Reading with Carlie

This novel, written by fellow Princetonian Katharine McGee, is just begging to be made into a CW TV show (and is currently in development with ABC)  - think futuristic Gossip Girl . Set in NYC in the year 2118, the book follows a group of teenagers navigating life in the Tower, a thousand story building that spans a large swath of Manhattan. It's a non-dystopian look at a future where people are judged by their wealth and floor number, not their gender, sexuality or race. Told from multiple perspectives, the book slowly ramps up to a dramatic and deadly finale. The novel is really committed to the technology of the future - at no point will you forget that this does not take place in the present day. I enjoyed getting swept up in the glamorous life of the future elite and I was impressed with the diverse group of characters that make up the ensemble. 4/5. P.S. If you liked the first book, the sequel is just as good! Keep an eye out for the third and final installment, comi...

This psychological thriller follows Liza Cole, an author who is struggling to meet a deadline for her latest book,  a suspenseful tale of new mother Beth who thinks her husband might be cheating on her.  Not only is Liza under pressure to write a bestseller, but she is also trying to get pregnant and the medications she's been prescribed come with a never-ending list of side effects. Meanwhile, her husband is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend and Liza isn't sure what she can do to help. As she begins her novel, Liza's own life starts to unravel further and she realizes that the line between fiction and reality might be a bit more blurry than she'd thought. This wasn't my favorite thriller I've read lately and I didn't find the book particularly memorable. Written in alternating chapters, the reader is shown both Liza's life and excerpts from her novel about Beth. I had a hard time getting invested in Beth's story, so I found that t...

I realize I'm late to the party on this one but I did enjoy it! College freshman Cath is not happy when she finds out her twin sister Gwen doesn't plan on rooming with her at the University of Nebraska. All Cath really wants to do is hide in her room and focus on her true passion - writing fan-fiction based on boy wizard  Harry Potter Simon Snow. But now, her sister is trying to reconnect with the mother who abandoned them, her dad is falling apart at home, and her roommate's boyfriend, Levi, keeps showing up unannounced, making himself comfortable in her tiny dorm room. Cath struggles with social anxiety, which can make her a frustrating character at times, but she really does try her best and it's nice to see her find a loving support network in a new environment. It's especially fun to see an author dive into the world of fan-fiction, with various excerpts from Cath's own stories sprinkled into the novel. While not always lighthearted, the book does have...

Irish author Liz Nugent details the life of titular character Oliver Ryan following an explosive first chapter in which he assaults his wife, Alice, leaving her in a coma. The rest of the novel gives us a multitude of perspectives from which we can piece together Oliver's life, including his troubled childhood and a vacation that resulted in a mysterious and deadly fire. This is not your typical thriller, given that the most shocking event happens in the first chapter instead of the last. However, there are a few additional twists and reveals, and if you don't mind your characters dark and twisted, you'll find Oliver a fascinating individual. 4/5

Pilgrims come from all over the country to visit the Soria family, who possess the ability to perform miracles. But miracles are a tricky science and most visitors find themselves unable to complete the two-step process necessary in order to be healed. Knowing that interfering with another's miracle only brings trouble, the Sorias avoid the pilgrims at all costs. But, when one of their own is in trouble, the Sorias must reevaluate their stance on getting involved. This book is very stylized, so it takes a while to get into the rhythm of Stiefvater's writing, but it is worth the initial effort. You'll get swept up in the magical realism of the novel and grow attached to the fundamentally good, hard-working characters in the book. 4/5