Weekend Pick for February 9, 2024
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Check out our weekly suggestions!
Are your students looking for book recommendations?
Send them to browse through the picks for this or past years.
For the picks from 2023 click here
For the picks from 2022 click here
For the picks from 2021 click here
For the picks from 2020 click here.
For older picks click from 2019 click here.
For the even older picks click here.
This weekend as we prepare for the Valentine’s Day holiday, I wanted to share a couple of love stories from my hometown of Indianapolis written by the amazing Leah Johnson!
First, chosen as a Reese’s Book Club YA pick, You Should See Me in a Crown remains a steady recommendation in my conversations with friends and students. This story explores love of self, family, friends, and even our competition. The novel follows Liz Lighty who feels the tensions of her dreams of attending an elite college to play in their world famous orchestra and earn her degree in medicine and the reality of her unexpected fall through of financial aid needed to get out of her prom-obsessed midwestern town. Until, Liz remembers the scholarship opportunity attached to the race for prom king and queen. Though less than thrilled to enter the race of competitors, social media frenzy, and public events that heighten her anxiety and sense of awkwardness, Liz decides to take the risk in order to reach her goals. Throughout Liz’s journey, she finds a new connection with Mack–a new student who is smart, funny, and shares Liz’s feelings of being an outsider in the small town. The only drawback is Mack is also running for prom queen. Asking the questions of whether or not love is a welcome interruption to the dreams we possess, You Should See Me in a Crown is full of heart, humor, and resonance.
First, chosen as a Reese’s Book Club YA pick, You Should See Me in a Crown remains a steady recommendation in my conversations with friends and students. This story explores love of self, family, friends, and even our competition. The novel follows Liz Lighty who feels the tensions of her dreams of attending an elite college to play in their world famous orchestra and earn her degree in medicine and the reality of her unexpected fall through of financial aid needed to get out of her prom-obsessed midwestern town. Until, Liz remembers the scholarship opportunity attached to the race for prom king and queen. Though less than thrilled to enter the race of competitors, social media frenzy, and public events that heighten her anxiety and sense of awkwardness, Liz decides to take the risk in order to reach her goals. Throughout Liz’s journey, she finds a new connection with Mack–a new student who is smart, funny, and shares Liz’s feelings of being an outsider in the small town. The only drawback is Mack is also running for prom queen. Asking the questions of whether or not love is a welcome interruption to the dreams we possess, You Should See Me in a Crown is full of heart, humor, and resonance.
If you’ve already had the joy of reading Johnson’s first novel, I highly recommend continuing into her catalog by picking up Johnson’s next novel Rise to the Sun. Full of the same irresistible romance, Rise to the Sun follows two girls at a three day music festival that provides one life changing experience. First, Olivia, finds herself as an outcast at school and at home after her last break up. To escape the stress of her upcoming senior year, Olivia and her friends decide to adventure to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival. Enter Toni. Finding herself one week away from entering college and reeling from the loss of her musician father, Toni returns to the music festival that changed her father’s life to hopefully find clarity for her own journey of discovering who she wants to be. Both Olivia and Toni find each other and work together to get what they’ve both been searching for and experience the way music has the power to heal and connect us all.
These two novels will keep you turning the page and experiencing ALL the feelings along with the characters! To find more enjoyable stories, visit Johnson’s website and support her efforts to push back against book bans by shopping at her new bookstore Loudmouth Books.
Wishing everyone all the love, connection, and joy this week!
Until next week, keep reading!
Cammie
These two novels will keep you turning the page and experiencing ALL the feelings along with the characters! To find more enjoyable stories, visit Johnson’s website and support her efforts to push back against book bans by shopping at her new bookstore Loudmouth Books.
Wishing everyone all the love, connection, and joy this week!
Until next week, keep reading!
Cammie
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