are looking to expand their genre horizons into the thriller/mystery category.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List

Written by Grace H.

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…Books on My Summer 2024 To-Read List!!

Now that summer is here and school is out, teens have a lot of extra time on our hands, and I plan to make a big dent in my TBR stack. Here is a list that I’ve compiled of my most anticipated reads for the summer!

 

BOOK VS FILM! Turtles All the Way Down

 by Helena M.

Turtles All The Way Down, written by award-winning author John Green, focuses on the life of Aza Holmes. Aza has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) about germs and bacteria. It hugely affects her well-being and plagues her life with constant irrational thoughts and behaviors that she cannot control. Her life changes when she and her best friend Daisy hear about a missing billionaire on the news who is the father of her childhood friend, Davis Pickett. Daisy and Aza’s need for the award money ($100,000 for people with relevant information) causes the pair to meet Davis again. Aza and Davis begin to connect and face the challenges in their lives together, one thing at a time. On May 2, 2024, a movie based on the book was released to Max and carries a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb.

 

The Movie

The movie is surprisingly good. Before I watched it, I unfairly assumed that it would be very different from the novel (which is sadly often the case). I was surprised while watching because of the added complexity and detail. Some of the best parts of the film were enhanced and barely anything was neglected.

The movie was very well made. The filming, the music, and the effects were tied together perfectly. The combination improved the story greatly. The only thing I did not like about the film was that it was a bit excessive in some parts. A few of the scenes were stressful and hard to watch, but that may be fine for other people.

 

The Book

Turtles All The Way Down was my first book by John Green, and it helped me get back into reading with its beautiful plot and detail. Additionally, the writing is splendid. The characters are nicely developed and feel like real people, which is only sometimes common. It can be a bit of a heavier read because of the subjects that are presented in the book, but I often find myself coming back to it again and again. In my opinion, it is a great read for most people and a must-read.

The Verdict

After comparing and contrasting the two works, I believe that the book is the superior way to savor the exquisite story. It was a tough decision, but the book is so breathtaking. The movie is as well, but not at the same level. I would recommend either the book or the movie, depending on your mood, to anyone interested in a captivating drama.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish WIshes

 by Grace H.

Welcome back to TBG’s Top Ten Tuesday! Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday encourages book bloggers to create and share a “Top Ten” list in response to a different topic each week.

This week’s theme is…Bookish Wishlist!!

This is a list I have put together of the top ten books that I wish I could add to my ever-growing collection!

1. The Cruel Prince trilogy by Holly Black (this is one of my favorite YA series and I wish I had physical copies so I can read them over and over again!)

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2. Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (this is another one of my all time favorites!)

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3. The Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy by Stephanie Garber (a really popular series that I haven’t read yet + the covers are gorgeous!

4. Swarm by Jennifer Lyle (an intriguing sounding YA sci fi)

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5. Five Survive by Holly Jackson (one of the best YA thrillers I’ve read within the past year!)

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6. The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott (newly released supernatural/fantasy novel)

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7. Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon (I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this next installment sounds like a good read!)

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8. Paper Towns by John Green (one of the few John Green books that I have yet to read)

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9. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh (I’ve had this series on my TBR for a while and I’m very excited to read it)

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10. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (this one isn’t being published for almost an entire year, but I’m already adding it to my wishlist!)

      

Let us know which books you are eager to add to your collection!