Quick update before we start this week’s blog: I finished the last book in the Hunger Games series. What a whirlwind experience it’s been. I finally read them… ten years later! If you want to discuss it, please let me know because I would love to talk about what happened. All I have to say is Greasy Sae>>> 

Okay, since this is my very last passion blog, I thought I should give more than one recommendation, so welcome to essentially speed dating with books. Hopefully one of these books will spark your interest! 

The All for the Game Series: Where to even begin with these books. Here’s what you need to know: the mafia, college sports team, the game Exy (a made-up sport like lacrosse but with violence), run away main character who is the son of a mafia boss, and a lot of questionable plot lines. Basically, the main character, Neil, is the son of this mafia boss named the Butcher, and Neil is on the run from his father. He loves the sport Exy, and for whatever reason joins a college team that recruits troubled teens. Think of these books as a glorified Wattpad book, as they give off a similar vibe. Like a Wattpad story, these books are also intense with some of its themes (aka violence, drug use, and a whole bunch of other things). It’s not for everyone, but if you want a book series that’s just a wild ride… this is it (they’re also literally 99 cents on the Kindle). 

The Immortal Game: This book is all about the history of chess. Before you write it off, hear me out. I personally play chess with my grandfather, and I’ve always really liked reading chess books. This book focuses on the history of chess, while also telling the story of one of the most famous chess games, the Immortal Game from 1851. If you know nothing about chess or find it boring, I think you will still like this book. It gives the history of chess in a story like way that has a bit of whimsy to it. When I read it, the book was low-key emotional, so if you’re ever in the mood for a random book, maybe give this a try. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: This book follows two best friends, Ari and Dante. It’s set in Texas in the 80s (don’t be like me and realize it’s set in the 80s halfway through reading it), and it focuses on the main characters navigating their friendship and identities. Ari and Dante are both Mexican-American teens, but their experiences are different. They also navigate their own sexualities and relationships with their families. I know I can be a hater sometimes, but this book is actually really good. While this book isn’t my favorite of all time, if someone asks for a recommendation this book always comes to mind.  

Chaos Walking Series: This is another solid series that is pretty popular. Funny story about this… there was this guy who joined my high school’s book club (he was the first boy to join it), so we voted to read the first book of this series since it was his favorite and he hyped it up so much. We read this book, had the meeting, and then he quit right after that. Anyway, this book is set in a world where everyone can hear and read men’s thoughts since they were infected by the Noise germ. The men went crazy long ago and supposedly killed all of the women. The main character Todd, the last “boy” of the town, is forced to flee, and he finds a girl, which is suprising since he thought all of the women were killed off when he was little. There’s this whole adventure that spans three books (Tom Holland plays Todd in the movie), and it’s a good science fiction choice. 

The Front Lines Series: POV, women can be drafted. That is basically the premise of this book, and it reimagines what World War Two would have been like if women were in combat. It focuses on three women and their experiences in the war. For a historical fiction series that takes so many liberties with World War Two, it was surprisingly good to me. The writing is slightly juvenile (I could definitely see middle school me reading these), but I read these books so fast. Women already played a huge role in WWII, and I don’t think this series discredits that fact. Instead, it just offers a what if scenario that’s interesting to consider. If you remember my review for The Man in The High Castle where I hated the alternate reality the author wrote, this book manages to actually deliver on the promised premise. 

I really enjoyed getting to write my passion blog all about books this year. Hopefully, you guys found at least one new book to read (and maybe even one book to avoid)!

Images Used: https://www.amazon.com/All-for-the-Game-3-book-series/dp/B074BTZ2JV

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/63744-chaos-walking-trilogy-steps-out-with-new-covers.html

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Aristotle-and-Dante-Discover-the-Secrets-of-the-Universe/Benjamin-Alire-Saenz/Aristotle-and-Dante/9781442408937

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85083.The_Immortal_Game